Northern N.J. Leaders To Weigh Pros, Cons Of No. 7 Train Extension
HASBROUK HEIGHTS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - Northern New Jersey leaders want to learn more about the impact of bringing the No. 7 train to the area.
There is little argument that the extension of the line to Secaucus would help both New Jersey and New York, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.
"It helps New Jersey communities because people are going to want to live near the No. 7 or with access to it," NYU urban planning professor Mitchell Moss said. "It helps Manhattan because so much of the office market in New York today is now being developed on the far west side."
Northern N.J. Leaders To Weigh Pros, Cons Of No. 7 Train Extension
But Rutgers transportation expert Martin Robins says the big question is who will pay for the line extension.
"It's really unclear who would be participating in it financially," he said.
The Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce wants to learn more about the economic impact and is sponsoring a study.
"The economy of the region and the ability for us to move people 10 and 15 and 20 years from now is totally dependent on our ability to expand that capacity," CEO Jim Kirkos said.
White the chamber wants to see a casino in the Meadowlands, Kirkos says this is not about gambling.
"This is about the economic viability for the region," Kirkos said.
Talk of the No. 7 subway train running into Secaucus goes back to 2010 — ever since Gov. Chris Christie put the brakes on a controversial Trans-Hudson rail tunnel in the fall of that year.
Christie killed the plans to build the tunnel because of the $9 billion to $14 billion price tag.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in 2011 that he hoped the No. 7 line extension would get the green light before he left office this year, and Christie said the same year that he was "intrigued" by the idea.
The project would ultimately involve digging a new tunnel under the Hudson River. The estimated cost was reported in 2011 at $10 billion.
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