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Not when they build parking garages beneath or nearby the new buildings. This is still NJ. You need a car.
If they're not using it to commute daily, that largely doesn't matter. Peak time on the roads is commute time, if they're commuting by train, whether they use a car off-hours doesn't matter so much.
If they're not using it to commute daily, that largely doesn't matter. Peak time on the roads is commute time, if they're commuting by train, whether they use a car off-hours doesn't matter so much.
Driving down South Avenue in Cranford (and nearby towns) at any time of day, especially rush hour, has gotten worse since all the new building. North Avenue isn't much better. Trust me, I live there and drive the roads every day. More people = more cars. More traffic into downtown, as well, because of new booming businesses. Cranford's downtown has become very popular rather quickly. It was always nice and decently known but since the recent development it's boomed.
I talked to a train worker on a ride once. He himself admitted that there is no feasible solution for the PATH going forward. As Jersey City gets more and more people moving in as construction continues, the trains cannot keep pace. Running more trains is not an option according to him (allegedly because there is no extra space on the tracks to fit them), nor is making the trains larger, since that would also require altering every single space to make more room along the track for the train to fit so people can get on and off.
I wonder if when this unsustainable bubble pops, how will the housing market in Jersey City react? When the trains get even more overcrowded than they are now and people potentially cannot fit on when it comes to their stop, will people actually want to live there since the commute time will become worse?
Perhaps this is actually what will start to drive people further out to Journal Square and Newark, as they can more easily get on the train at the beginning of the ride. Maybe Newport will suffer and will have trouble getting renters.
The capacity can be increased by adding cars to each train. I'm not sure how many they can add, obviously they can't be infinetely long. But I've read capacity can be increased by 50%.
They can also subsidize a ferry from newport if things get really bad.
Driving down South Avenue in Cranford (and nearby towns) at any time of day, especially rush hour, has gotten worse since all the new building. North Avenue isn't much better. Trust me, I live there and drive the roads every day. More people = more cars. More traffic into downtown, as well, because of new booming businesses. Cranford's downtown has become very popular rather quickly. It was always nice and decently known but since the recent development it's boomed.
For years (decades) Cranford residents complained about being in Westfield's shadow in terms of the downtown. Now it's thriving and residents aren't happy. As someone who grew up in Cranford, but no longer lives there I'm very happy to see what's happening to my little town.
Your points are valid though, particularly about the overcrowding in schools. In theory the increased density downtown should provide more tax money to the schools and both Orange and Hillside have a lot of space to expand.
For years (decades) Cranford residents complained about being in Westfield's shadow in terms of the downtown. Now it's thriving and residents aren't happy. As someone who grew up in Cranford, but no longer lives there I'm very happy to see what's happening to my little town.
Your points are valid though, particularly about the overcrowding in schools. In theory the increased density downtown should provide more tax money to the schools and both Orange and Hillside have a lot of space to expand.
I think it's great Cranford is getting so popular. We have some really good restaurants. IMHO our restaurants are better than WF's now. I never minded downtown not being as popular as Westfield's personally. At the same time though, I miss the days when I could go out to our restaurants and not have to wait and deal with traffic and a ton of out of towners and newcomers from elsewhere. I mean it's to the point now where you can barely find a parking spot downtown even during the day. It's a tad frustrating seeing as I also grew up there, so did my mom, and remember the days when we were not as popular.
The good thing is home values are going up. Cranford is becoming much more desirable than it's ever been - and it's always been one of NJ's nicer and more well known towns I think.
I have never been to Cranford (or Westfield for that matter). You're making it sound rather inviting!
I do think it's only in the past decade or so that I became aware that there was a place in NJ named Cranford, lol. That's the Bergen County mentality. There's Bergen Passaic, and Sussex Counties--oh and Rockland and Orange Counties, too--and then there's the rest of NJ!
I don't mind people moving in. I mind the overdevelopment ruining the small town charm and causing more and more traffic and increased density and strain on mass transit. I'm sick of my town building apartments. They need to stop.
Typical NIMBY. I got mine, now pay more for yours.
Typical NIMBY. I got mine, now pay more for yours.
Yeah? So you're for overdevelopment and the urbanization of small towns?
My family's been in Cranford for over 50 years. Get in line.
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Cranford is becoming much more desirable than it's ever been - and it's always been one of NJ's nicer and more well known towns I think.
