November 25, 2008

FINNISH DELEGATION VISITS RAHWAY

RAHWAY -- Mayor James Kennedy and officials from the Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University and NJ Transit hosted a delegation of transportation experts and public officials from Finland on November 17.  The Finns were studying transportation systems and development around mass transit on a tour of the United States.  The delegation received a walking tour of downtown, a visit to the Rahway train station and lunch at Luciano’s on Main Street.

Rahway was designated a Transit Village by NJ Transit in 2002 for emphasizing transit-friendly planning and redevelopment around the city’s train station, which was rebuilt in 1999 and serves some 3,000 riders daily. The city’s quick and easy commute to Manhattan, Newark Liberty International Airport and other locations in the region has resulted in a substantial growth in residential and commercial development around the train station. 

The City’s redevelopment efforts downtown have received other accolades as well.  In 2002, the City was the recipient of an Excellence in Downtown Award from Downtown New Jersey for creating a new public plaza in front of the train station.  Mayor Kennedy received the Regional Business Partnership’s Transportation Merit Award and New Jersey Future’s Smart Growth Award in 2003.  The City’s redevelopment successes were also featured in the New York Times Real Estate Section and on WCBS-TV News in 2007.