The Board as a matter of public policy hereby establishes that the provision of passenger rail service as part of an integrated, multimodal, transportation network is a benefit to the Township residents and businesses in that it provides multiple options for transit for Township residents and visitors, including particularly those who may not have access to a private motor vehicle; facilitates access to and from centers of employment, entertainment, housing, and transportation; and has the potential to reduce congestion and wear on local roads and to improve local air quality. Accordingly, the purposes of this article and of the establishment of a Rail Transit Overlay ("RTO") District are as follows:
A. To promote the availability of passenger rail service in the Township to the benefit of Township residents and businesses by accommodating the particular needs of rail stations, including their principal, ancillary, and associated structures and land uses as well as any other related property improvements in a manner that will have a minimal adverse impact upon nearby properties and upon the Township generally.
B. To facilitate connections between passenger rail service and other modes of transit, including but not necessarily limited to private and shared motor vehicles, bicycles, pedestrian travel, and all forms of mass transit, specifically including buses.
C. To promote the safety of rail patrons and of those traveling in the vicinity of rail stations by providing for the orderly parking of vehicles, appropriate accommodation for mass and shared transit, and facilities promoting the safety and security of bicyclists and pedestrians.
