NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR MIDDLESEX COUNTY

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scraparcs/3259040067/sizes/l/in/photostream/ RARITAN RIVER LIGHT RAIL NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR MIDDLESEX COUNTY This report studies the viability of a new transit line connecting New Brunswick, New Jersey, to South Amboy, New Jersey. Prepared by: Daniel Turner

RARITAN RIVER LIGHT RAIL NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR MIDDLESEX COUNTY PROPOSAL I am proposing the construction of a new passenger light rail line that runs from South Amboy, New Jersey, to New Brunswick, New Jersey, primarily along the right-of-way of the former Raritan River Railroad. The purpose of this rail line would be to transport passengers in and out of New Brunswick, to provide a rail connection to the commuter lines that run out of New Brunswick and South Amboy, and to create a hub for new transit-oriented development (TOD) in Middlesex County. This line would not only enhance transit service in the region but could possibly reduce congestion along Route 18, which runs parallel to the right-of-way. This report will provide a brief history of the Raritan River Railroad, outline the proposed rail line and current demographic and land use conditions along the proposed site, and discuss some potential impacts of light rail in the region. RARITAN RIVER RAILROAD The Raritan River Railroad was a twelvemile railroad that ran from South Amboy, New Jersey, to New Brunswick, New Jersey, between 1888 and 1980. The line was primarily used to transport freight between these points and several points inbetween. BACKGROUND The Raritan River Railroad (RRRR) was a short-line railroad that ran freight between South Amboy, New Jersey, and New Brunswick, New Jersey, from 1888 to 1980. (Reynolds, 2012) For a brief period in the early twentieth century, the RRRR provided very limited passenger service as well. The RRRR had its best revenue year in 1979 with revenues exceeding $1.9 million. Since its purchase by Conrail in 1981, the former RRRR line has seen steady decline. Currently, only six customers make use of this line. (Reynolds 2012) FIGURE 1 below shows a map of the RRRR from 1947. This map illustrates both the spatial layout of the rail line and also the development patterns of the region at that time. Development at that time was concentrated primarily around New Brunswick, Milltown, South River, and South Amboy. 1

FIGURE 1- RARITAN RIVER RAILROAD MAP 1947 Source: http://www.raritanriver-rr.com/maps/rrrr_system_map_1947.jpg STUDY AREA The study area consists primarily of the right of way of the old RRRR with extensions into New Brunswick and South Amboy (See FIGURE 2 below). This line splits the center of Middlesex County, running twelve miles in an east-west direction. As will be shown, this area includes a wide variety of land uses and population densities. The proposed extensions to the current right-of-way connect the light rail line with existing commuter rail stations in New Brunswick and South Amboy as well as provide a downtown connection to these locations. The proposed light rail runs through areas with both existing population and area that would allow for managed growth if transit were a viable option in those locations. Currently no fixed guideway transit exists between New Brunswick and South Amboy, making east west travel between these locations reliant on automobile or bus service. 2

FIGURE 2 WHY LIGHT RAIL? New Jersey is the densest state in the United States, with nearly 1,200 inhabitants per square mile according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Middlesex County had an even higher population density in this year, with more than 2,422 inhabitants per square mile. This level of density requires planners in the state and county to think about how the transportation system currently functions and how it will function in the future. It also requires planners to be concerned not only with transportation networks but with how those networks relate and connect land uses. New Jersey has developed a variety of responses to these concerns, including the Transit Village Initiative. This initiative is an effort by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and NJ Transit to develop and redevelop the areas around transit stations, to promote more walkable communities, to encourage more transit use and less automobile use, and to enhance the economic revitalization of downtowns. The reduction of automobile use is a key component of this initiative. With more than 83 percent of New Jersey residents traveling to work by car in 2000 (NJ TRANSIT, 2008) and 42 percent of New Jersey 3

