ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 24

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblymen BATEMAN and KAVANAUGH

An Assembly Resolution memorializing Congress to provide funding to the New Jersey Transit Corporation to restore passenger service on the West Trenton rail line.

Whereas, Passenger service on the West Trenton rail line, with stops at West Trenton, Hopewell, Belle Meade and Bound Brook, was available from the nineteenth century until 1983 when the New Jersey Transit Corporation suspended passenger service and since that time the line has been used only for rail freight operations; and

Whereas, Restoration of passenger service on the West Trenton rail line would provide cost effective congestion relief to the highway system, in particular to Routes 31, 27, 1, 206 and 22, and would help the State meet the mandates of the federal Clean Air Act; and

Whereas, Restoration of passenger service would provide new transit service to southern and central Somerset County as well as the northern and western portions of Mercer County, areas which have recently experienced increased rates of population growth, leading to a current population in excess of 100,000, and ridership projections estimate that the line would carry 1,750 commuters by the year 2015; and

Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper for this House to call upon Congress to provide funding to New Jersey Transit to restore passenger service on the West Trenton rail line so the citizens of the State can enjoy the benefits such restoration would bring; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. The United States Congress, for the reasons set forth in the preamble hereto, is memorialized to provide funding to the New Jersey Transit Corporation to restore passenger service on the West Trenton rail line.

    2. Authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested thereto by the Clerk thereof, shall be forwarded to each member of Congress elected thereto from this State, the New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation, the board of the New Jersey Transit Corporation and the Executive Director of the New Jersey Transit Corporation.

STATEMENT

    This resolution memorializes Congress to provide funding to the New Jersey Transit Corporation to restore passenger service on the West Trenton rail line.

    Passenger service on the West Trenton rail line, with stops at West Trenton, Hopewell, Belle Meade and Bound Brook, was available from the nineteenth century until 1983 and since that time the line has been used only for rail freight operations.

    Restoration of passenger service on the West Trenton rail line would provide cost effective congestion relief to the highway system, in particular to Routes 31, 27, 1, 206 and 22 and would help the State meet the mandates of the federal Clean Air Act.

    Restoration of passenger service would provide new transit service to southern and central Somerset County as well as the northern and western portions of Mercer County, areas which have recently experienced increased rates of population growth, leading to a current population in excess of 100,000. Ridership projections estimate that the line would carry 1,750 commuters by the year 2015.

Memorializes Congress to provide funding to restore passenger service on the West Trenton rail line.