North Jersey Rail Commuter Association
Encyclopedia
The North Jersey Rail Commuter Association is a not for profit (501(c)(3)) railroad advocacy organization that was formed and incorporated
in the USA in 1980. During its history, the organization and its members have been involved in the successful advocacy of a number of projects involving NJ Transit Rail Operations. NJRCA'as headquarters are located in Knowlton Township, NJ.
by educating public officials and the general public. This advocacy includes the preservation of existing rail infrastructure wherever possible; and the initiation, reactivation or augmentation of rail service wherever practicable.
The first NJRCA president, Frederick H. Wertz, helped establish the organization in 1980, which was initially headquartered in Sparta, NJ. Since that time, the organization has helped advocate a number of rail projects in New Jersey
.
) to New York City
; creation of service via the Montclair Connection
, the opening of NYS&W railroad service through Northern New Jersey; the building of a NJ Transit rail yard in Morrisville, PA; and the preservation of the Sussex Branch Trail. The group was also successful in spearheading a 1989 state bond issue that set aside $25 million for the acquisition of railroad right-of-ways in the State of New Jersey. Additionally, the group has advocated for the creation of a railroad and transportation museum in New Jersey and was successful in gaining support for designating the museum jointly in Netcong-Port Morris
and Phillipsburg.
NJRCA participated in meetings that were held between 1980 and 1984 in an effort to obtain funding to purchase the 88-mile (142 km) rail corridor between Port Morris Jct (NJ) and Scranton, PA, which included the 28-mile (45 km) long Cut-Off between Port Morris and Slateford Junction (PA). Funding was sought in New Jersey
via the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Morris County Board of Transportation, and the Morris County, NJ Board of Chosen Freeholders; and in Pennsylvania
via the Monroe County Railroad Authority (the predecessor of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Railroad Authority). In the end, sufficient funding could not be obtained, and the tracks on the Cut-Off were removed during the summer and fall of 1984. Conrail also indicated that it intended to remove the 60-mile (97 km) stretch of double-track between Slateford, PA and Scranton, PA; however, Conrail was persuaded to only remove only one of the tracks, leaving an intact single-track railroad in Pennsylvania
.
In 1985, Conrail announced that it had sold the right-of-way of the Cut-Off to two developers, Gerald Turco and Burton Goldmeier. Goldmeier had acquired the easternmost mile (1.6 km) of the Cut-Off, while Turco had acquired the remaining 26-mile (44 km) section of the line in New Jersey
and approximately one mile (1.6 km) section in Pennsylvania
. By 1986, Turco had announced a proposal to use the Cut-Off as a source for fill material and to use the "cuts" on the Cut-Off as construction
landfill
s. This triggered a negative public reaction, and a push to have the State of New Jersey acquire the Cut-Off through eminent domain
.
From 1987 to 1989, representatives from NJRCA met with public officials in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania in an effort to solidify support for preserving the line and, in New Jersey, to support the creation of a state bond issue to fund the state's acquisition of the Cut-Off. An agreement was struck with then-New Jersey
Assemblyman Chuck Haytaian
to support the extension of NJ Transit rail service to Hackettstown, NJ in turn for his support of the Lackawanna Cut-Off project and the bond issue. During the same timeframe, NJRCA also met several times with Turco in an effort to dissuade him from pursuing the destruction of the Cut-Off. As such, a state bond issue was successfully approved by the voters in New Jersey in November, 1989, which set aside $25 million for the purchase of rail rights-of-way in New Jersey.
Starting in 1990, the New Jersey Department of Transportation
initiated the use of eminent domain against Turco and Goldmeier, resulting in the State of New Jersey acquiring the right-of-way for a total of $21 million.
was created in 1986 that was charged with identifying a site and funding for the museum. In 1989, the commission recommended that an unspecified site in Flemington, NJ be designated as the museum's home. With no funding available, however, the idea of creating such a museum was temporarily shelved. By 1996, Walsh had been asked to serve on a newly-constituted state commission that would revisit the creation of a state railroad and transportation museum in New Jersey.
