Still, participants in Tuesday's West Shore "Community Liaison Committee" seemed relieved that Transit was willing to consider more than one line. They talked of putting aside differences to launch a coalition with the aim of winning the $1.2 billion needed for the 3-line system.

The plan calls for commuter rail service on the West Shore Line from West Nyack, NY to Hoboken via the Meadowlands Sports Complex and the Secaucus Transfer; light rail on the Northern Branch from Tenafly to the Hudson Bergen Light Rail Line, continuing to Hoboken; and light rail on the NY Susquehanna &Western line starting at Paterson or Maywood and joining the Hudson Bergen Light Rail Line at the Lombardi Park-and Ride on the Turnpike.

Rail service is called for on all of the lines, which together could attract close to 25,000 round trips daily.

NJ Transit stated that renewal of the State's Transportation Trust Fund must be the first step toward funding the project, but was unwilling to say what ingredients of Trust Fund legislation would most help the rail projects advance.

Encouraging features of NJ Transit's analysis include consistency with the State Plan, estimates of car-less households served and reverse commute potential.

On the other hand, the plan calls for several stops that could act as can-openers for development within the environmentally sensitive Hackensack Meadowlands.

Potential conflicts between freight and passenger service remain, but do not appear to pose insurmountable obstacles in the three corridors. Transit says it would cost $45 million to add a West Shore line third track to avoid congestion with freight trains. The proposal for the Northern Branch still envisions confining freight to night hours, which CSX seems willing to consider.

In response to towns' fears, NJ Transit is attempting control its appetite for commuter parking. Having predicted that potential riders at several stations would exceed the parking host towns would tolerate, Transit determined that feeder buses could handle the majority of "excess" demand for station access and has added $1.2 million to cost estimates for new bus service.