The moving trend toward cities has me wondering why the people who fought to have low cost housing built in the suburbs still are fighting for more housing in areas of this state that have little to no public transportation.

Per an article in NJ.com shows a Rutgers study that now indicates a trend toward people moving from the suburbs to the bigger cities where there is easy access to New York City and Philadelphia. The Gen Xers do not drive anywhere as much their predecessors and need the well established transportation networks that the cities have.

In my opinion it would be a much better idea to increase the available low cost to middleclass housing in the inner city areas rather than to continue to build more low cost and middleclass housing in the suburbs. If the developers had their way, all of New Jersey would be paved over and there would be no open space left to enjoy.

Those of the liberal/progressive leaning do not understand that it is not a very good idea to continue to build in New Jersey’s suburbs. The costs of transportation are much higher outside the city areas because there is no existing robust transportation network available. You must own a car to get around and with the high cost of car insurance it is something that a low income person can not afford. In fact I have seen (poor) people riding bicycles on Route 1, a 55 Mph divided highway, both during the day and at night. Being on this road is very dangerous to a bicyclist and they are also a hazard to automotive traffic.

Also it must be remembered that the cost of rental housing is much higher in the suburbs, even when subsidized. Reality dictates that we all must adjust our sights on building/rehabilitating housing in the cities instead of building it in the suburbs where it is not really needed as much.

Destroying the suburbs by literally paving them over is counter productive and the high cost of living is forcing people out of New Jersey altogether because the taxes in the suburbs are soaring due to the high costs of subsidizing low cost housing.

I for one realize that there is a need for reasonably price housing in the suburbs, but I also know for a fact that it is much more needed in our cities as the shift of population trends towards them. It is time to overturn the Mount Laurel court mandated housing solution and institute a system that favors the cities over the suburbs where people are truly migrating to.

That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike