Around Pennsauken

 Aged Railroad tracks stream throughout Pennsauken Township. Behind many houses and into Pennsauken’s industrial park. The River Line light rail, accompanied by freight trains, run daily on the railroad tracks. Six years ago open fields covered most of East Pennsauken’s back yards. After plans to build the River line were final, the area that once contained the spacious fields, were filled with men and machines.

          Danielle Gilliam, a forty-five year old accountant, walked out on her back porch, and pointed to the railroad tracks.

          “We did not want this here,” Gilliam said. “We tried to fight against it, but we lost. Everyone kept saying ‘it’s going to be good for the economy,’ but it’s bad for our real estate.”

          The 34 mile long light rail train was the first passenger rail service in South Jersey since the Camden & Amboy line closed in 1963. The 1.1 billion dollar line rail project finished in March 2004, after years of construction. The River line, and the freight trains, operate on different tracks and times of the day because the River Line does not met the U.S Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards for crash worthiness. Because of this the train is not allowed to run with normal railroad trains. The River line service operates during the day and into evening, while the freight trains operate mostly at night (except for weekends). These adjustments keep the River Line safe and convenient.

Though some Pennsauken residents might not find the River line so productive, many others are benefitting.  

          “People are discovering that the River Line is an attractive alternative to driving, and we continue to look for ways to enhance the service to meet the needs of our customers,” said Joe North, NJ Transit General Manager of Light Rail Operations.  “Our ridership continues to grow as people recognize the benefit of using public transportation when a good system is available to them.  Another benefit of having this light rail system in the region is it opens the doors for economic renewal.”

          Pennsauken resident’s home values are going down, but development is going up.

          “I’ve said it before and I will say it again, the ultimate value of the River Line will not be measured with ridership reports, but in economic growth and development in the communities along this corridor,” said George D. Warrington, NJ Transit Executive Director. “It’s becoming increasingly evident that this line is, in fact, becoming a catalyst for economic growth and development.”

          Gilliam has been living on Pitman Avenue, in Pennsauken for the last eleven years. When she and her husband first heard about the River Line, they tried to inform their neighbors about the negative aspect of the light rail being in their township: the River Line would lower the neighborhood’s house value.

          “Everyone acted like they cared. We went to a meeting at the Town Hall to protest, but most of the people who complained about the plans, weren’t even there,” Gilliam explained. “No more than thirty people even came to the meeting.”

          Pennsauken residents lost the battle against the light rail project. Shortly after, the impalpable plans for the River Line became tangible.

          Miranda Davis, a thirty-five year old small business owner, lives off of River Road. In her front yard, a ’for sale’ sign sits on top of freshly cut grass. The same sign up has been up for a year. She use to live on the same street as her sister until the talk about the River Line started.

          “Soon as we heard that more railroad tracks were going to be put down and another train was going to be running, my sister moved. Including my sister, five families moved off of my street and out of Pennsauken, they knew the train would make the value of the houses go down,” said Davis.

          Davis moved to Pennsauken in 2001 before the River Line was in motion. She has not sold her house yet because she is trying to wait for the economy to improve.

          “I don’t want to lose money because of the economy and that River Line, but I do not want to live here anymore,” said Davis. “That train running in my back yard makes me feel like I live in a city.”

          The railroads in Pennsauken date back to 1831. The growing railroads were considered to be an advantage for Pennsauken because it provided a new form of transportation. One of the River Line’s economic obligations was to help the development of the riverfront towns between Camden and Trenton, which over time lost much of their traditional manufacturing industry. Rail roads help built Pennsauken, but now they are becoming a burden for some.

          Joseph Goldman, a fifty-eight year old Pennsauken resident explained that the River Line is helping to bring Pennsauken down, and how people complain but do not do anything to help.

          “A lot of people who said they did not want the river line here are the same people who constantly use it. There has been drunk kids doing ‘wheelies’ in the [River Line] parking lot, and throwing empty bottles around,” said Goldman. “They are suppose to be starting another train on Derousse Avenue that connects to the Atlantic rail, now that will be useful.”

          Gilliam listens to the freight trains at night and hears the River Line Bells in the morning. Gilliam said that she has no intentions on moving any time soon because they have put so much into the house, that the only thing she would accomplish by moving is losing money. Gilliam enjoys living in Pennsauken and sending her children to Pennsauken schools. The River Line was just a commodity, she could have dealt with out.

          “I really do love living in Pennsauken, a lot of historical events have happened here, Gilliam said. ” I live here, I work here. I just wish more people realized how special Pennsauken really is, and took the time to appreciate it, and not contribute to helping it deteriorate.”