Rail travel will lessen road congestion, as well as cut emissions

This letter is in response to an earlier letter to the editor from Richard Wieland, in which he voiced his opposition to my pro-light-rail letter, which appeared in the Aug. 8 issue of the Sentinel.

Wieland’s referral to a "high-speed railroad" is misleading since the proposal is for a light train, which is akin to a trolley car and is much lighter than a commuter train. He is correct that such a train would be expensive. But building new roads is also expensive and requires more real estate and the possible displacement of residents.

Furthermore, my response to his question of how I would feel if 42 diesel trains chugged by my neighborhood every day is: If I moved close to a railroad track, I would expect that it could be used. My daughter has a train track adjoining the property in the back of her house. She can hardly tell that the trains are in use. I live near the NJ Turnpike and hear the whining of truck tires every night. I would no more expect trucks to be banned from the turnpike than I would expect rails to remain unused.

Wieland’s suggestion that I may favor zoning variances for fast-food restaurants and gas stations in residential neighborhoods is irrelevant and beyond the scope of this issue. Additionally, his statement that the light-rail proposal is "detrimental" is not based on fact. Instead, rail travel is safer than car and bus travel.

The bottom line appears to be that Wieland sees no personal benefit of a light-rail train. We need to change our short-term "what’s-in-it-for-me?" mind-set and look at what’s good for all New Jerseyans. Millions of hours and countless gallons of fuel are wasted every week by drivers just sitting in traffic. Additional train routes will help even those who don’t use trains because train travelers will drive shorter distances to train stations, thus taking cars off major roads. This gives travelers a choice and can help reduce road congestion and auto emission pollution for decades to come. Your children and grandchildren may love you for it.

Bob Ahlers

East Brunswick