North Brunswick Station

There was a station at Adams, but could never be re-opened by today's standards. If you cross the tracks on the Adams Lane bridge, there are two breaks in the high wall on the south side of the bridge that are now sealed with fence. Those are the two still existing stairwells that lead down to the platforms. There are still lights and handrails on the stairways and they look to be in great shape (I believe the stairways were built after the bridge was built). Does anyone have a date when Adams Station closed?

In any case, a new station on US Route 1 could not only eliminate Jersey Avenue as a partial station, but also ease traffic. The traffic signals at Commerce Boulevard and Aaron Road (the two entrances into the former Johnson & Johnson property) could be consolidated into a single grade separated highway interchange, eliminating two lights on Route 1. The light at Adams Lane/Cozzens Lane could even be consolidated into this new interchange by building frontage/access roads for the businesses on Route 1. If those three lights were eliminated, there would be a nice uninterrupted segment on Route 1 between North Oaks Blvd in North Brunswick and Finnegan's Lane in South Brunswick. Wishful thinking, but I like to think big .

There was talk years back of building a full mainline station at Jersey Avenue. From what I recall, County Yard was to be sold to Conrail once NJ Transit's Morrisville Yard opened and a new station built. Morrisville has been open for a while now and there has been no change at Jersey Avenue, so I don't know what ever came of that.

Jersey Avenue, while hosting a large parking area, is not very park and ride friendly location and is only accessible from New Jersey Route 91. Route NJ-91 is a two lane road (one lane each way) and is bumper to bumper during the morning and evening rush. The traffic signal at How Lane and NJ-91 can't function with the volume at the intersection (the light is configured for protected left turns in certain directions, but they aren't in the proper direction for train station traffic). I envision something like SEPTA's Cornwells Heights Station on I-95 for US-1 in North Brunswick.

radioboy wrote:MOM is a great example of what the 'Brunswicks think of any expansion of rail service.

However, anything that puts smart growth on people's minds, whether it is achieved or not, is good. Because sprawl is no longer a sustainable method of building things in this state.

Please don't lump all the Brunswicks together

South Brunswick opposes MOM and wants a NEC station off of Rt. 1, not a MOM station that would be a traffic magnet through expensive residential neighborhoods.

North Brunswick is using South Brunswick's intransigence as leverage for its transit hub proposal. And it definitely wants that new station.

New Brunswick, which is about to get a major upgrade to the westbound side of the station as well as extended platforms, is strangely quiet on MOM, probably due to the mayor and the chief Freeholder opponent (Crabiel) of MOM being long-time (political) bedfellows.

E-44 wrote:

radioboy wrote:MOM is a great example of what the 'Brunswicks think of any expansion of rail service.

However, anything that puts smart growth on people's minds, whether it is achieved or not, is good. Because sprawl is no longer a sustainable method of building things in this state.

Please don't lump all the Brunswicks together

South Brunswick opposes MOM and wants a NEC station off of Rt. 1, not a MOM station that would be a traffic magnet through expensive residential neighborhoods.

North Brunswick is using South Brunswick's intransigence as leverage for its transit hub proposal. And it definitely wants that new station.

New Brunswick, which is about to get a major upgrade to the westbound side of the station as well as extended platforms, is strangely quiet on MOM, probably due to the mayor and the chief Freeholder opponent (Crabiel) of MOM being long-time (political) bedfellows.

Sorry to get off topic, but whats this about the New Brunswick station? I haven't heard anything like this. Is it related to the Gateway project?

E-44 wrote:South Brunswick opposes MOM and wants a NEC station off of Rt. 1, not a MOM station that would be a traffic magnet through expensive residential neighborhoods.

Is South Brunswick more stubborn than the other towns on the MOM route with expensive residential neighborhoods (such as Monroe, Manalapan, Freehold Townships)?

TAMR213 wrote:

E-44 wrote:

radioboy wrote:MOM is a great example of what the 'Brunswicks think of any expansion of rail service.

However, anything that puts smart growth on people's minds, whether it is achieved or not, is good. Because sprawl is no longer a sustainable method of building things in this state.

Please don't lump all the Brunswicks together

South Brunswick opposes MOM and wants a NEC station off of Rt. 1, not a MOM station that would be a traffic magnet through expensive residential neighborhoods.

North Brunswick is using South Brunswick's intransigence as leverage for its transit hub proposal. And it definitely wants that new station.

New Brunswick, which is about to get a major upgrade to the westbound side of the station as well as extended platforms, is strangely quiet on MOM, probably due to the mayor and the chief Freeholder opponent (Crabiel) of MOM being long-time (political) bedfellows.

Sorry to get off topic, but whats this about the New Brunswick station? I haven't heard anything like this. Is it related to the Gateway project?

