A squabble between North Bergen township officials and representatives from the New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad over a proposed at-grade rail crossing could lead to the delay and possible termination of plans to bring the NJ Transit Hudson-Bergen Light Rail through the township.
According to township administrator Joseph Auriemma, this matter is of serious concern to the township and could actually jeopardize the project ever reaching completion – at least through North Bergen.
“It’s absolutely a major concern,” Auriemma said. “New York Susquehanna is prepared to hold people hostage and a $2.5 billion project hostage until they get their way. I considered it to be a direct threat that the only way they will give up their property to NJ Transit for the Light Rail is to get that at-grade crossing.”
At-grade means a crossing that is at street level.
New York Susquehanna has informed the township of its plans to install the at-grade crossing at the 6800 block of West Side Avenue in order that its customer, Georgia Pacific, would be able to directly off-load paper and plastic products at the warehouse it leases from Hartz Mountain Industries.
Township officials believe that the construction of such a rail crossing at the site would cause tremendous traffic problems in an area that is plagued by traffic headaches, caused in part by the existing rail lines.
The township actually does not decide whether Susquehanna gets the crossing. The state DOT does. But the township does not want them to get it. Susquehanna says they may not be able to give the necessary land to NJ Transit for the Light Rail if they don’t get the crossing.
No sale?
The State Department of Transportation called a meeting last week to discuss the issue. However, the meeting was abruptly halted when it was suggested that New York Susquehanna would not sell the property it currently owns to NJ Transit in order to complete the Light Rail project through North Bergen, unless it received permission for the at-grade crossing.
“Now, the state DOT is looking at the possibility of whether an at-grade crossing is possible,” Auriemma said. “A diagnostic team from the DOT has to make a recommendation as to what to do. Right now, the entire project has been indeed held up. No commitment has been made to continue.”
Added Auriemma, “Apparently, the railroad must have some state and federal power to be able to hold up such an important project. They believe they have enough influence to get what they want. If they say that’s what they’re going to do, then I have to believe it. I don’t take any threat that the railroad makes lightly.”
Auriemma said that the meeting with the DOT last week was designed to discuss the pros and the cons of the at-grade crossing.
“I thought we provided the DOT diagnostic team a reasonable case why it shouldn’t be there,” Auriemma said. “No question, the biggest concern is for the Light Rail and the land is needed parallel of West Side Avenue to continue building it. Right now, the land is owned by New York Susquehanna, so they have the upper hand. They truly believe they have a higher power, to get whatever they want. And that’s why they think they can get away with this. They claim to have enough influence from stopping the Light Rail from being built. That’s where it lies right now.”
Representatives from New York Susquehanna do not believe their pleas for the at-grade crossing are that demanding.
“We’re talking about a crossing into a small siding, not a main line of tracks like exist at Paterson Plan Road and Tonnelle Avenue,” said New York Susquehanna spokesman Alan Marcus. “It will be like waiting for a traffic signal. There will be perhaps seven railroad cars crossing over to the west side of West Side Avenue to the warehouse and those seven cars will take about a minute and a half to cross.”
New York Susquehanna said that the at-grade crossing would be used only twice daily and not used during morning or afternoon rush hours. The at-grade crossing would eliminate some 15,000 truck trips to the warehouse. Officials believe that eliminating the truck traffic would also improve the air quality in the area. In the past, New York Susquehanna has agreed to relocate further south, to accommodate the Light Rail, but now realizes that if the at-grade crossing cannot be installed, then New York Susquehanna would need the property as a rail-to-truck transport site.
“We have always supported the Light Rail and for more than a year, we’ve been good neighbors by sharing our plans with the people of North Bergen and trying to negotiate an agreement,” Marcus said.
NJ Transit representatives said they didn’t think the current dilemma would cause a long-term delay to the project, which was originally planned to be installed through North Bergen within the next five years.
However, the final phase of the Light Rail project has yet to receive funding from the U.S. Congress, so it remains tentative right now.
State DOT Commissioner James Weinstein will have the final say as to whether New York Susquehanna gets the at-grade crossing.
“I haven’t heard from the DOT as to a time frame for a decision,” Auriemma said. “Something could happen over the next couple of weeks, but I know they’re not close to making a final decision.”
DOT officials speculate that a final decision could take as long as six months.
Auriemma said that another factor could play in the decision. New York Susquehanna has applied to the Army Corps of Engineers and the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission for three permits to build tracks on current wetland property.
“We’re also objecting that they’re looking to come across the wetlands,” Auriemma said. “Those permit applications are currently being reviewed.”