Community’s shared vision important!
By: Jamie Kyte Sapoch
To coin a phrase from Councilman Tom Dallessio’s recent guest opinion in this newspaper, it seems we are finally “on the right track.”
Last week, N. J. Transit came to Hopewell Borough to unveil their much-discussed and highly anticipated plans to reinstitute passenger service along the West Trenton Line — and to possibly reopen a stop in our town.
Their “open house” meeting held June 14 at the Hopewell Railroad Station was a welcome opportunity for residents to see the plans first-hand — especially those who were unable to attend an earlier N. J. Transit meeting on the topic held in Ewing Township.
A group of Hopewell residents who attended that meeting urged both N. J . Transit and Mayor George Padgett to bring the plans to the borough where those most affected could have more ready access to the information. Thank you to all those who helped organize the June 14 meeting which, by all accounts, accomplished a useful and productive public service to this community.
While I support the reinstatement of passenger service along the line, I am an admitted and vocal skeptic about the positive benefits a stop in Hopewell Borough will bring to our town. I have heard about the potential benefits our borough stop will have to the region in terms of traffic mitigation. I am sensitive to that issue as is anyone who is on the road at anytime during the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. However I am unable to understand how the 80 potential passengers being transported through a Hopewell rail station each day will mitigate the volume of the approximately 15,000 automobiles that drive through the borough each day ( a number which will increase significantly over time).
And what about the traffic and infrastructure impacts to our town? It is not difficult to envision an influx of anxious commuters, well-meaning to have left their own houses on time, but now somewhat speeding through our small side streets to meet their train.
Then there’s the parking lot(s), a quite large pedestrian walkway over the track, all night lighting, new traffic lights, and most likely an overflow of parking on close proximity side streets. All at what benefit to Hopewell Borough residents? Increased business to Hopewell Borough residents? I may be very mistaken, but isn’t 15,000 travelers through our town a large enough potential audience for trade and commerce? More accessible commute for borough residents? My neighbors who commute to either Philadelphia or New York see the need to change trains and the multiple stops of the West Trenton Line will result only in a longer commute. Reduced traffic in the borough? Not if the majority of riders don’t walk to the train station.
At last week’s meeting, hundreds of residents came — many for the first time — to learn about N. J. Transit’s initial plans. A small group of Hopewell residents, myself included, had gone door-to-door prior to the meeting urging people to attend, bring questions, talk to our local officials, and to form their own opinion. A primary goal has been to elevate the debate over this very significant issue so that the process is inclusive and the outcome representative of the community’s will. That process continues. Mayor Padgett has discussed forming a special subcommittee of elected officials, appointed members of the Planning Board and borough residents to review various aspects of this issue.
As the mayor and Hopewell Borough Council begin this process of evaluating the benefits of a potential rail stop in our town, I urge them to explore, compile and investigate specific information that will help evaluate the benefits to borough residents. These include ridership demographics, traffic analysis, economic assessments to current and potential businesses, and impacts to existing infrastructure. To my knowledge, none of that information has been developed although the pending N. J. Transit Environmental Assessment to be undertaken this summer will undoubtedly include some of this information.
To this end, I share the feelings of many Hopewell neighbors who think answers to the following questions would be helpful:
1. How will the borough quantify such demographic factors as how many current Hopewell Borough residents would use the train station for their daily commute or for recreational travel? How many of those residents would drive to the station? How many would walk or ride a bicycle? (Numbers being used by N. J. Transit are based on models of similar communities across the country not a survey of actual borough residents.)
2. How will the borough actually determine the economic benefits or drawbacks a rail stop will have for businesses in our community? Through an analysis or study?
3. How will you help determine how to manage the inevitable future impact from growth on an 80-passenger train station as demand increases?
4. How will you proceed on identifying and evaluating and recommending to N. J. Transit alternative sites immediately outside the borough?
5. Are discussions occurring between the borough and Hopewell Township and Pennington Borough regarding their stated opposition to specific site locations for rail stops in their municipalities and toward a shared regional solution to traffic concerns?
Having lived in Hopewell with my husband and now two children for almost 13 years, I am in a unique position. Too much of a newcomer to “really know” Hopewell for some. So settled that I seem like I have already lived a lifetime here for others. All I can say is that I love this town. I am grateful that in this rapidly ever-changing time of almost virtual life, my children can still walk to school and to church and to the park. They ride their bikes along quiet streets and wave to neighbors sitting on their front porches. I respect the fact that Hopewell Borough — train station service and all — was probably pretty much the same 30 years ago. But development pressures and sprawl and too much traffic have changed the way we must think about — and work to protect — the special assets of our town.
So let’s stay on the right track by keeping the issue of the Hopewell Borough rail stop in the public debate. And let’s make the decision over the train station a true reflection of our community’s shared vision.
Jamie Kyte Sapoch represents an informal coalition of Hopewell Borough neighbors who have worked to raise awareness and concerns over the location of a potential passenger rail stop in Hopewell Borough.