Residents don’t want train line in their towns Line would cross Red Bank, Eatontown, Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury Boro BY LINDA DeNICOLA Staff Writer If it’s up to the informed residents who attended the Town Hall meeting on the proposed Lakehurst to Red Bank train line, there will never be another commuter line running through eastern Monmouth County. Support for the line was non-existent during the information-gathering meeting held by assemblymen Michael J. Panter and Dr. Robert L. Morgan (D-Monmouth/Mercer) in Shrewsbury last week. The meeting was held in the Borough’s Municipal Building, and was attended by officials and residents from a number of the towns that would be affected by the commuter line that would use an existing state Department of Transportation (DOT) freight rail line. In preparation for the meeting, Panter and Morgan and their staff went door to door in Tinton Falls, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough and Township, Little Silver and Fair Haven over the week before to inform residents. According to the assemblymen, 1,500 homes received direct notice. Besides the Shrewsbury meeting, the two assemblymen are holding another meeting in Freehold Township on March 3. Panter explained that the DOT is considering two other proposals: the Lakehurst to Monmouth Junction, or MOM, line and the Lakehurst to Matawan line. He said that the Lakehurst to Red Bank line would be the least expensive because of existing conditions. Some houses already have an easement that can be used, Morgan said. “We haven’t come to any conclusions yet,” Panter said. “This meeting is about gathering the input of our constituents in the eastern part of District 12 and using it to shape our advocacy in Trenton.” He added that the Monmouth County population has grown more than any other in the state. “The dynamic is changing,” he said. The assemblymen acknowledged that there is a need for more public transportation in Monmouth and Ocean counties, but the decision about how to accomplish that is the question. According to Panter, the DOT was going to make public a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) at the end of February, but because the assemblymen are holding these town hall meetings, it has been pushed forward, to the end of March. Panter said a preliminary study he saw focused on ridership and approximately how many homes the line would effect. There was no question in the minds of the 75 or so people that attended the meeting that the Red Bank to Lakehurst line is a bad idea. Most of their issues concerned quality of life, and some were economic. A number of people whose yards back up to the tracks, were worried about what it would do to the value of their homes. Others spoke about the noise, backed-up intersections, gated crossings that would impede emergency vehicles, and children playing to close to the tracks. Morgan said there would be compensation for homeowners, but his understanding is that it does not adequately compensate for the loss in property value. One resident said he was worried because the state DOT doesn’t seem to care about the residents of Shrewsbury. “Nobody wants it here. There’s no positive impact on Shrewsbury. Morgan said that the state has been negligent in preparing for mass transit, but a rail service so close to the Coast Line makes no sense. “People in eastern Monmouth can access the Coast Line rather easily, but people in western Monmouth can’t access a train so easily.” Panter, who lives in Shrewsbury near where the commuter train line would run, and Morgan, who lives in Little Silver near the North Jersey Coast line tracks, said they do not favor the proposal but they have a constituency of 220,000 who might think otherwise and that’s why they are holding the meetings. Panter said if the Lakehurst to Red Bank line goes through, there would be approximately 30 trains each way going through four towns on the line: Eatontown, Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury Borough and Red Bank. Also affected would be Shrewsbury Township, Little Silver, Fair Haven and Middletown. Monmouth County towns that would have a station on the route include Howell, Eatontown and Red Bank where the route would join the North Jersey Coast Line, with connecting service to Newark. Panter and Morgan explained that most residents of eastern Monmouth County can currently access existing train stations on the North Jersey Coast line within 10 minutes. Residents of western Monmouth towns such as Freehold, Marlboro and Manalapan have to travel at least 25 minutes to the nearest train station in Matawan. Shrewsbury Mayor Emilia Siciliano said that the Red Bank to Lakehurst line has been expanded to extend to Howell. Siciliano said she attended all of NJ Transit’s public meetings. “The last one was in Middlesex. At that meeting, much to our surprise, they distributed a brochure about what had been called the Red Bank to Lakehurst line, but they were calling it the Red Bank to Howell line with a railroad station in Eatontown,” she said. While Panter and Morgan are seeking input from residents, Siciliano said the borough has been fighting the proposed rail line for a long time. She said that she, the borough council and the 3,590 residents of Shrewsbury oppose the alternative rail line. She added that the borough has not received the detailed study of the short- and long-term social, economic and environmental effects or impacts of the conversion of the freight line, that they were told in 2002 would be forthcoming. Eatontown Mayor Gerald J. Tarantolo said, “We assessed what they are planning to do and issued a resolution against establishing the line.” Red Bank Councilwoman Jennifer Beck said Red Bank was also opposed to the rail line. The concerned residents wanted to know what happens after the DOT makes their decision. In response to a resident’s question about what can done to make their voices heard, Morgan said, “Make your voices known using e-mail. Get your neighbors involved by sending them e-mail addresses.” Panter said the DOT is listening. He based that estimation on the fact that they pushed back releasing their impact study to March. “We’ll speak loudly together,” Panter said. Residents also wanted to know what will happen once the impact statement is released. Panter said they will form a citizen’s committee to fine-tune the document. Morgan asked people with expertise in any of the areas concerning the issues to come forward and volunteer for the committee. The freight line runs across Sycamore, (alongside the Lawes Company) and very rarely operates during the day. Many homes and businesses are located along that line. ternative rail line. She added that the borough has not received the detailed study of the short- and long-term social, economic and environmental effects or impacts of the conversion of the freight line, that they were told in 2002 would be forthcoming. Eatontown Mayor Gerald J. Tarantolo said, “We assessed what they are planning to do and issued a resolution against establishing the line.” Red Bank Councilwoman Jennifer Beck said Red Bank was also opposed to the rail line. The concerned residents wanted to know what happens after the DOT makes their decision. In response to a resident’s question about what can done to make their voices heard, Morgan said, “Make your voices known using e-mail. Get your neighbors involved by sending them e-mail addresses.” Panter said the DOT is listening. He based that estimation on the fact that they pushed back releasing their impact study to March. “We’ll speak loudly together,” Panter said. Residents also wanted to know what will happen once the impact statement is released. Panter said they will form a citizen’s committee to fine-tune the document. Morgan asked people with expertise in any of the areas concerning the issues to come forward and volunteer for the committee. The freight line runs across Sycamore, (alongside the Lawes Company) and very rarely operates during the day. Many homes and businesses are located along that line.