Shortly thereafter, NJRCA helped establish the Netcong-Port Morris Site Committee. The N-PM Site Committee's main responsibility was to act as a liasison between the museum commission and the towns—Netcong, NJ and Roxbury Township, NJ—that would be home to the museum. In addition to representatives from NJRCA, the committee had representatives from Netcong Boro and Roxbury Township, members of the railfan
community, canal
enthusiasts, Amtrak
, preservationist
s, and other ad hoc
members from the region.
In October, 1998, the commission's chairman, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce
, announced that the choice had been narrowed down to three sites in New Jersey: Phillipsburg, Plainfield and Netcong-Port Morris
. By the time this announcement was made, it had become clear that the majority of members on the NJ State Railroad & Transportation Museum Commission were in favor of placing the museum in Phillipsburg. Subsequently, in early 1999, DeCroce permitted a vote to take place that designated Phillipsburg as the museum site. Walsh, however, continued to openly support the Netcong-Port Morris
site, leading to his not being reappointed to the commission when his term expired later that year. Walsh's seat on the commission was filled by transportation magnate Anthony Imperatore.
As such, Walsh, in conjunction with NJRCA and the N-PM Site Committee continued to advocate for the Netcong-Port Morris site and in the process gained the support of New Jersey State Senate leader Robert Littell
, who at that time was the chairman of the New Jersey Senate Appropriations Committee, and who struck an agreement with DeCroce to amend proposed legislation
from the New Jersey General Assembly
to designate both Phillipsburg and Netcong-Port Morris
as joint sites for the museum. The legislation was subsequently signed into law in 2001. .
Since that time, there has been continued activity within Phillipsburg to attempt to build the museum there, although the originally-envisioned site, which has been privately-owned, was never acquired by the state of New Jersey and has since been designated for other purposes. In Netcong, there has been little activity thus far, although with the reactivation of the Lackawanna Cut-Off it is envisioned that the train station in Netcong could act as the eastern terminus for Steamtown
train excusions from Scranton, PA.
's No. 7 line into New Jersey
.
NJRCA has also proposed weekend rail service be instituted along the entire length of NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line
; that the Montclair-Boonton Line
between Great Notch, NJ and Denville, NJ be electrified; and that all or part of NJ Transit's Gladstone Branch
be double-tracked.
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
in the USA in 1980. During its history, the organization and its members have been involved in the successful advocacy of a number of projects involving NJ Transit Rail Operations. NJRCA'as headquarters are located in Knowlton Township, NJ.
Origins and mission
NJRCA's mission is to advocate, in a non-partisan manner, rail projects that benefit New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
by educating public officials and the general public. This advocacy includes the preservation of existing rail infrastructure wherever possible; and the initiation, reactivation or augmentation of rail service wherever practicable.
The first NJRCA president, Frederick H. Wertz, helped establish the organization in 1980, which was initially headquartered in Sparta, NJ. Since that time, the organization has helped advocate a number of rail projects in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Rail projects advocated
Over time, NJRCA has advocated a number of projects involving NJ Transit Rail Operations (or other entities), including the restoration of rail service on the Lackawanna Cut-Off; the extension of service to Hackettstown, NJ; creation of Midtown Direct Service (via the Kearny ConnectionKearny Connection
The Kearny Connection in Kearny, New Jersey, allows suburban passenger trains from New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines to run to New York Penn Station,instead of their traditional ferry terminal on the river in Hoboken. New Jersey Transit dubbed the new service Midtown Direct; the...
) to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; creation of service via the Montclair Connection
Montclair Connection
The Montclair Connection is a short section of double-track New Jersey Transit rail connecting the former end of the Montclair Branch at Bay Street Station to the old Boonton Line southeast of Walnut Street Station. It opened on Monday, September 30, 2002, at a cost of $60,000,000...
