George Warrington, the director of New Jersey Transit, says the light rail line will have no noticeable effect on traffic congestion. "But at the same time, I have what I have," Warrington said. "I need to make the best of it and make it as attractive as possible."
Like many of the River Line's supporters, Warrington describes it as an economic development project for the river towns, most of which lost population in the 1990s, even while Burlington County grew by 7.2 percent.
State Route 130, paralleling the River Line, remained an underused highway lined with auto-body shops and storage businesses.
But the Victorian flavor of villages like Bordentown and Riverside invited downtown renewal. "Private capital is gravitating back to downtowns across the state, and the anchor for much of that attraction is the train station," Warrington said.
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