Since 2009, the state of New Jersey has been trying to plan the construction of the Glassboro-Camden Line (GCL), an 18-mile-long light rail line that would run from Glassboro to Camden with several stops in between. As of 2022, those construction plans have gotten closer and closer to becoming a reality, so deep into the planning and designing stage that construction could be complete by 2028.

To me, the GCL would be crucial to the evolution of Glassboro as a town. Right now, the only real form of public transportation we have in town are the buses, which aren’t always the most reliable as is. The GCL has the potential to bring new people over to Glassboro who either don’t get the chance to come around because they don’t want to take the highway over, or they don’t have any other ways of getting here.

I’ve lived in Glassboro pretty much my entire life. My family moved from Philadelphia to our current home in Glassboro when I was only a year old. Though Camden isn’t very far from Glassboro, I absolutely believe it would’ve been a bit easier for my family and me to travel there and back had we had a direct rail line connecting the two. 

As someone who despises driving on highways, especially Route 42, I love the idea of having another option to get not only to Camden but also to the other towns that will have stations for the GCL. It’s enough of a hassle to figure out budgeting as a college student working a part-time job, but if I can save a little bit of extra money by purchasing train tickets instead of having to shell out $35 every week for gas, it would be well worth it.

Additionally, I tend to go to concerts at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden. As a matter of fact, I’ve already bought tickets to see Hozier in Camden this summer. One of the most annoying things about going to any concert is trying to find parking before the show, and then proceeding to try and get out of whatever spot you find and, as a Glassboro resident, get onto the highway and drive back home. Having access to a train that can take me from one town to the other would save me from a massive headache in driving through crowded Camden roads at 11 p.m. following a noisy 90-minute musical performance.

A rail line that runs from Glassboro to Camden is also highly beneficial for Rowan University students, as it would wind up providing an alternate mode of transportation for students to travel from one campus to the other in a timely, cost-effective manner. Students who also live in one town but go to school in another that has a station along the GCL can use the train to get to class every day rather than having to deal with the struggles of commuting. After all, parking on campus tends to be a major topic of conversation among students.

I see a lot of potential good that can come along with the construction of the GCL. Even if you don’t live in Glassboro, if you’re at least a Rowan student or staff member, you should take the time to learn more about the GCL before its construction actually begins. After all, we may sooner rather than later be all aboard.

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