korbermeister wrote:
Newark has very high bus ridership totals so i don't think that they woud want to disrupt them so readily; and montclair JUST approved weekend heavy rail service (with restrictions) through their town so i don't see how they'd be happy to have more rails running through there. Therefore i'd like NJT to either come up with a plan (with the PA of course!) to extend the PATH to the monorail station OOOORRRR work with RU, New Brunswick, M'sex county to implement better transit options that would benefit Rutgers, & surrounding area
As I prefaced before, I'm not as versed at this like some on this board about transportation matters and essentially all I'm doing is speculating and offering some suggestions. I understand and know that Newark has high bus ridership, but the buses shouldn't be the only local option for people to get around town. The purpose of the Montclair-Boonton Line and other heavy commuter rails is essentially to ferry folks to larger metropolitan areas (in this case being NYC), but isn't really an option/alternative for local travel, because of things like weekend restrictions. There has to be other local alternatives/options for the public. In my opinion the NLR is one of the those options.
Newark is going through a renewal. It's still New Jersey's largest city and growing. It's attracted companies like Panasonic and organizations like the NFL’s Alumni Association to make their offices in the city and I'm sure many others will in the future. So as the population grows and jobs grow at some point NJT is going have to think about expanding the current NRL system to meet the growing needs of the city and the surrounding communities. Montclair as well as other communities might be more amiable to light rail service a it creates another local option/alternative for mass transit in to and out of the town besides buses and heavy rail. I'm not suggesting running light rail service through the entire town of Montclair, but if know the history behind the Montclair-Boonton Line you'd know that before the Montclair Connection back in 2002 there were two separate lines in Montclair. The old Boonton Line which ran out to Hoboken now ends where the connection was made near Bay St. in Montclair. What other posters have suggested (and I agree with) is using the current ROW on the old Boonton line and the old Orange branch to extend NRL to that point where the old line ends in Montclair.
I wholeheartedly agree that the PA should extend the PATH out to Air train terminal at airport. It only makes sense they are the governing authority (no pun intended). But I also feel NJT to do so as well. It was in the original plans of the NERL (Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link) to extend the NLR to the airport. Currently only buses go the airport directly and only two NJT commuter trains pass through the Airport station. Again the NLR and PATH would create options/alternatives for travelers.
I can't speak much to what you suggested about the creating a system in New Brunswick, but I agree with you.