roads at or near capacity in 2004 (NJ TRANSIT, 2008), the Transit Village Initiative and other policy initiatives have focused on reducing car use among New Jersey residents. For Middlesex County, the City of New Brunswick represents both a significant cause of congestion and an opportunity for transit-oriented design and a reduction in automobile dependence. According to New Jersey s Long-Range Transportation Plan (2008), in 2000 only 19 percent of New Brunswick s workers lived in the city. (NJ TRANSIT, 2008) With New Brunswick s population expected to rise 40.4 percent by 2030 (compared with 27.8 percent for Middlesex County overall), county and state planners must continue to push for transportation and land use decisions that alleviate automobile dependence while allowing for managed growth. Transit-oriented development (TOD), according to the Transit Cooperative Research Program, aims to increase transit ridership, promote economic development, raise revenues (for transit services), enhance livability, and widen housing choices. (TCRP, 2004) TOD faces many barriers, however. These include financial, zoning, land use patterns, and organizational barriers. (TCRP, 2004) Chief among these barriers in Middlesex County are the land use patterns outside of New Brunswick and the lack of any fixed-route transit in these areas. The old RRRR right-of-way presents an opportunity for Middlesex County to expand its transit options, bolster the opportunities for transit-oriented development, provide better transit connections, and alleviate traffic in and out of New Brunswick. Expanding this line to provide connections to downtown New Brunswick and South Amboy would provide Middlesex County with the kind of transit options and connectivity rarely seen outside of major cities. STUDY AREA DETAILS The land uses around the proposed light rail line offer the opportunity to both serve existing populations and develop new transit-oriented centers. FIGURE 3 below shows the land uses that surround the proposed line by one mile on either side. As is shown in FIGURE 4, these land uses are predominantly residential. Of the dominant eight land uses, 17 percent is high density residential and 9 percent is mixed-urban development. FIGURE 3 shows the spatial distribution of these land uses. Much of the high-density residential development occurs between New Brunswick and South River, with an increasing amount of forested or undeveloped land occurring on the eastern portion of the line near South Amboy. Additional high density residential development is seen in South Amboy. In addition to residential development, a significant amount of commercial development exists within this one-mile buffer area making up 12 percent of the dominant land uses. Forests and shrublands comprise 14 percent of the dominant land uses in the study area buffer. 4

FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 DOMINANT LAND USES Wetlands 9% Forest/Shrublands 14% Residential Low Medium Densityy 29% Agriculture 2% Industrial 8% SOURCE: NEW JERSEY OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Commercial 12% Mixed Urban 9% Residential High Density 17% 5

These land uses represent both present transit ridership potential and latent development potential. Existing population centers are necessary for the development of transit and represent a significant factor in the viability of this light rail line. However, the potential for development along the line offers an equal or greater opportunity to shape future development patterns in New Jersey around transit. It is therefore important to look at both existing conditions and potential for future improvements. New Jersey Transit Transit Score One very helpful tool for determining an area s viability for transit is the Transit Score system used by NJ Transit. (NJ TRANSIT, 2011) This system combines three factors in order to determine transit viability: population density, employment density0f0f1, and zero-car household density. The Transit Score calculation is as follows: Transit Score = [0.41*(Population per acre)] + [0.09*(Jobs per acre)] + [0.74*(Zero car households per acre)] TABLE 1 below displays the range of scores available and how they relate to transit viability. TABLE 1- TRANSIT SCORE INTERVALS Category NJT Range High > 7.5 Medium-High 2.5 to 7.5 Medium 1.0 to 2.4 Marginal 0.6 to 0.9 Low < 0.6 As shown in FIGURE 5 below, the area around the proposed light rail offers a high to medium level of transit viability according to the NJ Transit system. Each transit score range influences the scope of viable transit options. For example, a high score indicates that an area can support all transit options available (rapid transit, commuter rail, express bus, and so on) while a low score area does not support any fixed guideway transit and only limited bus service. The majority of the area around the proposed light rail falls within the high and medium categories and therefore can support light rail transit, according to this system. The average transit score for the census tracts immediately surrounding the proposed line is 4.55, which falls near the middle of the transit supportive medium-high range. The transit score calculated for this report accounts only for existing conditions along the proposed corridor. A projected score can be calculated by using data that extrapolates the future based on trends. For this report, what this score indicates is the level to which fixed guideway transit (i.e., light rail) is a viable option for this corridor. Applying the system used by NJ Transit demonstrates that this corridor represents a viable location for the development of light rail. 1 Some census tracts did not have employment data. The transit score for a few tracts is likely lower than if this data were available. 6

