September 1, 2009
 | WOLFE ASKS CORZINE TO MOVE |
Assemblyman Dave Wolfe sent a letter to Governor Jon Corzine today requesting the governor to take the necessary steps to move the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex rail line forward.
In the letter, Wolfe, R-Ocean and Monmouth, said the move was prompted by information he requested and received from the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) on the status of the proposal. According to information OLS received from New Jersey Transit, which Wolfe called “alarming,” as of June 2009, $13.886 million has been spent on draft environmental impact studies and related studies on the nearly 30 year-old proposal.
“It is shameful and a disservice to our residents that 30 years and nearly $14 million worth of studies later, no progress has been made on moving this project forward,” Wolfe said. “...The time for action is now. The last thing State officials need to do is waste more taxpayer funds, whether federal or state, on additional studies.”
Wolfe, a long-time MOM rail line advocate, concluded by requesting that Governor Corzine make the MOM rail line a priority for Ocean and Monmouth county residents, noting that the area is one of the fasting growing regions in the state.
He also asked the governor to reconsider the decision to take the Monmouth Junction option off the table as it has long been accepted that this particular link would be the most beneficial and most profitable for the tri-county region.
See letter below:
September 1, 2009
Hon. Jon Corzine
Governor, State of New Jersey
P.O. Box One
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0001
Dear Governor Corzine:
I recently received a response from the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) to my request for an update on the status of the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) rail line and its associated costs to date. The information is quite alarming.
OLS states that according to New Jersey Transit, as of June 2009, $13.886 million in federal and state funds have been spent on draft environmental impact studies (DEIS) and related studies for this nearly 30-year-old proposal to expand passenger rail service in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.
In its letter, OLS says, “At this point, no consensus has been reached on a preferred route for the rail line and the various alternatives are still being studied by NJ Transit as it prepares a draft environmental study, which is a necessary step in qualifying for federal funding.”
Also included in the OLS response is a summary of the evolution of and debate surrounding the proposed MOM rail line which lists a host of various studies, analyses and costs since 1996.
It is shameful and a disservice to our residents that 30 years and nearly $14 million worth of studies later, no progress has been made on moving this project forward. In the meantime, commuters from Ocean and Monmouth counties, one of the fastest growing areas in New Jersey, continue to bear the brunt of the State’s inaction.
The time for action is now. The last thing State officials need to do is waste more taxpayer funds, whether federal or state, on additional studies. Thirty years of studies with a $14 million price tag with nothing to show for it is ludicrous even for the State of New Jersey.
Therefore, I am requesting that you and your administration make a MOM rail line a priority for the residents of Ocean and Monmouth counties and take the steps necessary to move this project forward. I am also asking you to reconsider the decision to take the Monmouth Junction option off the table as it has long been accepted that this particular link would be the most beneficial and most profitable for the tri-county region.
Respectfully, your abrupt decision summarily dismissed years of studies and recommendations that could jeopardize federal funds needed to complete the project. In addition, your suggestion to increase bus service on Route 9 will only cause more congestion on a state road that is already inundated with daily commuter traffic.
Please feel free to contact me to further discuss this issue with you in detail. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
David Wolfe
Assemblyman
10th Legislative District
