NJ-ARP Hotline #588 available
April 4th 2007 08:32 am
NJ-ARP Hotline #588 is now online. When you’re finished reading the Hotline, you can come back here and leave your comments in this thread.
3 Responses to “NJ-ARP Hotline #588 available”
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David Yennior responded on 04 Apr 2007 at 11:01 am #
The stated position of NJ Sierra opposed to the Lackawanna rail line does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the 23,000 Sierrans, who are a very diverse and sincere group. Their concerns about and activism against the environmental effects of sprawl and should be respected. No one is suggesting that rail lines are not more efficient and environmentally sound. Everyone advocates for mass transit, but at the same time advocate intense evaluations of the long term, irreversable effects of permitting any further development of the Highlands and our dwindling farmland. NJ is the most crowded, paved over, and polluted state in the country.
E-44 responded on 04 Apr 2007 at 11:36 am #
Speaking as a Sierran (member of both NJ and CA chapters), I question the logic of opposing the application of energy-efficient and less-polluting means of public transportation in a state that already is “the most crowded, paved over, and polluted state in the country” as the previous writer put it.
The horse has long since left the barn (bedecked with zoning approvals and saddled with sweetheart developer kickbacks to local politicos) on the problem of overdevelopment. It can’t be undone.
Reinstituting rail contributes nothing to the paving over problem - the ROWs already exist. There may be some minor attendant further destruction of natural resources (allowing for a small amount of paving for parking lots, and the operation of a handful of new Tier II-compliant diesel locomotives, but nothing approaching the magnitude of one lane of interstate).
These are only palliative measures. Well-intended but narrow-minded individuals and organizations who oppose the deployment of even one more internal combustion engine burning fossil fuel fail to see that programs such as the Cutoff restoration, Northern Branch and MOM do more to enhance our overall cause than any other single measure can do within the boundaries of this state.
Bob Scheurle responded on 04 Apr 2007 at 9:16 pm #
The ironic (or hypocritical) part is that Jeff Tittel, the Director of the NJ Sierra Club, lives in the Highlands in the wilds of western Passaic County. If the Director feels so strongly about preventing sprawl, maybe he should set an example and move to downtown Passaic.