The River Line Light Rail

The South Jersey light rail system, known as the Riverline, started on March 14, 2004. The line consisted of 20 stops and costed commuters $1.10 per trip. Rife with controversies, a 1996 study had concluded that a Burlington route would be less suitable than a Gloucester County route and there was quite a bit of opposition by Mount Holly. Moorestown was also strongly opposed due to sections that crossed streets.

Dissatisfied with this analysis, Senator C. William Haines introduced legislation in the New Jersey State Senate requiring NJ Transit to study rail transit service along the Delaware River between Trenton, Camden, and Glassboro. Haines, a native of Moorestown, sought the benefits of rail for Burlington County without the disruption to his hometown.

Although the study focused on providing connectivity from South Jersey counties to PATCO service via a transfer point in Camden, an equally important goal was to provide the economic impetus to spark the redevelopment of the Camden waterfront and serve the city itself.