Survey says: Rail has support

Organization questions reliability of train station study.

By: Joseph Harvie
   Nearly three quarters of the respondents to a voluntary survey on rail service said they would support construction of a train station in the township, according to results released Tuesday night by the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association.
   The Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, which had been contracted by the township to conduct the survey, sent out 10,610 paper surveys on Feb. 21 to township households. The nonprofit agency received 2,925 back by mail by the March 27 deadline. The survey was not scientific and depended on voluntary participation.
   The Greater Mercer TMA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing transportation alternatives in Mercer County
   The TMA said that 72.34 percent of respondents were either in favor of a station or strongly in favor of a station, while 19.15 percent were either opposed or strongly opposed. Another 8.51 percent were not sure.
   Planner Craig Marshall said Tuesday that more surveys were handed in after the deadline and were not counted.
   The survey also was available online at the township’s Web page, but were not included in the results because of flaws in the way the data was gathered. Councilman Joe Camarota said that residents could fill out the survey multiple times on the Web site.
   The survey was issued to gauge the public’s interest in a train station. Based on the results, the Township Council plans to explore the feasibility of a station and further gauge public interest.
   Mayor Frank Gambatese said the township would set up meetings with NJ Transit to see what kind of station would be suitable for the township and what type of development, if any, would surround the station. He also said the council would seek public input about station type and potential development.
   Lew Schwartz of Henderson Road, a member of Citizens Against a Rail Station, said the survey was inaccurate. He said the questions were skewed to push the idea of the train station.
   Mr. Schwartz said that the township listed the results of the survey online before it was complete, which could have caused people to answer in favor of the station.
   The survey asked residents whether they strongly support, support, oppose, strongly oppose or were not sure about a train station in South Brunswick. According to the results, 1,579 respondents or 53.98 percent said they strongly support a station; 537 or 18.36 percent support one; 143 or 4.89 percent oppose it; 417 or 14.26 percent strongly oppose it and 249 or 8.51 percent are not sure.
   About 48 percent of those who supported the station said they do so because a station would be convenient and make their commute easier, according to the results.
   About 34 percent of the people who did not support a station said it would increase traffic in the township and 29 percent said there were stations nearby that connected to the rail line.
   According to the results, about 69 percent of respondents said they drive to work alone each day and 16 percent said they use the train to get to work.
   According to the survey, 557 people worked in New York City, 1,707 worked New Jersey, including 258 in South Brunswick, and 394 were not working.
   About 26 percent of those who responded said they would use the train station less than once a month, 17 percent said they would use it one to three days a week and 16.8 percent of the people would not use it at all.
   In addition, 23 percent of those who responded said they would use it five or more days a week.