A dvocates are charting the path for the future of the Middlesex Greenway. Those involved in championing the 3.5-mile, multiuse trail that spans Edison, Metuchen and Woodbridge have been collecting input from the public and are preparing to present findings and plans to the public on June 9.
“We’re going to cover all aspects of the project,” said Bob Takash, president of the nonprofit Edison Greenways Group. “We want people to get out there and enjoy it. We want it to be a popular park.”
To that end, the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University created a survey as part of a Together North Jersey Local Demonstration Project. The aim was to gauge public awareness, use and perceptions of the Middlesex Greenway to help steer future plans for the trail.
According to Takash, the response has been great, with approximately 500 surveys completed. The survey period closed May 16.
Involved parties seem to agree on one point already — that many area residents are not even aware that the Greenway exists.
“I think the awareness is growing, but it’s still underutilized, in my opinion,” said Woodbridge Councilman Gregg Ficarra, chairman of the Mayor’s Wellness Committee.
Part of that involves stakeholders seeking funding for additional signage at access points, as well as the creation of pamphlets and finding other ways to spread the word, Takash said.
On a recent visit to the Greenway with other officials, Ficarra met with a local jogger who said she had never been a runner but decided to give it a try because she lives adjacent to a Greenway access point. She has since lost 40 pounds and is now running halfmarathons, he said.
“It’s not just for the athlete,” Ficarra said. “It’s just to get out there and recreate and have some fun.”
For Woodbridge Councilman Rick Dalina, the Greenway has personal significance. His dad, the late Freeholder Stephen J. “Pete” Dalina, championed the creation of the trail after being approached by the Edison Greenways Group.
“This probably goes back at least over 25 years ago,” Dalina said.
It took until 2012 for the trail to be developed and opened to the public because of the long process of acquiring the 42-acre corridor of abandoned Lehigh Valley Rail property.
“It’s been on my agenda since day one when I came on the council,” Dalina said.
One goal for Woodbridge’s portion of the trail is to extend it 200 to 300 feet from where it currently ends in Fords so that it dead-ends at the park on East Williams Street, Dalina said.
“The county is in the process of acquiring that land from the railroad company right now so we can do that,” he said, adding that he cannot pinpoint a specific timeline for completion. “I’m just so happy it’s going to take place when it does.”
Many have made it clear they would like to see further expansion of the Greenway, Takash said. The Greenway now ends near Middlesex Avenue in Metuchen, but he and others would like to see it extend another 2 miles into South Plainfield.
“It would be a perfect extension of the trail,” Takash said, pointing out that any plans for expansion are separate from current efforts. “We have our work cut out for us in trying to make something happen.”
According to Takash, the three railroad companies — Conrail, CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway — that own the property needed for the expansion would have to sign off on the land acquisition. The parcel is home to an unused railroad track, which Takash said could be fenced off with the trail running alongside it.
So far, Greenway representatives have had no luck in working with the rail companies, he said. But the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has stepped in, suggesting a land swap as a possible solution. The organization is aware of a tract in which the rail companies are interested, and plans to work with them to iron out a trade, according to Takash.
“That’s the only thing that may be key to getting a result,” he said. “There’s a popular outcry for it. We know it’s a consistently uphill battle, but it’s one that’s worth the prize.”
Also worth it to those involved are efforts to highlight the health benefits of using the trail, along with making the public — and business owners — more aware of the potential for destination-driven use.
Takash said an objective is to tie in the trail with the farmers markets in Edison and Metuchen, urging patrons to use the Greenway in getting to them. Ficarra agreed, pointing out that this could help spur the local economies.
“We want people to utilize it to actually get downtown,” Dalina said, citing Fords and Metuchen as examples of business districts that could be accessed from the trail. “Or they could walk or bike to work.”
Getting schools involved is another part of the plan, Dalina said.
The need for funding, paired with the heavy competition for grants, poses a challenge for those looking to move the trail forward, Takash said.
However, plans will come a step closer to fruition at the upcoming meeting, when representatives will share their final plan of action, along with recommendations and public feedback.
“[The Greenway] is well-protected, it’s paved, it’s safe,” Ficarra said, adding that it’s mostly flat and is graced by a tree canopy that provides a cover of shade to users. “In the end, it’s going to be really wonderful.”
The public meeting is set for 5-8 p.m. June 9 at Herbert Hoover Middle School, 174 Jackson Ave., Edison.
To access the survey, visit togethernorthjersey.com/?grid-portfolio=middlesexgreenway access-plan by May 16.