NJ-ARP Hotline #614
Wednesday, December 19, 2007

• Latest MOM Numbers Look Good
• Staten Island Railway Work Resumes

Latest MOM Numbers Look Good

Monmouth and Ocean county rail advocates, along with the Asbury Park Press, report that the latest ridership estimates for Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) rail passenger service continue to favor the "true" MOM via Middlesex County and Monmouth Junction.

New Jersey Transit and the study consultants early in 2007 expanded the scope of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (MOM DEIS) to include the anticipated impact of a "one seat rider service to Midtown Manhattan" and its potential affect on the three routes being studied.

The latest numbers, still being digested by NJ-ARP, show the Monmouth Junction route, or "true" MOM, garnering 27,450 weekday rider "trips," significantly higher than an earlier estimate, using Newark as an end point, of 7,900 to 10,900 trips. The latest numbers still give the "Oops! Where's Matawan?" converted rail trail 24,050 trips in some fantasy world, while the more real-world Red Bank option nets 16,800 trips.

Notwithstanding the charade that continues with "Oops!" courtesy of anti-rail instigators, NJ-ARP is pleased, though we hasten to stress that (1) we believe MOM can be justified even without adding the 800-pound gorilla that is New York; and (2) other origin/destination pairs south of the line continue to get short shrift. NJ-ARP Ocean Liaison Dan Green pointed this out in his quoted remarks to the Asbury Park Press on the matter; Green also hammered home NJ-ARP's belief in "New Brunswick" as a key MOM O/D ingredient, which the newspaper did not pick up.

NJT, perhaps laying the groundwork for still more DEIS delay, has noted, "The potential for more riders will require the reconfiguration of the rail alternatives as we work toward completion of the DEIS document." In defense of NJT, it should be noted that it must now provide ridership forecasts extending to the year 2030 to the Federal Transit Administration, itself not overly favorable to passenger rail transit.

Staten Island Railway Work Resumes

On Wednesday, Dec. 19, the Star-Ledger reported that long-delayed work to revive freight rail service on the ex-Staten Island Rail Road (SIRR) between Cranford and Linden, in Union County, had resumed. Service itself could begin by July 2008, though after several delays and postponements NJ-ARP, like many others, will wait and see.

Nonetheless, the resumption of the line's rehabilitation, assisted by $2.9 million in funding just recently released, should allow grade-crossing signal improvements and other measures to be put in place to allow tenant Morristown & Erie Railway to commence operations.

The 7-mile line is only about one-half of the envisioned rail shortcut advocates had hoped to implement between Linden and Summit, but for now state officials are withholding judgment (and funding) from the far more contentious ex-Rahway Valley Railroad portion of the project, linking Summit and Cranford through NIMBY hotbeds such as Springfield and Roselle Park.

NJ-ARP has been actively involved in combating anti-rail hysteria, and will continue to seize opportunities as they arise, in order to preserve the Cranford-Summit right-of-way for (among other things) future passenger rail potential.

December Newsletter in the Mail

NJ-ARP's December NEWSLETTER REPORT was mailed last week and most members should have received a copy by now. If you have not, please contact NJ-ARP and specify a name and address so we can resolve the situation.

Stories in this issue include:

• West Trenton Waffling: NJT Still Lukewarm To Revival
• Light Rail Option Flexes Merit, Muscle for Bergen
• President's Perspective: New Jersey's Own Rail Needs Count
• Pascack Valley Line: Too Much or Too Little Service?
• New #419 Bus Schedule Enhances Connections to River Line
• Press Clips: NJ-ARP Members Make Their Mark
• Guest Spot, By Bob Vogel
• Where's Waldo, Er, New Jersey Transit?

Note that the newsletter includes original reporting that is not available online. If you want to get NJ-ARP news 6 (or 12) times per year, join NJ-ARP. We accept credit and debit cards!

NJ-ARP's Hotline is normally updated weekly, more often as events warrant. Thank you for checking in.

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