Calls Made to Revive Lower Boonton Line

Newark, New Jersey: Rail service has not operated along the former NJ Transit Boonton Line from Montclair through Newark and the Meadowlands to Hoboken Terminal in over 10 years. However, a New Jersey student is hoping to change that. Michael Meloro, Jr., of Hunterdon County, said that he is interested in having a train operate along the former Lower Boonton Line from Glen Ridge or Bloomfield to Hoboken Terminal. The train would make several stops, including one in Newark's North Ward, along the way. Meloro started a website, EssexMetroRevitalization.com, to share his ideas. 

Meloro told Essex County Place that he got the idea after looking at a map from 1999 and noticing the stations on the former Boonton Line. 

"I realized how important a reinstated transportation system would be to the area", Meloro said.

In 2002, the lower part of the Boonton Line that stretched Montclair to Hoboken was closed after a new rail link opened, connecting the former Montclair Branch between Bay Street Station in Montclair and Newark Broad Street Station to the Boonton Line near Walnut Street Station. This formed the current Montclair-Boonton Line. The former Lower Boonton Line has not been used for commuter rail service since that time, when NJ Transit's Executive Director said that reopening the line would be too expensive.

"This is the first I've heard in over 10 years that anyone has even mentioned running service there", said David Peter Alan of the Lackawanna Coalition Transit Advocates.

Alan said that a proposal had been made shortly after the line was closed for an independent service to be operated along the line. However, according to Alan, it was given "tremendous opposition" by NJ Transit. 

"The problem (with a new service) is it would cost money and New Jersey Transit is short of money", Alan told Essex County Place, saying that "the biggest service expansion that they need right now is to make the Montclair-Boonton Line a full time service line all the way out to Denville and Dover". 

No eastbound trains leave the station in Denville, Morris County after 9:02am and no westbound trains leave the station at Montclair State University in Passaic County before 2:46pm. 

Alan suggested other ideas, including increasing midway service on the Morris and Essex Lines and adding hourly weekend service on the Montclair-Boonton Line. He said that it is "unacceptable" that Montclair-Boonton Line rail service only operates to the Bay Street Station on weekends.

"Right now what they (NJ Transit) need to do for Essex County is bring back some service they used to have before they start thinking about putting service in new places", said Alan.

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NJ Transit to Hold Public Hearing Regarding Fare Increases and Service Cuts

Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey's statewide transportation agency is proposing fare increasing and service cuts, which, if approved, will affect commuters in Essex County. According to New Jersey Transit, fares on bus, rail, and light rail service would all increase. One-way fares on the Newark Light Rail would increase by $0.10.  In addition, the train that departs at 1:35am from the Montclair State University Station in Little Falls, Passaic County, on the Montclair-Boonton Rail Line would be cancelled under the proposals. Service on the 872 bus between Parsippany and Livingston would also be eliminated should the proposals be approved. The agency claims that these changes are being proposed due to an approximate $60 million budget gap for the 2016 fiscal year. A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20th in the Board Room of the New Jersey Transit Headquarters Building, located near Penn Station at One Penn Plaza East in Newark. Riders can address the New Jersey Transit Board of Directors to share their opinions on the proposals.

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Photo of the Day 1/14/15

This photo shows the pedestrian walkway on the Route 280 Stickel Drawbridge, which connects Newark with East Newark, Hudson County.

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County Contracted for Livingston Express Shuttle Service

Starting on January 2, the County of Essex will be contracted to operate the Livingston Express Shuttle Service, which operates on weekdays between the Livingston Mall and the South Orange Train Station.  According to the Livingston Township website, the current fares and schedules will remain the same. However, riders will be required to pay the $2.00 one way fare with exact change, or purchase a monthly pass for $70.00. Shuttle drivers will not be permitted to handle cash, and the township will be responsible for emptying the fare box. Transdev, a private French transportation company, will operate the shuttle service for Essex County, replacing State Shuttle of Jefferson Township. 

The contract with Essex County was approved by the Livingston Township Council on Monday, and is scheduled to expire in three years. 

