Sprawl Rail???
March 22nd 2007 09:18 pm
I was sorry to see how strongly the Sierra Club came out against the restoration of the Cut-Off. The chief argument was that restoration of the rail line would create sprawl. BREAKING NEWS: The sprawl is already there. I work in Florham Park and at least a dozen people commute from “Cut-Off” country. Their commutes are one hour or more. They live in the “Cut-Off” area because the high cost of living has forced people farther and farther west. So, you have a situation where you need to live farther west to have an affordable home; yet, the “good paying” jobs are in the Morristown area or in New York. Restoration of rail would tremendously benefit the environment by getting gas-guzzling SUV’s off the road and get people off the roads. How can the Sierra Club oppose that? The sprawl problem is one of local zoning. The hunger for tax ratables makes municipalities do some pretty funny things. Rail will anchor a town by allowing for the re-emergence of the “town center” where people can run multiple errands—perhaps without having to drive.
I urge the Sierra Club to give this another look and reformulate their stance. It’s the right thing to do.
E-44 responded on 23 Mar 2007 at 8:07 am #
Apparently, the Sierra Club has difficulty determining which came first: quiche, soufflé or coq au vin.
They seem to feel that adding any form of public transport to areas already congested with overdevelopment (where were they when the zoning battles were fought and lost?) is the reason for the overdevelopment and congestion.
I can see the argument against highway expansion as it inevitably puts more cars and trucks through a given area and eventually into the municipalities themselves.
But rail? If those same cars drive only 2-3 miles locally to a park and ride, this is as bad as 1800 cars per hour per lane on I-78 and I-80 crawling at 25 mph or worse?
Let’s turn some of those BMWs into playground furniture so we can tell our kids how bad it USED to be when everyone had to DRIVE to IKEA.
coffeelen responded on 23 Mar 2007 at 8:18 pm #
Amen to E-44! Much more articulate than I. Amen.
Bob Scheurle responded on 24 Mar 2007 at 6:45 am #
The Sierra Club needs to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which takes place in 1947, especially when Judge Doom says the following:
ABG responded on 24 Mar 2007 at 9:42 pm #
Good article! This seems like such a knee-jerk position on the part of the Sierra Club. Don’t they know that restoring rail service from NYC to Scranton and Binghamton is dependent on the Cut-Off? And that the alternative is the old Erie mainline that goes through more unspoilt parts of the Delaware Valley? Restoring passenger service on the Cut-Off would eventually mean less sprawl in Scranton and Binghamton.
Does anyone know who in the Sierra Club is responsible for this stance, and how to get in touch with them?
Bob Scheurle responded on 24 Mar 2007 at 10:47 pm #
Sierra Club contact information:
Jeff Tittel, Director
New Jersey Sierra Club
145 West Hanover Street
Trenton, NJ 08618
phone: 609-656-7612; fax: 609-656-7618
Jeff.Tittel@SierraClub.org
Here’s a news article on the Sierra Club and the Cut-Off: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/sussex/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1173592451133590.xml&coll=1
coffeelen responded on 28 Mar 2007 at 9:00 pm #
Thanks, Bob, for the contact information. I agree with ABG, I really think the Sierra Club didn’t think this through. Good luck, ABG. Let us know if you get a response. Coincidentally, I received a membership invite in the mail today from the Sierra Club. I plan to write back and tell them WHY I’m not joining!