Governor Murphy, Legislators, and Local Leaders Announce Memorandum of Understanding to Build North Brunswick Train Station

Transit-Oriented Development Project to Create Transportation Friendly Town Center

NORTH BRUNSWICK — Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, and Middlesex County officials today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) laying the groundwork to move development of North Brunswick Station forward. Known as Main Street New Brunswick, and situated on the Northeast Corridor Line, the station will serve as the center of a mixed-use, transit-friendly community in the municipality.

The MOU between NJ TRANSIT and the Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA) will provide for the design and construction of a train station at the North Brunswick Transit Village along the Northeast Corridor. MCIA will serve as the project manager and oversee all stages of development. Originally conceived in 2006 on the site of the former Johnson & Johnson facility along Route 1, the $50 million dollar project will be funded through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund.

“A more connected New Jersey – with thriving, transit-rich communities – is a cornerstone of the stronger and fairer New Jersey that we are working to build,” said Governor Murphy. “I am proud of the partnership between NJ TRANSIT and Middlesex County to identify a pathway that gets us to constructing Main Street North Brunswick’s long-planned commuter train station. I look forward to the review and approval of this proposal by the NJ TRANSIT Board, and to seeing this project completed.”

“In a state as densely populated as New Jersey, it is important that we encourage the use of public transportation,” said NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “Projects such as Main Street North Brunswick can revitalize communities and improve the quality of life for residents – making them an attractive place to live and work, and ensuring that New Jerseyans spend less time commuting and more time with their families and loved ones.”

“Thanks to Governor Murphy’s leadership and support from the New Jersey State Legislature, NJ TRANSIT is investing more than one billion dollars in Middlesex County infrastructure alone,” said NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kevin Corbett. “In addition to North Brunswick station, this includes building a new Raritan River Bridge, the new Delco Lead Storage and Inspection Facility and a major renovation at our Perth Amboy station. These investments will do more than improve service for our customers. They will create jobs and spur economic growth throughout New Jersey.”

“We identified the North Brunswick Train Station as a priority with the renewed Transportation Trust Fund because we recognized the need for expanded transportation services and the opportunity for immediate and long-term economic growth,” said Senate President Steve Sweeney. “This is an investment in a project that can serve as a model for future initiatives. A transportation system that serves the needs of the public and sustains the flow of goods and services is vital to New Jersey’s economy and quality of life.”

“After many years of population growth and building ‘transit villages’, North Brunswick is finally getting its own train station,” said Senator Bob Smith. “Located on the Northeast Corridor train line, it will allow residents of North Brunswick and the surrounding communities to have easy access to New York and Philadelphia without having to drive to New Brunswick. The creation of the new train station will be an economic boom for the community and for Middlesex County as well.”

“A new train station in North Brunswick will not only be a valuable asset to the community, but will also decrease the number of people who take the train from surrounding stations. This will decrease the amount of traffic in those communities and on Route 1, as well as reduce the wear and tear large numbers of people put on the stations’ infrastructure,” said Senator Patrick Diegnan. “Improving how we move people and goods across the state will only lead to more sustainable communities and serve as a catalyst for a successful economy in New Jersey.”

“As the most densely populated state in the U.S., it’s incredibly important that we have the infrastructure and transportation systems in place to get people where they need to go,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. “This new train station in North Brunswick will fill a tremendous need for commuters in southern Middlesex County, not to mention reduce highway traffic and bolster the local economy. This project is a shining example of how state, county and local governments can work together to bring large-scale projects to fruition, and affect real change for New Jersey’s commuters.”

“Middlesex County commuters know the daily traffic problems on Route 1 all too well,” said Assemblyman Joseph Danielsen. “The addition of this new train station will likely reduce traffic on the highway while at the same time offer commuters another potential method of transportation. It’s a win-win for all who live and work in North Brunswick and Middlesex County as a whole.”

“So many people in our state depend on public transportation to get to work, school or home,” said Assemblyman Joseph Egan. “Increasing access to transportation will undoubtedly have a positive impact on daily commuters in Middlesex County and tourists alike. I look forward to seeing this highly-anticipated project be completed.”

“Middlesex County is well positioned to lead this project and are eager to collaborate with NJ TRANSIT to provide our residents with better access to public transportation,” said Freeholder Director Ronald Rios. “My colleagues on the Board of Chosen Freeholders and I recognize that the County is a major transportation center within the State of New Jersey, and this station will become a significant piece of infrastructure within an already vital transportation system.”

“The residents and officials of North Brunswick are eager to see this project through to completion and are thankful that the County is bringing its expertise to the project by serving as project manager,” said Mayor Francis Womack. “I would like to thank the Freeholder Board for their dedication to transportation in North Brunswick and the County as a whole.”

Outlined in his economic development plan, Main Street North Brunswick demonstrates Governor Murphy’s vision for mass-transit centric investment in communities in order to develop thriving downtowns and reinvigorated cities. A key priority of this plan focuses investment resources on mixed-used, transit-oriented development in providing the connective tissue needed to build a stronger, more connected New Jersey economy.

Read the economic plan here.