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Bloomfield Avenue Corridor Plan to Hold Open House

If you use the Bloomfield Avenue corridor in Bloomfield, Montclair, Glen Ridge, or Verona, the Bloomfield Avenue Complete Corridor Plan would like to hear from you. Together North Jersey will be hosting an open house on Thursday regarding the plan at Bloomfield College.

According to the plan website, objectives of the plan include to "assess the area to identify transportation, pedestrian and bike access improvements that can improve the capacity of existing roads and the overall mobility of residents, stakeholders and patrons, recommend roadway improvements that will create a healthy, enjoyable and safe environment using Complete Street guidelines, (and) to develop a transit-friendly corridor that attracts economic investment on a regional scale".

In addition, the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University is conducting a survey regarding how people use the Bloomfield Avenue corridor. Questions include what changes participants feel should be made to Bloomfield Avenue to make it safer to drive, and how often they walk on Bloomfield Avenue.

The school website states that some of the current problems with the corridor include sidewalk and roadway widths, parking lanes, traffic flow, vehicle speeds, and intersection design.

Members of the project team include New Jersey Transit, New Jersey Health Impact Collaborative, Looney Ricks Kiss, VHB, Nishuane Group, the County of Essex, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the Montclair Center Business Improvement District, the Bloomfield Center Alliance, HOMECorp, the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, Partners for Health Foundation,  Bike Walk Montclair,  Montclair State University, and Bloomfield College.

Bloomfield Avenue connects Route 46 in Montville with Broadway in Newark. The open house will take place at Bloomfield College Hall, Room 016, which is located at the corner of Liberty and Spruce Streets in Bloomfield. The event will last from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, with a presentation at 6:30pm. Participants can share their ideas for the corridor and speak to the design team.

The project is one of 18 Local Demonstration Projects (LDPs) being undertaken by Together North Jersey, a regional planning coalition including the Edward J. Bloustein School for Planning and Policy, along with numerous other agencies and organizations around the region.

Map of corridor. Courtesy of Together North Jersey.

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Bridge Reopens in Millburn

The Glen Avenue Bridge over the West Branch of the Rahway River in Millburn reopened on Friday, two months early. The bridge, which is located between Brookside Drive and Lackawanna Place next to South Mountain Reservation, had been closed to pedestrians and motorists since February. Pedestrians were required to use the pedestrian bridge near the Millburn Free Public Library and motorists were detoured through Downtown Millburn. 

A grand reopening celebration and ribbon cutting were held on Friday morning Attendees included Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., Millburn Township Mayor Robert J. Tillotson, and Essex County Engineer Sanjeev Varghese. 

"Glen Avenue provides crucial access to the area around Essex County South Mountain Reservation, through the Township of Millburn and to the township’s Downtown Business District. We knew from the start that closing the road to reconstruct the bridge would be a major inconvenience to residents and motorists, and we worked diligently with our contractors and the township to minimize disruption and move the project ahead of schedule", DiVincenzo said. 

Verghese told attendees that before the bridge rehabilitation, the bridge was one of the last structurally deficient bridges in the county. 

Sparwick Contractors, of Lafayette Township in Sussex County, was the construction company hired by the county. Sparwick was awarded a competitive bid contract for $970,331. 

The closure of the bridge had prevented access to the Millburn Free Public Library from the west, however library officials anticipate that library visitation will increase because of the bridge reopening "For the last several months, in-person visitation to the library has been down 8%. While part of that was, undoubtedly, due to the harsh winter we all endured, most of the decline is attributed to the road closure, which made accessing the library difficult for a lot of residents. We now expect visitation to return to normal levels", said library director Michael D. Banick. "July was our busiest month in 2013 so I am particularly glad that our customers will once again have easy access to the MFPL in time for the summer". 

The bridge was originally constructed in 1908. The bridge rehabilitation included replacing the existing deteriorated deck, reconstructing the existing concrete abutment walls, replacing the guide rail and bridge railing system, and replacing the curbs and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. 

The project was funded by the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Local Bridges Future Needs Program.

 

  

  

        

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Maplewood Company Cited by OSHA

A Maplewood bottling company was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. NJ.com reports that Maplewood Beverage Packers, LLC received over 20 violations, totaling over $175,000 in fines. Maplewood Beverage Packers is located in the Olympic Industrial Park on Camptown Road, and bottles and distributes Arizona Iced Tea products.

