NORTH BRUNSWICK – Middlesex County Improvement Authority will serve as project manager through an agreement with NJ Transit for the design and construction of the state- and county-funded North Brunswick Train Station at the state-designated Main Street Transit Village.

The plans were announced during a press conference Wednesday at the 212-acre site off northbound Route 1, featuring speeches by Gov. Phil Murphy, Freehold Director Ronald G. Rios, state Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti and other state, county and municipal dignitaries.

EARLIER:North Brunswick Transit Village secures $50M in TTF funding

"This is a big, big day for us," Rios said. "I would like to thank elected officials for their advocacy on this project ... collaborating with us and allowing us to take the lead on this project ... In the coming months, the county will begin the concept and design phase, completing the final engineering and permitting steps. We anticipate these crucial steps will be complete within the next 24 months at which time we anticipate breaking ground on this station.

"This is going to be a significant undertaking, but with the help of our state and local partners, along with our brothers and sisters in the trades, I am confident we will begin to move the project forward," he continued. "We hope that with the completion of this project in partnership with NJ Transit, this process can serve as an innovative new framework for how major infrastructure projects like this are tackled in the future."

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Senate President Steve Sweeney; state Sens. Bob Smith, D-17th District; Patrick Diegnan, D-18th, Joe Vitale, D-19th; and Linda Greenstein, D-14th; Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin; Assemblywomen Yvonne Lopez, D-19th, and Nancy Pinkin, D-18th; Assemblymen Joe Egan and Joe Danielson, both D-17th; and Assemblymen Roy Freiman, D-16th, also represented the state at the commemoration.

Sweeney and the state senators advocated for the $50 million project to be funded through the Transportation Trust Fund when the legislature renewed and expanded the fund in 2016. A specific appropriation for the station was made from a subsequent bill approved in 2017. The county contributed an additional $20 million.

“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,” Sweeney said. “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.”

As part of the North Brunswick Transit Village, the new station will provide easier access to the region’s transportation centers along the Northeast Corridor line without driving along congested Route 1 either to New Brunswick or the Monmouth Junction of South Brunswick, Smith said. The station will fill a service gap that is the longest stretch of the Northeast Corridor rail line without a passenger station, authorities added.

"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," Diegnan said. "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.”

The project not only will impact traffic and transportation but also the environment because of a decrease in carbon emissions and the local economy because of job creation and increased consumerism as the surrounding Main Street North Brunswick Transit Village develops, Smith said.

Costco, Target, The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille and a Courtyard by Marriott have been developed thus far.

"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,” Murphy said. “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.”

Gutierrez-Scaccetti added, “In a state as densely populated as New Jersey, it is important that we encourage the use of public transportation. 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.”

State and county officials applauded Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack's vision and tenacity for the project, which will be overseen by Middlesex County Improvement Authority Executive Director H. James Polos, a former freeholder.

For more info, visit mainstreetnb.com.

Bob Makin has won 11 New Jersey Press Association Awards and four Best of Gannett Awards. A news veteran of nearly 40 years, Makin covers business and entertainment. Contact him at 732-565-7319 and bmakin@gannettnj.com.