FIGURE 5 Extension New Brunswick The RRRR right-of-way extends only to the border of New Brunswick. In order to offer a downtown and transit connection, light rail service must be extended into New Brunswick. This fact represents the most challenging aspect of this proposal. New Brunswick is dense and built out and would require a significant investment in infrastructure. FIGURE 6 below shows one proposal for line extension into downtown New Brunswick. The current right-of-way ends at Georges Road in southern New Brunswick. One option for extending the line would be to bring the rail onto Georges Road as a street car, go onto Sandford Street, and run down Livingston Avenue until its terminus on Neilson Street. There is a large parking lot on the corner of Neilson Street and Liberty Street that could function as a turnaround point. Along with the construction difficulties of implementing light rail on an existing road network, there are also safety concerns. In order to ensure a safe environment, the light rail extension in New Brunswick would require significant infrastructure investment. According to the TCRP report titled Integration of Light Rail Transit into City Street, the most common safety-related problems in this area occurred when pedestrians trespassed on side-aligned light rail rights-of-way when there were no sidewalks, when pedestrians jaywalked across light rail mall rights-of-way, and when there were inadequate pedestrian 7

queuing areas and safety zones. (TCRP, 1995) In order to mitigate these problems, light rail in New Brunswick would require proper infrastructure and signage, including proper sidewalks, fencing, defined pedestrian pathways, adequate queuing spaces, safety islands, and other measures. (TCRP, 1995) FIGURE 6 Extension South Amboy Light rail extension into South Amboy represents a less arduous proposition than extension into New Brunswick. The current right-of-way extends as far as the South Amboy train station (despite no track existing on it), and the area also offers the opportunity for the location of a rail depot. FIGURE 7 below displays the line extension and rail depot, each of which is connected by current rights-of-way. 8

FIGURE 7 POTENTIAL RAIL STOPS In order to determine possible locations for rail stops, a population density map on the Census block level was created. This map (see FIGURE 8 below) shows transit supportive density around the proposed line. Possible stop locations were placed in New Brunswick, Milltown, South River, Sayreville, and South Amboy, based on the proximity to dense population centers. In all, six potential stops were determined. This means that each stop is, on average, about two miles from another. Each stop is therefore within a one-mile catchment area. Stops might be added in the future, given the potential for increased development along this line. 9

FIGURE 8 MOVING TOD FORWARD Quality transit-oriented planning must establish a connection between transportation and land use not often seen in the United States. Successful TOD must facilitate cooperation between different government agencies and with the public and developers. According to the TCRP report Transit- Oriented Development in the United States, real-estate developers occupy the front lines of TOD, organizing the financial, physical, and human recourses needed to build projects around transit stations. (TCRP, 2004) Developers, however, will only invest in areas where they can reasonably expect a profitable return. Without the existence of transit, developers will build in other more autodependent areas, as they have done in the past. The key components of TOD, therefore, are not only the developers willing to invest in it but the existence of transit to build around. The establishment of a light rail line between New Brunswick and South Amboy will not only provide needed service to existing residences but will also be a hub for future TOD along the line. This will ensure that Middlesex County has a path forward for managing future growth in a way that will mitigate a situation where the transportation network is beyond capacity and is stifling growth. 10

REFERENCES NJ Transit. 2008. New Jersey's Long-Range Transportation Plan. Plan Smarty NJ and URS. 2011. TRANSIT SCORE: New Jersey's Unique Planning Tool. NJ TRANSIT. Reynolds, Tom E. "History and Current State." Raritan River Railroad. http://www.raritanriver-rr.com/history.htm. Transit Cooperative Research Program. 1995. Integration of Light Rail Transit into City Streets. TCRP Report 17. Transit Cooperative Research Program. 2004. Transit Oriented Development in the United States: Experiences, Challenges, and Prospects. TCRP Report 102 U.S Census Bureau. 2010. Resident Population Data. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-dens-text.php 11