The Maplewood Township Committee approved a proposal to connect two parking lots in Maplewood Village. The Village Green reports that the parking lot of the former Maplewood Women's Club building, now known as The Woodland, will be connected with a parking lot on Highland Place, creating eight new parking spaces. An original plan called for approximately 30 parking spaces, however that plan was met with opposition because it would have required removal of trees. In an email to Essex County Place, resident Jonathan Poor, who advocated against the original plan, called the vote a "sensible decision".

If the South Orange Maplewood School District Board of Education needs to consult with current SOMSD superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne in July regarding the transition to an interim or acting superintendent, Osborne will be paid $740 per day. Earlier this month, it was announced that Osborne will be leaving SOMSD on June 30 for the New Rochelle School District in Westchester County, NY  .

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Maplewood Garden Club to Dedicate Bridge

The Maplewood Garden Club has announced that a new bridge at the Hilton Rain Garden will be dedicated in tribute of Odette Jakel on Saturday, June 28 at 10am. 

In an email to Essex County Place, Kathy Kohlman of the Garden Club said, "Odette was born in France and has never quite lost her lovely French accent. She was a long time active member of the Garden Club who has since moved to California to be closer to her family. Odette left behind many friends in the Garden Club and especially enjoyed caring for her plants in the municipal greenhouse. In appreciation for the club and the many years she spent with it she made a very generous donation that the board chose to use to build a bridge over the HIlton Rain Garden in a style reminiscent of the bridge in Monet's garden in Giverny, France".

After the dedication, Amy Rowe, David Nial, Joanne Beckerich and Kohlman will speak about the importance of rain gardens.

The Hilton Rain Garden is a 2400 square foot garden which is located next to the Hilton Branch of the Maplewood Memorial Library on Springfield Avenue. The Rain Garden collects storm water runoff from the library parking lot and roof. Kohlman said that around 100 native plants are located in the garden, which "help the storm water permeate the soil, cleanse the water and provide natural habitat for native wildlife and pollinators". The Hilton Rain Garden is one of the largest rain gardens in the New Jersey. 

MONET IN MAPLEWOOD: Celebrating the New Hilton Rain Garden Bridge Saturday, June 28
10am
Hilton Rain Garden
1688 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood

Photo courtesy of the Maplewood Garden Club.

Irvington Avenue Corridor Study to Hold Open House

If you use Irvington Avenue in Maplewood, the North Jersey Sustainable Communities Consortium (Together North Jersey) would like to here from you. The organization has announced that a public workshop will take place on Tuesday, May 6 from 5pm to 8pm regarding a study to improve the Irvington Avenue area. 

Called the "Maplewood Irvington Avenue Corridor Study", the objectives include "evolving the Core Study Area (which is on Irvington Avenue between Putnam Street and Franklin Terrace) into a more cohesive neighborhood retail district with stronger connections to the broader Maplewood community". In addition, the study aims to "identify transportation, pedestrian and bike access improvements", "identify streetscape improvements that will create a healthy, enjoyable and safe environment and ensure social and economic benefits", and "identify untapped resources, potential neighborhood stewards and viable incentives for residents that will promote revitalization in the Core Study Area"

Businesses in the core study area currently include 7-Eleven, Extra Supermarket, Town and Country Pharmacy, Mapleton Confectionery, Camptown Cleaners, Osibisa Tropical Supermarket, Studio 7 Hair Salon, Diamond Gym, Valley National Bank, Essex Division Telephone Federal Credit Union, and Sudz King Laundromat. The area is served by NJ Transit Bus 107, which connects the South Orange Train Station with Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, and Bus 37, which connects Ivy Hill in Newark with Newark Liberty International Airport.

Other parts of the study area include the area around the Ivy Hill Plaza near the South Orange/Maplewood/Newark border and the Irvington Avenue Business District in South Orange.

The public workshop will be in open house format, and will take place at the Maplewood Community Center in Dehart Park, at 120 Burnett Avenue in Maplewood. Refreshments will be served. Attendees can discuss what improvements they would like to be made to Irvington Avenue, and what businesses they currently frequent, with representatives from the project team. 

