LAKEWOOD — Supporters of a passenger rail line that would travel through northern Ocean and western Monmouth counties and then connect to the Northeast Corridor in Middlesex County joined together last week to restate their view that the time has come to build it.
Those who are behind the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) rail line believe it will provide a host of needed transportation benefits for residents living in some of the fastest growing areas of the state.
Estimates have placed the cost of the project at around $500 million.
On Sept. 28, the Say Yes to MOM Coalition came out to urge NJ Transit to move MOM forward and to do it now.
NJ Transit is nearing completion of a $4.5 million Draft Environ-mental Impact Study (DEIS) which in order for MOM to qualify for federal funding requires the selection of a clear and decisive rail alignment.
Speaker after speaker representing business, community, labor, rail advocacy groups, environmental representatives and elected officials called upon NJ Transit to conclude its DEIS with a preferred alternative alignment — the MOM line to the South Brunswick, Middlesex County.
“The MOM rail line is a smart growth, pro-environment and business-friendly project that will improve the quality of life of residents throughout the project area for years to come,” said Ocean County Freeholder Director James F. Lacey. “Millions of dollars of taxpayer funds, both state and federal, have been spent studying this project. The time for action is now. Without the preferred alternative, federal funding for this project will be in jeopardy.”
NJ Transit proposed two different alternatives to the proposed MOM rail line that would both originate in
Lakehurst. The first alternative would connect with the Jersey Coast Line in Red Bank; the second would connect with the Jersey Coast Line in Matawan. Ocean and Monmouth counties support the Lakehurst-to-South Brunswick MOM alternative. Advocates believe the MOM route will provide greater congestion relief for over-crowded roads like Route 9 and the Garden State Parkway while providing public transportation alternatives to the fast growing areas of western Monmouth and southern Middlesex counties.
“We need relief from traffic congestion,” said Monmouth County Freeholder Deputy Director Theodore Narozanick. “We can’t build any major new roads and we’ve pretty much maxed out on bus service. There is really only one solution that holds the promise of reducing traffic and improving the quality of life — the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex passenger rail line.”
“Unless this is done now, there will be further delays and very little to show for all this effort,” said 10th District state Sen. Andrew Ciesla.
Advocates of the line say that in addition to reducing traffic congestion and improving the environment by getting cars off the road, the rail line will improve the local economy by attracting new jobs and economic development; and make more of the region’s employers, medical centers, educational facilities and cultural attractions accessible to all citizens, and in particular, seniors.
“The MOM passenger rail line will be a crucial part of the economic vitality of Ocean and Monmouth counties well into the future,” said Ben Waldron, executive director of the Monmouth Ocean Development Council. “We have already waited far too long to re-establish passenger rail service to the area. Anyone driving the roads around the region during rush hour can quickly understand that we need the MOM rail line now.”
Lakewood Mayor Raymond Coles noted that passenger rail has been an important part of Lakewood’s history. He said the municipality wanted to host the press conference in order to bring all the organizations together and in one voice tell the state this is a necessary project.
“Lakewood has been a supporter of the MOM rail service for years,” said Township Committeeman Charles Cunliffe. “Our most recent township resolution reflects that support.”
In addition, Cunliffe said the township has been actively generating public support for the Say Yes to MOM Coalition by supporting the ongoing petition drive that had been spearheaded by Bernard Gindoff, chairman of the Lakewood Transportation and Safety Board. Thousands of names have been gathered on the petitions supporting MOM.
“The safety board along with the rail coalitions and so many other organizations have done an outstanding job in getting the message out about the need for this rail line,” Ocean County Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari said.
Vicari noted the results of a survey completed last year that showed nearly two-thirds of those surveyed placed reducing traffic, managing growth or improving mass transit as the most or second most important issue facing their county today.
“The region has seen tremendous development pressure that has led to dirtier air and traffic congestion,” said Dave Pringle, the executive director of the New Jersey Environmental Federation, a statewide environmental group. “The MOM rail line can play a key
role in cleaning our air, reducing traffic and directing growth into the right places.”
According to the press release, Ocean and Monmouth counties accounted for 20 percent of the total population growth in New Jersey from 1990 to 2000.
“Building the MOM rail line is a quality of life issue for residents,” said Phil Beacham, president of the New Jersey Alliance for Action, a consortium of business, labor, government and academic leaders dedicated to creating jobs, improving the economy and protecting the environment by improving the state’s infrastructure and enabling it to meet the needs of a growing New Jersey. “This pro-business, pro-labor and pro-environment project is imperative to fight traffic congestion and better manage the future growth coming to southern Middlesex, western Monmouth and Ocean counties.”
In a resolution to NJ Transit and a host of federal and state elected officials, the Ocean County Board of Freeholders is calling on the transportation agency to complete the DEIS with a recommendation for a locally preferred alignment, specifically the South Brunswick alignment.
“The absence of such a conclusion would disqualify the MOM rail line for future federal funding and thereby block advancement of a major transportation improvement for Ocean and Monmouth counties,” Lacey said.
In addition to the elected officials, organizations giving their support to the rail line include Alliance for Action, New Jersey Business and Industry Association, New Jersey SEED, Monmouth-Ocean Development Council, New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, Western Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, Ocean County Tourism, Association General Contractors of New Jersey, Laborers Local 172, Laborers Local 472, New Jersey Asphalt Association, New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association, Ocean County League of Women Voters, New Jersey Environmental Federation, Central Jersey Rail Coalition, New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers, Monmouth County Transportation Council, Lakewood Community Services Corporation, and Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Center.
The board was expected to officially pass the resolution at its Oct. 6 meeting. Copies of the resolution will be forwarded to Gov. James E. McGreevey, state Senate President Richard Codey, the Ocean County Legislative Delegation, U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine, state Department of Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere, NJ Transit Executive Director George Warrington, Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region II, Leticia Thompson, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth County Planning Board, Ocean County Planning Board and the Ocean County Transportation Services Department.
pro-business, pro-labor and pro-environment project is imperative to fight traffic congestion and better manage the future growth coming to southern Middlesex, western Monmouth and Ocean counties.”
In a resolution to NJ Transit and a host of federal and state elected officials, the Ocean County Board of Freeholders is calling on the transportation agency to complete the DEIS with a recommendation for a locally preferred alignment, specifically the South Brunswick alignment.
“The absence of such a conclusion would disqualify the MOM rail line for future federal funding and thereby block advancement of a major transportation improvement for Ocean and Monmouth counties,” Lacey said.
In addition to the elected officials, organizations giving their support to the rail line include Alliance for Action, New Jersey Business and Industry Association, New Jersey SEED, Monmouth-Ocean Development Council, New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, Western Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, Ocean County Tourism, Association General Contractors of New Jersey, Laborers Local 172, Laborers Local 472, New Jersey Asphalt Association, New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association, Ocean County League of Women Voters, New Jersey Environmental Federation, Central Jersey Rail Coalition, New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers, Monmouth County Transportation Council, Lakewood Community Services Corporation, and Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Center.
The board was expected to officially pass the resolution at its Oct. 6 meeting. Copies of the resolution will be forwarded to Gov. James E. McGreevey, state Senate President Richard Codey, the Ocean County Legislative Delegation, U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine, state Department of Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere, NJ Transit Executive Director George Warrington, Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region II, Leticia Thompson, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth County Planning Board, Ocean County Planning Board and the Ocean County Transportation Services Department.