Letter to Mr. Steven H. Santoro - Gottheimer Leads Bipartisan Sussex County Leaders on Effort to Accelerate Andover Rail Station Project

Letter

Dear Executive Director Steven Santoro:

We write today to request an update on the Andover Township Train Station in Sussex County and New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District. As leaders of the local area, we are deeply concerned that this important project is being bogged down with delays and roadblocks. Your team has been working with local and state officials, but I cannot emphasize enough how critical this strategic project is to our constituents, local businesses and our economy. We respectfully request a timely update that explains the current delays for the project before your agency and reasons for those delays. We are committed to working with everyone involved to make certain federal funds are directed towards this important infrastructure project for the Fifth Congressional District.

The Andover Township Train Station will restore more than seven miles of train tracks between the Port Morris rail yards and Andover Township. As you know, these tracks will connect NJ Transit's Morris and Essex lines providing commuters in Sussex County with a direct line into Hoboken and New York Penn Station. Additionally, the Andover Township station is a key piece of the overarching goal to restore service to the Lackawanna Cut-Off in New Jersey. This proposed extension would provide for nearly one hundred and fifty daily passengers at the Andover Train Station, benefiting the region's economy for both commuters and travelers, improving access to job opportunities, easing travel concerns, and mitigating environmental and traffic issues by taking cars off of our roadways.

Knowing that the project must stay on track, it is imperative that New Jersey Transit and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection work together towards its completion for the good of Sussex County. Delays put in danger federal funds that have also been secured to make this economic development project a reality. We recognize that NJ Transit has worked with NJDEP to meet its requirements, including spending nearly $1.4 million to purchase wetlands offsets. Now, it has come to our attention that there is a delay related to the soundness of the culvert located on Hudson Farms. However, this project already has a federal funding commitment, and we must keep it on schedule in order to keep that investment. The completion of the Andover Station will bring a much-needed boost to federal return on investment in Northern New Jersey, which we believe you value as well.

We urge your immediate attention to this project and look forward to hearing an update from you on the Andover Township Train Station.

Sincerely,

Josh Gottheimer
MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Senator Steve Oroho
Assemblywoman Gail Phoebus
Assemblyman Parker Space

Mayor Tom Walsh of Andover Township
Mayor Anthony Frato of Branchville
Mayor James Ayers of Frankford Township
Mayor Nick Giordano of Franklin Borough
Mayor Stanley Kula of Hardyston Township
Mayor Sandra Diglio of Newton
Mayor Gene Crawford of Montague Township
Mayor Fred McDonald of Sandyston Township
Mayor Katherine Little of Sussex Borough
Mayor Harry Shortway of Vernon Township
Mayor Victor Maglio of Walpack Township

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