, the opening of NYS&W railroad service through Northern New Jersey; the building of a NJ Transit rail yard in Morrisville, PA; and the preservation of the Sussex Branch Trail. The group was also successful in spearheading a 1989 state bond issue that set aside $25 million for the acquisition of railroad right-of-ways in the State of New Jersey. Additionally, the group has advocated for the creation of a railroad and transportation museum in New Jersey and was successful in gaining support for designating the museum jointly in Netcong-Port Morris
Roxbury Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,883 people, 8,364 households, and 6,532 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,117.4 people per square mile . There were 8,550 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile...
and Phillipsburg.
Lackawanna Cut-Off project
Since its creation in 1980, NJRCA has spearheaded the effort to preserve and reactivate the Lackawanna Cut-Off. In 1979, as a result of a consolidation of Conrail's east-west rail routes, freight service was discontinued on the Cut-Off. This occurred in the aftermath of Conrail's taking over the operation of the line from the Erie Lackawanna Railroad in 1976. Passenger service on the line ceased in January 1970. The discontinuation of freight service on the Cut-Off opened the door for possible abandonment of the route and removal of the tracks on the line.New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
via the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Morris County Board of Transportation, and the Morris County, NJ Board of Chosen Freeholders; and in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
via the Monroe County Railroad Authority (the predecessor of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Railroad Authority). In the end, sufficient funding could not be obtained, and the tracks on the Cut-Off were removed during the summer and fall of 1984. Conrail also indicated that it intended to remove the 60-mile (97 km) stretch of double-track between Slateford, PA and Scranton, PA; however, Conrail was persuaded to only remove only one of the tracks, leaving an intact single-track railroad in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
In 1985, Conrail announced that it had sold the right-of-way of the Cut-Off to two developers, Gerald Turco and Burton Goldmeier. Goldmeier had acquired the easternmost mile (1.6 km) of the Cut-Off, while Turco had acquired the remaining 26-mile (44 km) section of the line in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and approximately one mile (1.6 km) section in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. By 1986, Turco had announced a proposal to use the Cut-Off as a source for fill material and to use the "cuts" on the Cut-Off as construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
s. This triggered a negative public reaction, and a push to have the State of New Jersey acquire the Cut-Off through eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
.
From 1987 to 1989, representatives from NJRCA met with public officials in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania in an effort to solidify support for preserving the line and, in New Jersey, to support the creation of a state bond issue to fund the state's acquisition of the Cut-Off. An agreement was struck with then-New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Assemblyman Chuck Haytaian
Chuck Haytaian
Garabed "Chuck" Haytaian is an American Republican Party politician, who was the Speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly during the 'tax revolt' of the James Florio – Christine Todd Whitman era. He is of Armenian descent....
to support the extension of NJ Transit rail service to Hackettstown, NJ in turn for his support of the Lackawanna Cut-Off project and the bond issue. During the same timeframe, NJRCA also met several times with Turco in an effort to dissuade him from pursuing the destruction of the Cut-Off. As such, a state bond issue was successfully approved by the voters in New Jersey in November, 1989, which set aside $25 million for the purchase of rail rights-of-way in New Jersey.
Starting in 1990, the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
initiated the use of eminent domain against Turco and Goldmeier, resulting in the State of New Jersey acquiring the right-of-way for a total of $21 million.
Railroad museum activities
With its rich transportation history, and the lack of a unifying entity to preserve it, rail and transportation advocates in New Jersey began seeking support for the creation of a state museum during the 1980s. A state commissionCommission
Commission may refer to:* Commission , a form of payment to an agent for services rendered* Commission , a document given to commissioned officers....
was created in 1986 that was charged with identifying a site and funding for the museum. In 1989, the commission recommended that an unspecified site in Flemington, NJ be designated as the museum's home. With no funding available, however, the idea of creating such a museum was temporarily shelved. By 1996, Walsh had been asked to serve on a newly-constituted state commission that would revisit the creation of a state railroad and transportation museum in New Jersey.
