A rail line in central New Jersey awaits federal funding now that Senate President Donald DiFrancesco, standing in as governor while Gov. Christie Whitman was out of state, signed legislation Tuesday adding the proposal to the Circle of Mobility.
By:Matthew Armstrong
A rail line in central New Jersey awaits federal funding now that Senate President Donald DiFrancesco, standing in as governor while Gov. Christie Whitman was out of state, signed legislation Tuesday adding the proposal to the Circle of Mobility.
The bill arrived on the governor’s desk June 26 after the Senate approved it by a vote of 21-16. The Assembly had approved the bill earlier in the month. The governor has 45 days from the time of its passage in both houses of the Legislature to act on a bill.
The process now moves along to the analysis stage. An environmental impact study will now need to be performed to assess the various impacts a commuter train would have on the affected areas.
The bill does not specify an alignment but there are two possibilities, according to JeffreyWarsh, executive director of NJ Transit. One would run from Lakehurst in Ocean County through Farmingdale then west through Freehold, Monroe and Jamesburg to link up with the Northeast Corridor line in South Brunswick.
The other alternative would run from Lakehurst through Farmingdale then proceeding north to connect with the North Jersey Coast Line.
“I think that this is great news,” said Mr. Warsh. “We look to the Legislature and the governor for guidance to prioritize transportation projects.” Sen. DiFrancesco (R-Union) voted to pass the bill in the Senate, and has been very supportive of the proposal.
“Today is the culmination of years of effort to bring the future of transportation to the Central Jersey region,” Sen. DiFrancesco said after signing the bill. “By designating the MOM rail line project as a priority, we are sending a message to the federal government that the needs of this rapidly expanding region must be addressed. We must provide our citizens with safe, reliable and realistic answers to the problem of congestion.
Sen. DiFrancesco has been Senate president since 1992 as elected by his Senate colleagues. According to the state constitution, the Senate president assumes the duties of the governor in the governor’s absence. He was acting as governor this week because the governor was in Pennsylvania attending the National Governors Conference.
Sen. DiFrancesco has signed many bills into law when serving as acting governor when the governor was out of the state, according to Renne Trabert, spokeswoman for Sen. DiFrancesco.
“This is not uncommon,” said Ms. Trabert. “It’s really at her discretion which bills he signs. It has to be arranged through her office. She’s been very generous in the past in allowing him to sign bills.”
A spokeswoman for the governor said the governor was aware that Sen. DiFransesco was going to sign the bill and was comfortable with that. The governor was back in the state Wednesday and signed a bill designed to prevent consumer fraud in the preparation, distribution and sale of food represented as halal, or meeting the requirements of Muslim law.
She said the governor was supportive of the bill.
“It’s important that the state has an effective and efficient transportation system that takes cars off the road,” she said.
Gov. Whitman had said she supports a central New Jersey rail line in concept but was aware of community opposition and that those local concerns need to be heard.
Though the bill does not specify an alignment, Mr. Warsh of NJ Transit, said the route from Lakewood in Ocean County through Freehold that would link with the Northeast Corridor line in South Brunswick would best serve mass transit needs.
This alignment’s construction is estimated at more than $400 million and is expected to run an annual operating deficit of $11 million.
The bill was signed into law despite opposition by Middlesex County and by a growing number of citizens from Monmouth County that live along the preferred alignment.
“We have been asking the governor to come out to South Brunswick, Jamesburg and Monroe and see for herself what this train line would do to our community,” said South Brunswick Councilman Ted Van Hessen. “The answer we got from the governor’s office that she would get back to us to let us know. I think it’s extraordinarily irresponsible.”
Residents from Middlesex County, Middlesex County officials and Assemblymembers Linda Greenstein and Gary Guear, Democrats who represent South Brunswick, Jamesburg and Monroe, met with the Concerned Citizens of Central New Jersey Opposed to the Commuter Train to unify their efforts in opposing the rail line through their towns. They said the train would have a negative impact on quality of life, would be too costly and that the alignment, which runs west to go north, is illogical.
They were hoping to convince the governor to hold off on signing the bill until residents could meet with her, according to Ken Knudsen of the Concerned Citizens organization.
“I don’t know why this was pushed so quickly through the Assembly and the Senate,” he said.
Mr. Warsh said Monroe’s opposition to a commuter line and a station in the township is particularly vexing. He said the large senior population in the township would be well-served by the line.
“It is critically important that the senior population has access to mass transit,” said Mr. Warsh. “The state has given seniors and disabled people a half-priced fare. This is a clear policy indication that seniors need mass transportation.”
The Monroe Council hand delivered a letter to the governor’s office last week requesting the governor to veto the bill because the bill was passed, in part, on the assumption that 72 towns supported the proposal while only 48 municipalities officially endorsed the line.
“This is more than a slight of hand when the information is discovered not only to be inaccurate, but misleading,” said Assemblyman Guear.
“State projects that are going to cost more than $400 million should have the most accurate information given to the Assembly before a vote is taken,” said Assemblywoman Greenstein.