Lackawanna Cutoff Passenger Service Restoration

bspinelli wrote:If you wish to do some light reading on the subject of the shifting population in the NY Metropolitan area you can check out this interesting report from the folks at the Bloustein School https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/ru ... 255/PDF/1/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . The population trends do indeed seem to be reversing themselves. It is a limited sample of data covering only a short time period but it is a striking change. There are a number of factors that account for the shift in growth that I won't get into here, but the net takeaway is that you have correctly identified this change in conditions...

That's pretty interesting. The history is, very often these social changes catch planners by surprise. It could be a reason to rethink the project.

*Some* movement on this: http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/2016_03_09_OpenSess.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To clarify and enhance the above, pages 9, 13 and 45 discuss the purchase of the wetlands credits. Previously discussed is the coalitions desire for service to Scranton, not to a "park and ride in the middle of nowhere", aka Andover. Some pretty good detail and pretty graphs LOL in the section on page 45.

Jeff,

Thanks for doing the legwork is finding the pages.

Wetlands banks....just to enlighten some, don't let the names such as "Nature Conservancy" fool you. Some are privately owned, for profit companies that buy or create wetlands specifically to create a 'bank' of property available for purchase to anyone that wants or needs to disturb wetlands in another area within the same watershed. They get the NJDEP and EPA to OK them becoming a 'bank' and charge exorbitant prices for property in the bank. In my professional role I have been solicited to buy property from the different local banks a few times but we buy property and construct our own wetlands as it is much cheaper but takes more time.

A quick look in Zillow and you could buy a 12 acre parcel in Oxford with a home for $395,000. NJT (us taxpayers) is getting stuck paying $1.5 million for a little more than 3.5 acres. Thank goodness the NJDEP didn't make them replace it on a two to one ratio, which is common. And the documentation provided by NJT clearly states these are wetlands created due to lack of maintenance on the former cutoff property since 1979 and the areas are now classified as wetlands. Absolutely ridiculous that the regulations are so convoluted that this is what is needed to advance a project.

No reason to guess why it costs as much as it does to build things in NJ.

I was involved in some of the legal work for the Estuary Enhancement Project for PSE&G many years ago for permitting for the Salem 2 reactor. Similar in concept, in that old salt hay farms were acquired to breach dikes and allow tidal flooding to provide a favorable habitat for marine life to propagate to more than offset any that would be killed by sudden river temperature changes when the reactor tripped off. It was an expensive project but had to be done to get the station permitted without a cooling tower that would have cost electric ratepayers considerably more.

Project is slowly moving forward, just don't hold your breath, lol.

POCONO TO NEW YORK
Grants keep Poconos to New York commuter train moving
http://www.poconorecord.com/news/201605 ... ain-moving" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

wow 9000 ties so we are getting about 12 000 feet closer

DutchRailnut wrote:wow 9000 ties so we are getting about 12 000 feet closer

Are the existing ties "on the Carbondale mailine" that bad? What's a good guess as to the fraction of ties that are bad vs the fraction that need to be "not bad"?

even if they replaced every 3th tie you would only get 6 miles out of that figure, add to that that between Andover and watergap there is no railroad left

Is the railroad line to be opened in increments or is it a Scranton or nothing deal?

Right now, it's Andover or nothing. This has been going on for decades with absolutely no progress, so anything past there won't be served in our lifetimes...

At this rate, THE TUNNEL/Gateway might be complete before any service on the Cutoff.

Shame. Riding on Paulinskill Viaduct is on my bucket list. Then again, I am only 28.

You might see that IF you live to 110.

TDowling wrote:Shame. Riding on Paulinskill Viaduct is on my bucket list. Then again, I am only 28.

Ride your bicycle over it while making choo choo noises. That may be as close as you get.