"We hope to hear from area residents how they use Irvington Avenue", Annisia Cialone of the Perkins Eastman planning firm, which is part of the project team. Other organizations on the project team include New Jersey Transit, Fitzgerald & Halliday, Larisa Ortiz Associates, and the Nishuane Group. 

The project began in February and completion of it is expected during the Summer.

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Police: South Orange Woman Struck and Killed PA Man

Police in West Earl Township, Pennsylvania report that a South Orange woman struck and killed a man while driving on a state highway on Thursday, April 24. LancasterOnline.com reports that community leader John O. Rineer, Jr., of Ephrata, Pa., was driving a vehicle which was pulling a trailer on Route 222, when a sign fell out of the trailer. Police said that Rineer pulled over to the side of the highway, and then walked onto the highway to retrieve the sign. While he was attempting to remove the item, a 60 year old South Orange woman allegedly struck Rineer. The incident happened at approximately 8:20pm. 

The driver then called 911 to report what happened. Rineer was pronounced dead at Lancaster General Hospital later that evening. No charges have been filed. 

Essex County Describes 'S-Curves' Improvements

According to a press release from Essex County Public Information Officer Anthony Puglisi, the $30 Million renovation of the South Orange Avenue 'S-Curves" is the "largest road improvement project undertaken by Essex County in the last generation". The release said that the project will "flatten the curves in the road, enhance motor vehicle safety and storm drainage, and make the road meet modern traffic design standards". Although the construction is expected to last for the next two years, lane closures are not anticipated, according to the county. 

"The public relies on our network of County roads to travel to work, school and conduct their daily lives, and South Orange Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare. While stretch of road through Essex County South Mountain Reservation offers some picturesque views, the sharp turns and lack of shoulders on the side of the road create hazardous driving conditions and are prone to flooding", Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. said in the release, mentioning that federal money will be used as part of the project. DiVincenzo added that the "Federal Highway Administration identified this section of South Orange Avenue as being dangerous over a decade ago".

French and Parrello Associates received a $1.6 million contract to design the roadway improvements, the release said. New Prince Concrete Construction from Hackensack was awarded a publicly bid contract for $25,915,389.50 to perform the construction. The Essex County Public Works Department is monitoring the project to ensure delays are avoided. 

The release said that the improvements which will be made include the following:

·   The roadway will be re-aligned to reduce the sharpness of the curves.

·   The roadway will be widened so that a shoulder can be created in the eastbound direction.

·   Traffic signal equipment at the intersections of Brookside Drive/Cherry Lane in Millburn and Glenview Road in South Orange will be modernized.

·   Retention swales along the side of the road will be constructed to address flooding and reduce water runoff from the road into the reservation.

·   Guide rails and lighting will be installed to enhance safety. The new lights will include traditional overhead cobra-head street lights and decorative gas-lamp style lamps.

·   A new pedestrian bridge over the roadway near the Girl Scout Camp and an existing pedestrian and equine bridge will be reconstructed. The two bridges will be designed with stone facing to complement the natural area of the reservation.

·   Turnoff and parking areas will be upgraded to improve sight lines and make it easier to exit and enter the roadway. This will enhance access to walking trails that start or pass by these parking areas.

·   More than 3,600 trees and additional landscaping will be planted to replace the 430 trees that were cut down. In addition, areas in the reservation that were affected by Hurricane Sandy will be replanted.

Maplewood DPW Asks Jitney Riders to Complete Survey

The Maplewood Department of Public Works is asking that Maplewood commuters complete a brief survey on the township website regarding the Maplewood Jitney service. 

"Being that people can pay $1.00 to ride the bus instead of purchasing a pass, it is hard to an accurate count of how many people use this service", Maplewood DPW director Eric Burbank told South Orange Maplewood Place.

The survey asks questions regarding how often residents use the jitney, which jitney route and train they use, and whether or not the jitney is usually on-time. 

"The commuters should take the survey so I can have better feedback and make adjustments where needed so to provide them with the best service possible", said Burbank.

The survey will be available until 9pm on Sunday, April 13. Only one survey may be completed per Jitney user.

