New Jersey
Transportation Heritage Center

Many have asked about the status of the Heritage Center legislation. We regret to report that it has still not been released from Assembly committee in Trenton. Our (your) efforts over the past year (letter campaigns, personal appeals through local representatives, meetings, phone calls, etc.) to persuade Assembly Speaker Sires (D. Hudson) and Assemblywoman/Chair of Assembly Appropriations Committee Bonnie Watson Coleman (D. Mercer) to release the legislation which passed the Senate unanimously last year are unsuccessful up to this point. As you all know, this legislation would formally create a New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center as an entity and an independent foundation to fund the center. Their opposition will further delay, but will not stop the Heritage Center effort.

Our comment: "Your Friends of the Heritage Center organization has always tried to be collaborative and non-partisan in its dealings with local, county and state politics. We continue to follow that strategy as expressed in bi-partisan composition of the Heritage Center Commission (that the legislature has allowed to lapse or sunset, but the Commission still meets). It is, however, becoming clear that the present Governor is indifferent at best and that Speaker Sires and Assemblywomen Coleman are against creating an heritage center attraction in two municipalities, a county and a state that desperately need such an economic benefit that the heritage center will bring.

We have not given up, nor should you, but Friends and URHS limited energies are shifted somewhat to emphasis on our surrogate role for the Heritage Center. This means preserving the collections, managing our five leaseholds where your state's collections are safeguarded, grantsmanship, keeping you informed through our website, annual symposium, members day/open house and Transport Heritage, and moving forward on acquisition of the properties in Phillipsburg. Friends of the Heritage Center and URHS will continue to serve ably as surrogates for the Heritage Center until the formal NJTHC institution is in place. Our host county and municipality continue to be tangibly and enthusiastically supportive of the Heritage Center. NJ Transit and NJDOT continue to be cautious, but helpful. With these resources in place, we can and are making progress, even without the State Assembly.

Friends and URHS will continue after the Heritage Center is created, as the major support organizations. Your board of Directors continues to solicit your support and volunteerism. As an example, we requested that Friends members interested in serving on the board of directors submit a resume. We got one letter! You all can do better. Please continue your support for the Heritage Center until we over this, the latest in the series of obstacles over the past 15 years."

Posted September 2, 2003

What can be done to help? Click here.

How can you join the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center? Click here