Potentially, a whole lot for the relatively modest investment required to retrofit an existing freight line for commuter rail service. To be sure, there are legitimate concerns about safety and the line's proximity to homes in a couple of areas. But those are easily remedied design questions, not problems worthy of derailing the plan. On paper, the projected ridership divided by the projected costs isn't likely to send bond traders scrambling for NJ Transit shares. But using that kind of snapshot analysis as a basis for opposition to the proposal reflects a stunted appreciation of the value of rail service to a community and the long-term importance of expanding the rail network in the state.
Most people use cars rather than trains because they are more convenient.
Trains, more often than not, don't take them where they want to go. The more lines that are built, and the more stops there are along the way, the more attractive rail transit will become. Tied to the need for more rail lines and stations is the importance of having host communities make them a central component of their master plans. A well-planned central district built around a rail station can boost a town's economic base, improve its image and form the focal point for local and regional transportation master plans rooted in common sense. But it would make the project far more valuable if the state had it.