Survey: http://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=489

Improvements May Come to Women's Club Parking Lot

First on PlaceNJ.com: Changes may be coming to the parking lot at the Maplewood Women's Club. According to the agenda for the Maplewood Township Planning Board Meeting tonight, the Planning Board will discuss "parking lot improvements to reconfigure lot and to create additional parking. Improvements include an underground detention system, new curbing, pavement, striping, landscaping, lighting and fencing".

Several Maplewood residents have already voiced opposition to the project. "Given the controversy over storm water runoff remediation in the (South Mountain) reservation, we shouldn't be blatantly contributing to the problem by paving over more land", Maplewood resident Jonathan Poor told South Orange Maplewood Place. "Even if parking is a legitimate problem...this is way too high a price to pay". 

Pedestrians Injured After Car Accident in Maplewood Village

First on PlaceNJ.com: Two pedestrians were injured after being struck by a car in Maplewood Village on Saturday night. Sgt. Niheema Gary of the Maplewood Police Department tells South Orange Maplewood Place that at approximately 9:40PM on Saturday March 29th, a driver was driving on Maplewood Avenue near Inwood Place (161 Maplewood Avenue) when they allegedly backed up, striking two pedestrians who were in the street. The pedestrians, a 49 year old female and a 51 year old male, were brought to University Hospital in Newark for treatment. According to Sgt. Gary, their injuries are not life threatening.

Sgt. Gary said that the 21 year old driver remained at the scene of the accident and received two citations.

County Exec. Opposes South Mountain Reservation Dam Project

 

First on PlaceNJ.com: According to a statement released by Essex County Public Information Officer Anthony Puglisi, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. does not support the proposed 880-foot long, 70-foot tall earthen dam which may be built in South Mountain Reservation. If built, the dam would be located on the Rahway River in the western section of South Mountain Reservation. Campbell's Pond, Diamond Mill Pond, Brookside Drive, and many other areas of the reservation would be removed in order to make way for the dam. According to the release, "if constructed, the dam would transform a large part of South Mountain Reservation into a “retention basin” for flood waters after heavy storms, close Brookside Drive and create a structure that would tower over any nearby buildings". 

Brookside Drive connects Downtown Millburn with South Orange Avenue. 

“The potential for flooding in Millburn, Cranford and other communities downstream the Rahway River is a serious issue and should be addressed", said DiVincenzo, "however, it can’t come at the expense of destroying an natural resource such as South Mountain Reservation and reducing the quality of life for Essex County residents".

The release also stated that there was a similar proposal to build a dam in South Mountain Reservation over 30 years ago. However, a study had found that "the benefit of no work along the West Branch in Millburn resulting from a detention basin was outweighed by the potential environmental damage to the 63 acre area surrounding Campbell’s Pond".

 Two community groups, called the Rahway Alternative Flood Solutions Alliance (RAFSA) and Save Our Reservation, have been created in order to stop the dam. Save our Reservation, which is chaired by former Maplewood mayor Fred Profeta, launched a petition on Change.org in order to ask the Army Corps of Engineers to stop the dam. As of the time this article was written, the petition had almost 3000 signatures.

In response to the announcement that DiVincenzo does not support the proposed dam, Dennis Percher of the South Mountain Conservancy said "through the diligent efforts of Fred Profeta, as head of Save Our Resolution...SOR has been able to create public awareness and mobilize opposition to the dam and 110-acre detention basin". Percher said that "county executive Joe DiVincenzo's public statement today, and those of other politicians, opposing the dam reflects SOR's outreach efforts and is much appreciated.  It underscores that these politicians recognize the public's concern for the South Mountain Reservation and the environmental impact a dam would have".

According to Percher, "the challenge now is to work with the USACE (United States Army Corps of Engineers) to find alternatives that cumulatively address the flooding problems in Millburn, Cranford, and elsewhere. This will require sharing the responsibility and burden over several towns".

According to the Save Our Reservation group, Assemblyman and Assemblywoman John McKeon and Mila Jasey, along with Congressman Donald Payne, have all come out against the proposed dam, along with the South Orange Village Board of Trustees.

The proposed dam is not the only construction project slated for South Mountain Reservation. Essex County recently announced a $30 Million project to improve both the South Orange Avenue 's-curves', and landscaping at the Crest Drive entrance to the park. Two new bridges will also be built.