The Concerned Citizens conducted its first official meeting July 20 at the Howell Township Library to provide information and further organize plans to oppose the commuter train.
By:Matthew Armstrong
Though a proposed train through central New Jersey received majority support in the state Legislature last month and was signed into law two weeks ago, many residents do not feel the same way about a commuter line that their state representatives do.
“For too long we have been hearing that Monmouth and Ocean counties support this, and Middlesex opposes it. We’re here to say that that is not the case. Many residents in Monmouth and Ocean do not support this commuter train,” said Ken Knudsen, board member of the Concerned Citizens of Central New Jersey Opposed to the Commuter Train.
The Concerned Citizens conducted its first official meeting July 20 at the Howell Township Library to provide information and further organize plans to oppose the commuter train. More than 150 residents from the three counties gathered at the meeting including local government officials from Jamesburg, Monroe and Howell, and representatives of Sen. Peter Inverso, and Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein. The group’s main objection is that the project would place an enormous tax burden upon all New Jersey citizens while only serving about 5,000 people.
Two alignments will be analyzed in an environmental impact statement conducted by a third party.
One alignment could run from Lakehurst in Ocean County to Farmingdale, then west through Englishtown, Jamesburg and Monroe to connect with the Northeast Corridor line in South Brunswick. The other would run from Lakehurst to Farmingdale then head north to connect with the North Jersey Coast line in Red Bank.
The EIS will assess environmental impacts, construction and operating costs, traffic analysis including origin-destination studies, and determine location of train stations and any tunnels or bridges that would be needed. The Lakehurst to South Brunswick alignment has an estimated construction cost of $400 million, with a projected ridership of 5,100 commuters by 2010. The Lakehurst to Red Bank alignment would cost about half as much to build, but estimates show it would have about half as many riders, according to a 1996 Major Investment Study.
“This monstrosity will disrupt tens of thousands of lives for 5,000 commuters,” said Neil Van Sant, Howell resident and coordinator of Homeowners Against the Railroad, a group that is working closely with the Concerned Citizens Group.
The Concerned Citizens pointed to possible negative environmental, safety and quality-of-life impacts from a commuter train that would run in close proximity to wetlands and residences which were outlined in the 1996 Major Investment Study.
“On one hand, they say the train will run quickly and efficiently for commuters, and on the other hand they say that it will be going slow so it doesn’t effect the communities,” said Mr. Knudsen.
Opponents also claimed that a train would actually cause more traffic congestion on local roads because of the train crossing local roads at grade crossings. They also say that the train would encourage development in Monmouth County and thus not solve the traffic problems.
“We want viable alternatives, not a quick fix that won’t solve anything,” said Mr. Knudsen.
“Howell Township has 15 grade crossings. This would make it impossible to get from one side of town to another,” said Steven Meyers, a resident of Howell for the past 15 years, who argued that New Jersey should be looking to limit development, not encourage it.
The Concerned Citizens group will be holding monthly meetings in affected communities to inform residents about the proposed commuter train. Since the group formed a little more than a month ago, more than 300 residents have joined the group and have published a Web site. Now, the group is seeking more volunteers.
“As we continue to grow, we have the need for more help and more volunteers,” said Mr. Knudsen.
The group asked for volunteers to help with a grassroots campaign that will help inform the public in the affected communities. The group also called for regional coordinators in every town along each proposed alignments.
Residents of Howell have asked their township council to vote on a resolution regarding the train line, either endorsing or rejecting the proposal. The council asked the group to meet privately with a few councilmembers, but the Concerned Citizens rejected this offer.
“We’re requesting a full public workshop,” said Mr. Knudsen. “It’s more appropraite to discuss this in a public forum so that the people know what is going on.”
Volunteers also were recruited to aid in marketing, so the group can effectively get its message out to the public.
“We want people to understand the facts,” said Mr. Knudsen. “If they still think this is a good project, that’s fine as long as they are aware.”
Mr. Knudsen responded to statements made by Jeffrey Warsh that claimed that the opponents wre basing their arguements off of outdated information.
“Where is the up to date information. The only thing I’ve seen is the 1996 report that said that the train alternatives were too expensive and cause a lot of problems,” said Mr. Knudsen.
More volunteers stepped forward to join the letter writing campaign, urging New Jersey’s congressional representatives to oppose the project. Still other volunteers are being sought for research including studying traffic patterns in the area.
The Concerned Citizens group also said residents should approach their local council and demand that they pass resolutions opposing the train. The legislative bill, signed into law by Sen. Donald DiFrancesco as acting governor while Christie Whitman was out of the state, said a consensus among the affected communities would be needed for the rail line to be constructed.
“The bill says that a consensus is required, and we can see by all the people here that this is clearly not the case,” said Mr. Knudsen.
A decision on exactly where and when the August meeting will be is expected in the next week. To find out about the next meeting or to contact the Concerned Citizens group call (732) 938-4437, write PO Box 365, Farmingdale NJ 07727, or visit its Web site at www.citizensagainstmomline.org