Dolly DeFreitas, who works the counter at Zena's Patisserie & Cafe in Riverton, is so impressed with customer flow from the new rail line that she plans to open a farmers' market nearby.
"I think it's fantastic," DeFreitas says of the River Line, which has been open for a month. "For a Victorian town, you can't get any more nostalgic. There was so much conflict about this before. Neighbor was against neighbor. But it's been a relief that it's been so positive so far."
There are ample signs that the new River Line has brought a sense of life to aging towns that hug the Delaware River.
But for all the hype and hope, South Jersey residents haven't flocked to the line, which opened March 14. Officials and aficionados say it's still too early for an assessment.
The line is averaging 1,500 individual riders each weekday, or 3,000 total trips, on the assumption that most riders make two trips. That climbs to 2,500 riders on weekends, or 5,000 trips, with many attending waterfront events in Camden.
The numbers are below those projected in a 2003 study, which anticipated 2,950 riders taking 5,900 trips a day.
When the line was first proposed, a 1996 study projected 5,600 riders would take the train on an average day, resulting in 11,200 trips - figures that were criticized at the time as too low to justify a rail system.
In short, the line is drawing about a quarter of original estimates.
NJ Transit officials remain upbeat. "We're pretty encouraged by the numbers," said spokeswoman Janet Hines. "By the end of the year, we are looking to reach 5,900 passenger trips. That was what we've been stating all along. We've only been up and running for 30 days . . . As people realize the benefits, we'll see more riders."
The history of the $1.1 billion line is full of controversy. It received no federal funding, which means the cost falls largely on the backs of state taxpayers. Nor is the line expected to substantially relieve traffic congestion. Rather, its primary mission is to help revitalize the river towns and the Route 130 corridor, much to the chagrin of some transportation experts.
But many say that South Jersey's experiment in economic development is already working magic.
DeFreitas, the pastry-shop worker, says customers riding the rails are popping into the cafe for breakfast on weekday mornings. Groups of women from Bordentown and Washington Township have lingered for lunch on weekends.
