Camden-Glassboro rail line supported, but funding will be difficult

The Christie administration supports a proposed light-rail line between Camden and Glassboro, though it may not honor a $500 million funding promise made by former Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The pledge from the Transportation Trust Fund was "Corzine's commitment, not ours," James Simpson, New Jersey transportation commissioner, said Tuesday. The Christie administration cannot say yet how much it may provide for the $1.6 billion, 18-mile rail line, he said.

But Simpson made it clear that the Republican administration supports the project. The former administrator of the Federal Transit Administration said he did not advocate using buses instead of building a rail line.

"It's the preferred alternative, and we support the preferred alternative," Simpson said.

The Delaware River Port Authority, which is planning the line, has said it must also get federal funding for the project to be built. A decision on that is at least two years away.

Without substantial federal aid, the most likely source of money would be higher tolls on the four Delaware River bridges operated by the DRPA.

Auto tolls are scheduled to rise by $1, to $5, on July 1, 2011. That revenue is committed to paying off existing debt and for scheduled maintenance and repair projects.

Glassboro-area residents turned out Tuesday at two hearings on the rail-line plan, most in support of the proposal.

The hearings were designed to gather public input as the DRPA begins its study of the effects of the line on the environment, economy, and social fabric of the 12 communities along the rail corridor. A hearing was held last week in Camden.

Rowan University president Donald J. Farish said the line would be a boon for the school, which has its main campus in Glassboro and a branch in Camden. "A rail system will be much more efficient" than the buses Rowan now runs between the campuses, Farish said.

He said it also would reduce the need for students and staff to drive, meaning "we won't have to pave as much of the campus."

Glassboro Mayor Leo McCabe and Gloucester County Freeholder Joseph A. Brigandi Jr. also urged construction of the line, saying it would reduce traffic congestion, create jobs, and boost the economies of towns along the corridor.

Carol Rhodes of Barnsboro argued against it, alleging that the planning process was corrupt and the project was a waste of taxpayers' money. She called on Christie to name an independent consultant to examine the planning process.

"We have a very limited budget in New Jersey, and I think our money could be better spent," Rhodes said.

Joyce Lovell of Westville warned that the proposed location of the Westville station was prone to flooding.

"The area where you are planning the station, we have pictures of boats in the middle of the highway," she said.

John Matheussen, chief executive of the DRPA, said station locations and other details were being modified as a result of public input.

The line would operate light-rail diesel trains, similar to those on the River Line between Camden and Trenton. Plans call for trains every 71/2 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak periods.

The Glassboro-to-Camden trip would take about 35 minutes, with stops at 15 stations.

In Camden, passengers could transfer to the River Line or to PATCO trains. Projections are for 18,000 daily riders by 2030.

Possible federal funding for the project got a boost in January when the Obama administration announced plans to rescind Bush administration restrictions on transit spending.

The new rules are designed to give the government greater flexibility to pay for projects that could provide an economic boost or benefit the environment.

The Bush administration, which believed transit systems should rely less on federal funding, in 2005 restricted federal grants to projects that could show significant reductions in commute times in comparison with costs.