Planned cutoff won't cause sprawl or floods

To the Editor: The recent letter by Mr. Fidurski is a little misleading. He is using scare tactics in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Fidurski is misinformed when he says the Lackawanna cutoff will encourage sprawl and more flooding. In fact, this is smart growth. People who build near train stations and “transit villages” will keep cars off the roads as people use trains and buses. N.J. Transit is encouraging transit villages, and which are extremely successful in other parts of the state. Stations already exist in East Stroudsburg, Anaolmink, Mount Pocono and Scranton. Passenger trains already ran over this line. New stations will not be built. Surely some parking lots will be repaved; however, these areas are already there, and have been for many years. Over development and sprawl occur thanks to roads and new developments going up. Route 80 and many other roads are the reason for this happening. With gas prices now up over $3 a gallon and rising, people want an alternative to sitting in traffic. It is a shame some people don’t want progress and can’t see the benefits of this. Imagine if the horse and buggy industry had a lot of power when the automobile was being invented. Would people buy into their story and lag behind progress or would they stick to the horse and buggy? People want choices, and the choice is clear: Route 80 and traffic, or a nice commuter train where people can sit back, sleep and read the paper. The answer is clear. Keith Smollin Maywood