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Raritan Valley After 8pm “One Seat” Ride Back On for Jan 2015

One Seat Ride Union County, NJ
Saving the one-seat ride: (L to R) Ken Wedeen, Somerset Planner and RVRC Secretary, Cameron Black, Union County Transportation Intern, Peter Palmer, RVRC Chairman, Kathleen Miller Prunty, Director of Business Development for Cranford, Liza Betz, Union County Transportation Planning Manager, Colleen Mahr, Mayor of Fanwood, Tom Drabic, Transportation Planner, Sussex County.

CRANFORD, NJ  – The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition (RVRC) held an Open House meeting in Cranford on Monday evening to inform commuters and residents about the campaign for an equitable number of ‘one seat’ trains (direct into NYC).

“We were very pleased with the turnout,” said RVRC Chairman and Somerset Country Freeholder Peter Palmer.  “We were even more pleased with NJ TRANSIT’s announcement that they will find the money somehow to institute after 8 pm ‘one seat’ service as of January 2015.  This brings us one step closer to the ultimate goal of ‘one seat’ service during peak hours.”

In an interview with Transportation Radio, RVRC Vice Chairman Tom Jardim said “We need to motivate and rally every single rider along the Raritan Valley Line and beyond. . . because it affects all of us in every community.  They need to start pushing legislators and NJ TRANSIT to give us a complete ‘one seat’ ride…it’s a matter of fairness and equity.”

Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr attended as the head of RVRC’s coalition of Mayors.  “It was wonderful to see so many people come out, even all the way from Hunterdon County. There were many excellent questions and comments, all with one common theme – that Raritan Valley riders want equity when it comes to service from NJT and that means scheduling ‘one seat’ ride trains during peak commuting hours.”

Many public officials attended the meeting to show support for ‘one seat’ service, including Assemblywoman Linda Stender, State Senator Tom Kean, Union County Freeholders Bette Jane Kowalski, Alexander Mirabella, Bruce Bergen and Linda Carter, Westfield Mayor Andy Skibitsky, Roselle Park Mayor Joseph Accardi, Cranford Mayor Andis Kalnins, Cranford Deputy Mayor Lisa Adubato, Roselle Park Councilman Carl Hokanson, Scotch Plains Councilman Llewellyn Jones, Fanwood Councilman Jack Molenaar, Westfield Councilmen Keith Loughlin and Mark LoGrippo,  Somerville Councilwoman Amanda O’Neill and Somerville Councilman Thompson Mitchell.

Questions:  Contact Mindy Scarlett 908-499-9298  or  info@raritanvalleyrail.com.