Yes, it's the Gatewayproject. Question is if they'll do the westbound platform as part of this project or a separate one. Same question for the eastbound side. DEVCO just bought the property that used to house the antique store abutting the French St. bridge, which I think will become more parking and may have a direct walkway to an extended eastbound platform.

runnerup wrote:

E-44 wrote:South Brunswick opposes MOM and wants a NEC station off of Rt. 1, not a MOM station that would be a traffic magnet through expensive residential neighborhoods.

Is South Brunswick more stubborn than the other towns on the MOM route with expensive residential neighborhoods (such as Monroe, Manalapan, Freehold Townships)?

Well, their mayor, Frank Gambatese, is the most vocal. Monmouth Jct. (part of South Brunswick) has a lot of expensive homes built close to the tracks and those expensive residents are also worried about a MOM line station's location being a traffic nuisance in a residential neighborhood.

There have also been concerns voiced in Jamesburg (frequency of trains running through downtown) and Monroe (grade crossings).

South Brunswick should only get a train station if it can support the MOM project and be integrated as such. Anything else, would be a waste of money. I could see the Jersey Ave. station needing some updgrading, be it station facilties and parking.

Its back and its passed.

http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/ ... pprov.html

North Brunswick council approves controversial transit village plan
By Stephen Stirling/For The Star-Ledger
May 18, 2010, 7:57PM
NORTH BRUNSWICK -- The North Brunswick Township Council approved its controversial transit village ordinance, laying the groundwork for a project that could define the township’s future but has little in the way of guarantees. Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack III broke a 3 to 3 tie on the council Monday night to approve the ordinance, which provides a zoning overlay for developer TOD Associates to begin planning for a mixed-use transit village on the sprawling 212-acre former Johnson & Johnson site on Route 1.”

The complete copy and pasting of copyrighted articles from another sources is prohibited. Short fair-use quotation only. -omv

I know this is part of the plan to replace Jersey Avenue with a mainline station. Would The Jersey Avenue/County Yard locals stop at this station once it is built and Jersey Avenue is closed, or would they make their last revenue stop at New Brunswick? Also, since this station is in the middle of a high speed zone, how will it impact running times?

I can only guess that unless they find another place for the trains that spend their nights at Jersey Avenue/County Yard, they'll either have to do as you indicated, make their last revenue stop at New Brunswick, or have those trains go from the new station back to Jersey Avenue, and with the current track configuration change ends again to get into the yard.
Neither of those things sounds likely, or efficient to me.

It seems like we're left with having some combination of existing Trenton trains stopping at this proposed new station, which will of course negatively impact running times, or extending existing Jersey Ave trains to Trenton, which will add to congestion at Trenton.
In my dream world I believe we can eliminate a lot of Trenton congestion if we extend service to a new station at Morrisville yard. I believe a lot of the time involved in getting a train out of Trenton is because the crew must make sure all passengers are off.

This is the first I remember heard of a plan to replace Jersey Ave with a mainline station. I've read speculation in this forum. Whose plan is it? Can you point us to documentation?

I'd probably guess County Yard would be no more and be given totally to Conrail and they'd have more trains coming out of Morrisville in its place. Just my guess.

It'll never happen, but they could upgrade the Delco Lead into the transit village and essentially copy the current Jersey Avenue configuration with all trains beginning and terminating there. These trains could then make a stop at Jersey Avenue (by installing a platform where the track runs through the parking area), and then run onto the main at County. Passengers still wouldn't have any access to westbound trains, but it wouldn't affect running times.

nick11a wrote:I'd probably guess County Yard would be no more and be given totally to Conrail and they'd have more trains coming out of Morrisville in its place. Just my guess.

That would be nicer if the entire Millstone Branch could be an active line for passenger trains. I mean, at least at that point, Jersey Avenue's westbound platform would have use compared to closing it. (Obviously a never going to happen hypothetical dream, but still)

Now I would have a laugh if the new North Brunswick station was given the name Adams, if NJ Transit ever commits to making the train station.

Roadgeek Adam wrote:Now I would have a laugh if the new North Brunswick station was given the name Adams, if NJ Transit ever commits to making the train station.

Thats not too far fetched. There are still signs on Route 1 for "Adams Sta"...

transit383 wrote:

Roadgeek Adam wrote:Now I would have a laugh if the new North Brunswick station was given the name Adams, if NJ Transit ever commits to making the train station.

Thats not too far fetched. There are still signs on Route 1 for "Adams Sta"...

Yep, and I think that's because people at Amtrak use the exit. I don't think though any locals (since I live near Adams and go through it weekly) even know the area is named Adams besides Route 608 (Adams Lane).

I think those Adams Station signs date back to the 70s, not sure though.