(The following story by Pat R. Gilbert was published in the January 16 issue of the Bergen Record.)
HACKENSACKE, N.J. — In a step to boost commuter parking, NJ Transit’s board Wednesday approved a plan to finance a five-story parking garage for a new railroad station on Route 17 in Ramsey and a parking deck for another new station in Little Falls.
Construction will begin soon on both projects, and trees have already been cleared on the Ramsey site. The agency is building a 1,264-space parking garage for the new station serving riders on NJ Transit’s Main Line, and is also building a 1,500-space parking garage on the Montclair Boonton Line in Little Falls to accompany a new station at Montclair State University’s campus there.
Both parking decks are scheduled to be finished in spring 2004.
The Ramsey projects – totaling $35 million – sparked controversy with elected officials and residents in the borough, who tried unsuccessfully to persuade NJ Transit to build the station across the highway in Mahwah. Residents have been concerned about safety and traffic, particularly the planned station’s proximity to Finch Park, a heavily used recreation area.
One business, which initially had several concerns about the planned project, says the agency has worked to sort out the problems.
“We’ve been meeting for the past six months and negotiated a friendly condemnation for both parties,” said Darren Zecher Lilley, vice president of Ramsey Building Supply. “We’ve been trying to make the best of this, and I think we’ve come up with some good things to benefit both parties.”
For instance, Zecher said original design plans would not allow large tractor-trailers to enter or exit the firm’s property, but she said the agency has made changes to make that possible. She said the two sides have also agreed not to block Island Road during construction.
NJ Transit says it needs the new station and parking in Ramsey to support a surge in riders once the Secaucus Transfer station opens. Secaucus Transfer is scheduled to open weekends this fall and on weekdays after a temporary PATH station is built in Lower Manhattan in winter 2003-04.
The agency approved the sale of $34.1 million in tax-exempt bonds from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to fund the design and construction of the two parking decks. A total of $15.6 million will be used to pay for the parking deck in Ramsey, with the remainder for the deck in Little Falls. Construction of the two stations, with costs totaling $27.9 million, will be paid for through the state’s Transportation Trust Fund. The project in Ramsey is being built on 2.9 acres, where Route 17 and the Main Line intersect, by R.M. Shoemaker Co. of West Conshohocken, Pa.
The Montclair State station and parking deck are being designed and built by Prismatic Development Corp. of Plainfield on 3.2 acres of land near the university’s Yogi Berra Stadium.
“We are taking a critical step in alleviating congestion on New Jersey’s highways and making mass transit more accessible,” said acting state Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere. “If we want to take cars off our highways, we must make transportation a viable option. For too long, the need for commuter parking has been ignored.”