Proponents of rail line must make their voices heard

I remember when I could buy a loose cigarette for 2 cents, an apple was a nickel, it cost only 19 cents for a gallon of gas and I could drive from Long Beach Island to Toms River in 20 minutes. Well things sure do change and not always for the better. We need some positive changes now.

I wonder how many of your readers know that there is a serious effort under way to reintroduce passenger rail services to the Ocean County area. It will begin at Lakehurst and travel north to the Amtrak main line, giving access to New Brunswick, northern New Jersey, New York, Trenton and Philadelphia. And from there, you have many wonderful options.

This rail service has been dubbed "MOM" for the communities that it will serve in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties. NJ Transit is studying alternative routes, environmental constraints, potential station locations and public opinion. These studies are to be completed late spring 2004.

We know, from a recent valid survey that there is an 80 to 90 percent public approval rating in Monmouth and Ocean counties and a 60 percent approval rate in Middlesex County for the rail service.

MOM is sorely needed because this region of New Jersey has experienced tremendous growth, and we are choking in traffic congestion. Now we all know, it is not going to get better – it will get worse. We need another one of those changes; a little apple pie. We need an alternate form of transportation, and the MOM rail line is the right answer.

The problem is that enough people are not hearing the "proponents for" rail service. It is not enough to simply be "for an issue." You have to make officials aware of your points of view. That is what makes politicians and officials react – the objectors know this.

Those few objectors, whom I call the "great minority," are vocal and they are organized. They attend meetings and voice their unfounded and unreasonable objections. I am challenging that "quiet majority" who agree with the MOM rail line to grab a pen and paper or call your officials to let them know that we want this rail service now.

We do not want "our" study placed on the shelf to collect dust for another 25 years while we continue to wallow in traffic. Yes, that’s how long we have been working at this. Here’s how you can help. Contact:

• James Schwarzwalder, MOM Project Manager, NJ Transit Headquarters, One Penn Plaza East, Newark 07105-2246, (973) 491-7809.

• Gov. James E. McGreevey, State House, P.O. Box 001, Trenton 08625-0001, (609) 292-6000.

• Sen. Andrew R. Ciesla, 852 Highway 70, Brick 08724, (732) 840-9028.

• Sen. Leonard T. Connors Jr., Clock Tower Building, 620 West Lacey Road, Forked River 08731, (609) 693-6700.

• Congressman H. James Saxton, 339 Cannon House Office Building, Washing-ton, D.C., 20515-3003, (202) 225-4765.

Hank DiPasquale

Member

Ocean County

Transportation Advisory Board

Toms River