Shortly thereafter, NJRCA helped establish the Netcong-Port Morris Site Committee. The N-PM Site Committee's main responsibility was to act as a liasison between the museum commission and the towns—Netcong, NJ and Roxbury Township, NJ—that would be home to the museum. In addition to representatives from NJRCA, the committee had representatives from Netcong Boro and Roxbury Township, members of the railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
community, canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
enthusiasts, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
s, and other ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
members from the region.
In October, 1998, the commission's chairman, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce
Alex DeCroce
Alex DeCroce is an American Republican Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1989, where he represents the 26th legislative district....
, announced that the choice had been narrowed down to three sites in New Jersey: Phillipsburg, Plainfield and Netcong-Port Morris
Roxbury Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,883 people, 8,364 households, and 6,532 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,117.4 people per square mile . There were 8,550 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile...
. By the time this announcement was made, it had become clear that the majority of members on the NJ State Railroad & Transportation Museum Commission were in favor of placing the museum in Phillipsburg. Subsequently, in early 1999, DeCroce permitted a vote to take place that designated Phillipsburg as the museum site. Walsh, however, continued to openly support the Netcong-Port Morris
Roxbury Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,883 people, 8,364 households, and 6,532 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,117.4 people per square mile . There were 8,550 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile...
site, leading to his not being reappointed to the commission when his term expired later that year. Walsh's seat on the commission was filled by transportation magnate Anthony Imperatore.
As such, Walsh, in conjunction with NJRCA and the N-PM Site Committee continued to advocate for the Netcong-Port Morris site and in the process gained the support of New Jersey State Senate leader Robert Littell
Robert Littell (politician)
Robert Eugene Littell is an American Republican Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey State Senate from 1990 to 2008, where he represented the 15th Legislative District until 1982 and the 24th Legislative District thereafter...
, who at that time was the chairman of the New Jersey Senate Appropriations Committee, and who struck an agreement with DeCroce to amend proposed legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
from the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
to designate both Phillipsburg and Netcong-Port Morris
Roxbury Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,883 people, 8,364 households, and 6,532 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,117.4 people per square mile . There were 8,550 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile...
as joint sites for the museum. The legislation was subsequently signed into law in 2001. .
Since that time, there has been continued activity within Phillipsburg to attempt to build the museum there, although the originally-envisioned site, which has been privately-owned, was never acquired by the state of New Jersey and has since been designated for other purposes. In Netcong, there has been little activity thus far, although with the reactivation of the Lackawanna Cut-Off it is envisioned that the train station in Netcong could act as the eastern terminus for Steamtown
Steamtown
Steamtown may refer to:* Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre, museum in Peterborough, South Australia* Steamtown, Peterborough Railway Preservation Society Inc., former heritage railway in Peterborough, South Australia* Steamtown, USA, former Vermont museum...
train excusions from Scranton, PA.
Proposals for current and future projects
In addition to the Lackawanna Cut-Off project, NJRCA had been involved in the advocacy of the ARC Tunnel, including the proposal for run-through tracks at Penn Station, New York and a connection to Grand Central Station. NJRCA has also supported the extension of the New York City SubwayNew York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
's No. 7 line into New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
NJRCA has also proposed weekend rail service be instituted along the entire length of NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line
Montclair-Boonton Line
The Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line of New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. It is part of the Hoboken Division. The line is a consolidation of three individual lines: the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Montclair Branch, which ran from Hoboken Terminal to Bay Street,...
; that the Montclair-Boonton Line
Montclair-Boonton Line
The Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line of New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. It is part of the Hoboken Division. The line is a consolidation of three individual lines: the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Montclair Branch, which ran from Hoboken Terminal to Bay Street,...
between Great Notch, NJ and Denville, NJ be electrified; and that all or part of NJ Transit's Gladstone Branch
Gladstone Branch
The Gladstone Branch is a branch of New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines. The Gladstone Branch primarily serves commuter trains; freight service is no longer operated...
be double-tracked.