Hrekires t1_isxu4ef wrote on October 19, 2022 at 2:23 PM

The ferry's been down there for decades and the light rail was finished in 2005... I feel like the only thing that changed was the Imperatore family and others deciding to develop the land?

The developers say it's safe but tbh you couldn't pay me to live on top of a chemical waste site with the amount of corruption that goes on in the redevelopment industry.

ImaginaryRoads t1_isy9o9m wrote on October 19, 2022 at 4:08 PM

Also, in 2007 the road was one lane in each direction, now it's two lanes in each direction. Which is a bit ironic for /r/fuckcars.

smokepants t1_isxv6tf wrote on October 19, 2022 at 2:31 PM

the giant UBS building never existed prior to 2007 /s

Big_Dinner3636 t1_it1h0kg wrote on October 20, 2022 at 6:42 AM

I'm pretty sure most of the northern half of this state is a chemical waste site. My town is like 2 sq miles and we have at least 2.

feelitrealgood t1_isy7ryz wrote on October 19, 2022 at 3:56 PM

Yes developers are generally how housing and commercial units get put into new areas. Their decision to do so may very well have been because of increased foot traffic coming from public transit.

Hrekires t1_isydfw3 wrote on October 19, 2022 at 4:33 PM

> Their decision to do so may very well have been because of increased foot traffic coming from public transit.

I mean... you might be right but I'm skeptical.

It's faster to take a bus from Weehawken to NYC than the light rail down to Hoboken and the PATH across (or the ferry downtown if you're rich) and I don't really see what the draw is for people in Bayonne, Jersey City, or Hoboken to shop in Weehawken or Edgewater.

objectimpermanence t1_isysz65 wrote on October 19, 2022 at 6:14 PM

But not everyone in Weehawken works or shops exclusively in NYC.

The light rail wasn't intended simply to provide a connection to transit to NYC. It also improved transit connectivity within Hudson County (+ maybe Bergen county at some point) as an alternative to the traffic clogged streets.

I know people who live in Port Imperial and take the light rail to work in downtown Jersey City. Such a commute would not be as attractive without the light rail. A bus would likely be slower and less reliable without a dedicated right of way like the light rail has.