GSC wrote: ↑Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:53 am
Coast Line Railfan wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2019 5:11 pm
CharlieL wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2019 4:44 pm
With all the building going on in Lakewood and points south (thank you Woodhaven for keeping the southern secondary alive) you would think NJT would have some interest in looking into providing some passenger service on the southern. Doodlebugs Lakewood (or Toms River) to Red Bank or beyond?
It is possible as part of the MOM project.
I've said for years that the MOM project should start in Toms River. Take Ciba-Geigy's yard for a park & ride. Need a feasibility study? Sit by the Parkway on Route 37 during rush hour.
I'm not sure this is the best idea. The MOM plan isn't searching for a terminus. It's fighting resistance to even get to ocean county. Rt 37 would be the busiest grade crossing within the Ocean County portion and would likely only only stir more resistance. The fact that Route 37 west of the GSP is dominated by drivers coming from Holiday City and other nearby age-restricted communities is an additional concern. That subset of our population has a higher incidence of driving through store fronts and similar vehicular behavior. Living in Ocean County, I see it every day. I once witnessed an older driver driving the wrong way on Rt 37 on the east side of the GSP during a snowfall. He shook his fist at myself a another driver for driving "the wrong way" on the road. We have enough numskulls driving through and around crossing gate elsewhere, with the public and media blaming the railroad rather than the drivers when an accident occurs, to not put that particular crossing back into service. Traffic was much different when Ciba was at its peak.
Another, if not perfect, option is the Toms River bus station. It would involve replacing the track from there to the Ciba/Builders General spur, including the small trestle over the Union Branch of the Toms River. The advantage is that the bus station and parking lot is already NJT property. The lot might not handle the additional usage, but then some riders now taking the bus might use the rails instead. A parking deck could also help. A deck would be costly, but so would buying the Ciba property. Perhaps there's other cons to that option I'm missing?