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    • Glassboro, Brooklawn, NJ referendums on rail expansion
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    Glassboro, Brooklawn, NJ referendums on rail expansion

    Harry Posted on

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    Residents of two South Jersey towns appear divided over a plan passenger railway line in their own communities.

    Unofficial results show that, considering all precincts were counted in the Nov. 5 election, almost 54% of Glassboro voters favored a light rail line between their county and Camden. According to preliminary results, residents voted 4,030 in favor of the railway project, while 3,452 voted against it.

    Opponents lead by just 29 votes (350-321) in Brooklawn, according to unofficial results counted Nov. 11.

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    The Nov. 5 vote came two weeks after about 150 people at a public meeting in Palmyra harshly criticized the project’s northern counterpart, the LINE River, which has operated between Camden and Trenton for more than 20 years.

    NJ Transit’s top official acknowledged the line’s failures at that meeting.

    “We know we are falling short on River LINE,” said Kevin Corbett, president and CEO of the transit agency.

    The purpose of the nonbinding votes in Brooklawn and Glassboro (official results are due Nov. 20) was to evaluate public views on 18 miles of line in an existing rail corridor.

    Advocates said the Glassboro-Camden line would provide “reliable, affordable and accessible public transportation.” Opponents have expressed concerns about security, peace of mind and other issues.

    The project, with an estimated price of 1.8 billion dollars, is in the preliminary engineering design phase.

    Last year, voters in Mantua and Woodbury Heights rejected the rail line by much larger margins.

    Foes of the project represented about 69% of the vote in Mantua and more than 70% in Woodbury Heights, where residents rejected both construction of the line and a local station.

    Pitman officials Voted in March 2022 to oppose this line unless and until they receive satisfactory answers regarding the potential negative impact of the project.

    The Glassboro-Camden line will also pass through Deptford, Woodbury, Westville and Gloucester City.

    NJ Transit under fire

    Last month’s Palmyra meeting followed two tragedies and a period of chronic problems for the LINE River.

    Including a minute’s silence In August, 15-year-old Matthew Dickinson was fatally struck by a River Line car in Palmyra.and for Conductor Jessica Haley died when her train crashed into a fallen tree in October.

    The event also included numerous officers from local police departments supported by a new Burlington County program to support law enforcement around 11 River LINE stops from Palmyra to Bordentown Township.

    River LINE stations are being evaluated

    Many in the crowd complained about unreliable service, especially during the hottest parts of summer. Others noted recurring dangers along the LINE River route.

    “The gates go down when there’s no train; they don’t go down when there’s a train,” said Charles Williams of Riverton. “It’s a miracle there aren’t more vehicle crashes.”

    The meeting was organized by state Senator Troy Singleton (D-Burlington), who stated that NJ Transit has initiated a “comprehensive evaluation” of all River LINE stations and platforms.

    Singleton observed in a Facebook post that many drivers were expressing “disappointment and frankly disgust at the unsanitary and unsafe conditions at River LINE stations.”

    Corbett and other NJ Transit officials pointed to a $19 million plan to fix equipment problems hurting service to River LINE passengers.

    NJ Transit plans to spend $5 million on more workers to maintain River LINE cars and $6 million on parts and components. Michael Kilcoyne, the agency’s senior vice president, said the equipment was replaced to avoid heat-related problems that caused delays and cancellations over the past two summers.

    The transit agency is also demolishing two River LINE cars at a cost of about $1 million so experts can find ways to improve the existing fleet.

    “We anticipate rebuilding at least half of the fleet over the next three years, with the other half replaced,” Kilcoyne said.

    Kilcoyne added that Top River LINE officials were replaced following chronic problems.

    However, Matthew Dickinson’s aunt, Kelly Veneziale, called for greater attention to safety measures, especially for children.

    “I think it’s very short-sighted that these solutions are not available, that we have a rail line that is unsafe for our children who play and go to school and live in this community,” he said to sustained applause.

    Jim Walsh is a senior reporter for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: [email protected].

    Harry
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