Dear Editor:
I thank all those who worked to save the shuttle bus from the Liberty State Park Light Rail station into and around Liberty State Park. The bus will run on summer weekends through Labor Day – making stops every 35 minutes – and it will be free. The first shuttle loop leaves the Light Rail station at 8 am and the last loop around the park starts at 8:10 pm.
NJ Transit’s (NJT) heartlessly abolished the shuttle bus, stranding park visitors at the Light Rail station but it’s now restored on weekends with Hudson County and NJT co-funding the service.
This saving of mass transit into our inspiring and breezy waterfront open space is a great collaborative victory of caring officials and park users who care passionately about LSP and about the quality of life of urban people.
The Friends of LSP and other park users expressed themselves in many emails and calls to state legislators asking them to urge NJT to rescue the shuttle. If it wasn’t for County leadership and legislators writing to NJT, park users who come to LSP for many different reasons would have been abandoned.
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise deserves the credit for making the decisive and persuasive call to work out the solution with NJT Executive Director James Weinstein.
Freeholder Bill O’Dea played a leadership role and worked to obtain unanimous and appreciated Freeholders’ support.
Other leading advocates were Director Bill LaRosa of the County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Hudson County Improvement Authority Executive Director Norman Guerra, and also Suzanne Mack of the North Jersey Transit Advisory Committee. Jersey City Mayor Healy also spoke out to save the bus.
The determined behind the scenes official who worked out all the bus contract details was Director Jay DiDomenico of the Hudson Transportation Management Association. The county officials deserve praise for their activism and fast and persevering work.
We are also grateful for the advocacy by Senators Menendez and Lautenberg, state Senators Cunningham, Sacco, and Stack and Assemblypeople Mainor, Prieto, Quigley, and Rodriquez.
Officials and citizens spoke up to bring about this important accomplishment for our County’s residents and tourists.
For the LSP shuttle bus schedule and route map, and also summer events including the schedule of ten free “Summerfest” park concerts, presented by the JC Division of Cultural Affairs, please go to our website, www.folsp.org and see the home page and “Upcoming Events” page.
Sincerely,
Sam Pesin
President of the Friends of LSP