The Greatest Boon
The improvement of Route 23 north of Smith Mills is
of major significance to the future growth of Sussex County. According
to present plans, the four-lane highway will be extended beyond Butler
towards Sussex County and the road into the county will be re-aligned
and straightened.
The elimination of the highway bottleneck will provide
a better motor route for those who live or visit in Sussex County. It
is one of many steps needed to improve the transportation facilities
of the county.
Perhaps the greatest boon to the county, however, would
be better rail transportation. Although good highway facilities are
important, the road mileage between Sussex County and the heavily populated
and industrialized areas of the state is still great and constitutes
a major obstacle to those who would like to live here and work in the
city. Commuting 40 to 50 miles each way every day by auto or bus through
increasingly heavy traffic is not very practical.
The answer seems to lie in improved rail transportation.
A fast train service between Sussex County and the metropolitan area
would be extremely attractive to those who want to do business or live
here. Certainly the present train service in the county leaves much
to be desired. The closest point for any fast and frequent service is
Dover.
One does not expect the railroad companies to blanket
a rural county such as Sussex with a network of rails and provide express
service for every second cow barn. It is not too much, however, to suggest
that some arrangement be worked out to take advantage of the main line
service which now runs THROUGH Sussex County. A station on the main
line in or near Andover, for example, would be a good start.
The improvement of rail service to Sussex County is
a project that should be high on the agenda of municipal and county
officials and any other group organized for the betterment of this area.
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