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 recently 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.
“It certainly is a regional issue that must be seriously looked at,” Brick Mayor Joseph Scarpelli said Monday. “It’s important not only for our commuters, but for tourism.”
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 Environmental 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 South Brunswick in 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 a third alternative, Lakehurst-to-South Brunswick. Advocates believe the MOM route will provide greater relief for overcrowded 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.
Scarpelli said that he believes the MOM rail line will not only help commuters get to their jobs in North Jersey and beyond, but it will help ease the funding spent on roads and bridges.
“It really would benefit the Jersey Shore,” he said.
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.
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 on Sept. 28 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 Lakewood 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 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.
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 board was expected to officially pass the resolution at its Oct. 6 meeting.