The Express Times: Two tracks on rail chances

September 21st, 2008

By Jessica Coomes

WASHINGTON, D.C. | New Yorker Mike Gross transplanted himself to Bethlehem Township, Pa., four years ago and adopted a bus commute, which can take up to three hours each way, to his job on Wall Street.
Like other commuters, Gross enjoys the Lehigh Valley lifestyle — his dog has the run of a spacious backyard — and he retains his career in the city.

As gas prices continue to spike, officials are contemplating giving commuters such as Gross an alternative by re-introducing commuter trains to northwest New Jersey communities, including Phillipsburg.
If the idea picks up steam locally, Warren County’s representative in Congress would have a hand in securing federal funding.

The prospect has been on the table for decades without moving, but rising gas prices may be making passenger rail lines more attractive, Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett said. For Democrat Dennis Shulman, who will face Garrett in the Nov. 4 election, those energy costs are precisely why the area needs train service.

Given the option, Gross said he would choose trains over buses. Most mornings, he is in line waiting for his bus by 5:35. In the evenings, he tries to leave New York around 4:30, when his bus has a shot at beating the worst of the traffic, and he arrives in the Lehigh Valley by 7:30.

“I really like the two worlds,” Gross said.

Garrett, who became a state lawmaker in 1990 and took his seat in Congress in 2003, said people have been talking about expanding rail service in Warren County for as long as he has been in public office.
For years, he said, the area has not had enough potential riders to justify the expense.

“There has been some progress in that area, albeit limited,” Garrett said.

If the state deems rail service in Warren County a priority, Garrett said, he would do his part to secure federal funds.

Shulman points to rising gas prices as a reason why people should be able to travel without cars.
In addition to helping commuters’ wallets, rail service would keep elderly and disabled people mobile, he said.

“For many people in Warren County, they’re very concerned about the fact they don’t have access to mass transportation,” Shulman said. “We have to be concerned about issues related to energy. In the end, I, of course, support the light rail.”

Read the original article

Last 5 posts in News Clippings