(The following story by Roger Dupuis II appeared on the Scranton Times-Tribune website on January 24.)
ANDOVER, N.J. — Project officials were surprised, though clearly not displeased, at what they didn’t hear from the public Tuesday during a meeting on the proposed Scranton-Hoboken passenger train project.
Unlike meetings held here several years ago, during an earlier phase of the $551 million project, concerns about noise and disruption seemed comparatively few.
What changed?
“Is Interstate 80 traffic getting worse? Is that it? We don’t know,” said project manager Jeffrey D. Stiles. He’s executive vice president of Edwards and Kelcey, an engineering firm that worked on an environmental study for New Jersey Transit, which is now being put to the public for comment, at meetings like the one held here Tuesday.
People in at least 448 homes along the 133-mile route — including 118 homes between Scranton and Pocono Mountain — would have some audible impact from the line, defined as noticeable noise but insufficient to make people react adversely. Another 38 homes — nine in New Jersey and 29 in Monroe County — would be severely impacted, defined as highly annoying noise. None in Lackawanna County would be severely impacted.
The most intense source of noise could be trains blowing their whistles at grade crossings, and two key crossings are in the Andover area.
There may be light at the end of that tunnel. Mr. Stiles said New Jersey Transit would work with the Federal Railroad Administration, which sets the rules for when trains must use whistles, to install other safety devices at crossings. That might make whistle-blowing unnecessary, and perhaps eliminate the noise issue for those 38 homes.
Whether that plan was evident to those who formerly raised noise concerns is unclear.
This much is clear: New Jersey Transit’s stenographer took down about 25 formal verbal statements Thursday — about four times the number received at last week’s public meeting in Scranton. Among the Andover comments, few seemed to be against the line.
However, unlike at the Scranton meeting, transit officials did not allow the audience to ask questions in front of the group at Andover, but said they were open to answering questions afterward. Whether this format deterred some worried neighbors is also unclear.
Residents also have the chance to submit written or e-mail comments, so it’s possible those with concerns may voice their opinion that way. The public comment period ends March 2, and there will be two more meetings: Thursday in Stroudsburg and Monday in Blairstown, N.J.
Then again, perhaps Mr. Stiles’ comment about growing highway congestion wasn’t so far off the mark.
“I don’t want my neighbors to be inconvenienced,” said Jefferson Township, N.J. resident Charles Smith, who drives to work in Paramus, and would rather take a train.
“But by the same time, I’m in traffic on I-80 most days surrounded by people with Pennsylvania license plates,” he said, adding that the noise, traffic and pollution created by the mass of New York-bound commuters could be mitigated with trains.