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Squeaky Wheel
Citizen
Username: Squeaky_wheel
Post Number: 18
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 9:58 am: |     |
A road too well-traveled
Star-Ledger Editorial Saturday, February 21, 2004
"Maplewood's Boyden Avenue is a busy residential street, a connector between Springfield and Irvington avenues. And for something like four decades it has been a main connector for NJ Transit buses heading between three busy Newark area routes and the local bus garage.
Every week, about 900 buses trundle up and down Boyden, most of them traveling during the morning and evening commuter hours, all of them traveling empty. The buses do not make stops on Boyden. They just use it as the most direct route between their money runs and NJ Transit's Hilton garage.
Boyden Avenue residents think that is about 900 buses too many. They are understandably tired of the noise, the traffic, the smell. They have become fed up enough to sign petitions, turn out at NJ Transit board meetings and even, in the case of two neighborhood mothers, to get arrested during a protest at a busy Boyden street corner.
They have a point. Just because Boyden has been the bus connector for decades does not automatically mean it should always be.
The diesel exhaust might not smell quite so noxious if even a few of these buses were picking up and discharging passengers on Boyden. But the only soul aboard is the driver.
The Boyden residents suggest the empty buses get to and from their garage by using nearby Sanford Avenue. That would add five minutes or more and a half-mile to the buses' trips, but Sanford is wider and a bit more commercial.
NJ Transit executive director George Warrington promises a full review of the proposed Sanford alternate, along with an analysis of its effect on cost, bus schedules and the like -- and the effect on Sanford residents.
It is the right thing to do. Sanford may not be a practical alternative, given the urban character of the area. But the burden is on NJ Transit to provide solid evidence that the long-time route is the best one."
This editiorial is the culmination of the efforts of Boyden Avenue residents as well as Vic DeLuca. Thanks to all for the continuing work to eliminate NJ Transit bus traffic on Boyden Avenue!
Searching for solutions to community problems. |
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 2029
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 11:28 am: | |
Outstanding! Thanks for posting this. |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 1302
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 11:31 am: | |
Great news! |
Duncan
Citizen
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 1553
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 1:12 pm: | |
Congratulations on elevating the issue!
Way to Go!
Alls Well That Ends Well. Playing through March 7. info at http://www.hometown.aol.com/theatr1010/ |
mck
Citizen
Username: Mck
Post Number: 636
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 1:57 pm: | |
Tremendous. Congrats to Alison and her gutsy company. |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 2492
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 3:18 pm: | |
Let's home this amounts to something positive for the Boyden community. |
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