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Environmental commission urges township to join county Rails‑to‑Trails project
Summary
An environmental commission chair asked the committee to approve removing tracks and disposing of creosote to connect Springfield to an existing Rails‑to‑Trails corridor in neighboring towns; township officials said they are generally in favor and will check with the county and NJDOT on outstanding approvals.
Allison Miller, chair of the Springfield Environmental Commission, urged the committee to support a rails‑to‑trails project that would remove tracks and contaminated creosote as a first phase to connect trails through adjoining municipalities.
Miller told the committee the project has been completed in neighboring Union and Summit and that Springfield is the missing link: "Rails to Trails has been something that's been a vision for so many so many years, and it's finally actually happening," she said, urging the committee not to hold up the first step, which she described as track removal and debris disposal.
Officials said the county maintains a Rails‑to‑Trails program (a county staffer, Jay Robina, was cited as running the county effort) and that earlier township action had approved a resolution; staff will confirm with the county and NJDOT whether additional local action or coordination is required. Committee members said they are generally in favor of removing the tracks but acknowledged there may be county or NJDOT steps to complete.
The committee did not take final action approving the project at this meeting; officials said they would follow up with the county and communicate any requests or requirements.
