| Did you know that New Jersey has
had light rail since 1935? That’s right: the Newark
City Subway system was built in the middle of the
Great Depression with federal funds. Acquired by NJ
TRANSIT in 1980 and upgraded with new cars in 2001,
the system links residents in north Newark and its surrounding
suburbs to major educational destinations in downtown
Newark — Rutgers-Newark University, New Jersey
Institute of Technology, and the Essex County Community
College — as well as important cultural venues
such as historic Branch Brook Park, the Newark Museum
and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Equally important,
the subway terminates at Newark Pennsylvania Station
giving riders access to Northeast Corridor rail aboard
NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak, and PATH service to Jersey City,
Hoboken and Manhattan.
Now, 70 years later, New Jersey has
two new major light rail transportation lines that rival
any in the country: the Hudson-Bergen
Light Rail (HBLR) system in Hudson County that connects
“Gold Coast” municipalities, and the
River LINE, stretching from Trenton to Camden along
the Delaware River. These new additions form valuable
links to existing transportation infrastructure, providing
public transit riders more options for more destinations.
Moreover, the new stops are spurring both residential
and commercial development and redevelopment in the
“TOD” (half-mile circle) around the stations.
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR)
The HBLR [map]
opened its first stations in 2000 after nearly 15 years
of development. Conceived as a response to the rapid
growth of high-rise office and residential development
along the Hudson River waterfront and the area's poor
cirulation, the HBLR currently links Bayonne (22nd Street
Station) at its southern end and western Jersey City
(West Side Ave.) with Weehawken (Lincoln Harbor).
A
major attribute of the system is its connectivity.
At Hoboken Terminal, currently the busiest HBLR
station, passengers can easily connect to PATH,
ferry, commuter rail and bus. Pavonia-Newport
and Exchange Place stations (second and third
in activity, respectively) also feature transfers
to PATH, ferry and bus service. In addition, the
system gathers drivers at five park and ride lots
located at 22nd, 34th and 45th Streets in Bayonne,
and West Side Avenue and Liberty State Park in
Jersey City.
The land uses around HBLR stations
are varied and notable. At the Hoboken 9th Street
Station, modern elevators provide rail access
to the Jersey City Heights residents atop the
Palisades. Riders transferring at Hoboken Terminal
pass through a well-landscaped esplanade with
breath-taking views of Manhattan and the Hudson
River. Alongside the Pavonia-Newport stop, the
Newport Mall offers a shopping selection equal
to its suburban counterparts. Further south, Harborside
and Exchange Place are surrounded by gleaming,
signature high-rise office buildings towering
overhead. From the Essex Street Station to Marin
Boulevard to the Jersey Avenue Station (approximately
½ mile) almost 3,000 new housing units
have been completed or started since 2000.
|
HBLR Exchange Place Station, Jersey City,
NJ
|
The
leading medical facility in Hudson County, Jersey
City Medical Center, can be found at the Jersey
Avenue Station, while New Jersey City University
is only a short walk from the West Side Avenue
Station. Recreation and history can be found by
getting off at the Liberty State Park stop and
walking over to Liberty Science Center, or by
catching the bus shuttle to other park attractions
such as tourist boats to Ellis Island and the
Statue of Liberty. The 34th and 45th Street stations
in Bayonne anchor the western edge of the Military
Ocean Terminal (a 430-acre peninsula), which is
currently the subject of a massive redevelopment
plan that will include stores, hotels, office
space and thousands of residential units.
Another important component to
the HBLR is the rich artwork that is featured
at every station. In conjunction with the New
Jersey Council on the Arts, selected artists collaborated
with designers and engineers to enhance station
environments with vibrant murals, sculptures,
metal work, and glass etchings.
|
Artwork at MLK Station, Jersey City,
NJ
|
The line is scheduled to open its last
three stations in Hudson County — Port Imperial,
Bergenline Avenue, and Tonnelle Avenue — by the
end of this year. Port Imperial will connect with a
relocated and enhanced ferry terminal (now under construction),
Bergenline Avenue will provide elevator access to a
densely populated area in north Hudson County on the
Palisades escarpment, and Tonnelle Avenue will feature
a large park and ride facility that will serve as a
collector for Bergen County residents. Express service
will originate at Tonnelle Avenue for points south.
(There is currently express service from 22nd Street
in Bayonne to points north.) The approaching completion
of the HBLR is a testament to what many commuters and
residents have already discovered: This is an extraordinary
transit asset that offers not only easy access to the
Hudson County waterfront and Manhattan, but provides
important connections to commuting suburbs, Newark and
the Northeast Corridor.
River LINE
|
New Jersey’s newest addition in light rail
transportation is the River LINE [map],
initiated in March 2004. Its route hugs the Delaware
River from Trenton to Camden for 34 miles and
features 20 stations that offer a range of employment,
recreation and historic attractions. Barely 18
months in operation, River LINE monthly sales
are increasing faster than any other NJ TRANSIT
service and it has the highest group sales in
the NJ TRANSIT system.
As with the HBLR, the River LINE
is all about connections. At Trenton riders can
access the Northeast Corridor (NJ TRANSIT or Amtrak)
for job centers in New Brunswick, Newark and New
York. They can also transfer to SEPTA for Philadelphia
and its suburbs. In Camden, at the Walter Rand
Transportation Center, passengers can transfer
to the PATCO High Speed Line for Philadelphia
or Cherry Hill and Lindenwold where there are
connections to Atlantic City via the Atlantic
City Line.
Most River LINE stations have
bus transfers. At six Burlington County stops
the BurLink shuttle augments this service with
routes across the county. From the Pennsauken
Station, the South Jersey Transportation Authority
operates a shuttle to the Pennsauken Industrial
Park and the Moorestown Industrial Park.
Major summer events at entertainment
and sports venues in Trenton, Camden and Philadelphia
are important factors in rising ridership levels.
The Adventure Aquarium and Battleship New Jersey,
Tweeter Center and Campbell Field in Camden, Sovereign
Bank Arena, and Waterfront Park in Trenton are
all easily accessible through the River LINE.
In response, NJ TRANSIT offers late night service,
weeknights and Saturdays, from the Camden Waterfront
Entertainment Center Station to the 36th Street
Station park-and-ride in Pennsauken; and, between
Trenton and Camden on Saturdays. NJ TRANSIT has
also instituted a new fare policy on July 1, which
enables customers holding a monthly or weekly
commuter rail pass to ride the River LINE at no
additional charge. There are other special fares
for seniors, families and children. |
River LINE at Trenton Station, NJ
Midday Riders on River LINE
|
At River LINE stations, like the HBLR,
art is integrated into the physical components. Decorative
tile mosaics that represent the station community adorn
columns and walls.
Towns along the system have been reporting increased
housing and commercial demand. Development interest
is high and new retail stores and restaurants have been
opening up near stations in many communities. The River
LINE is not only providing new transit possibilities
for residents of South Jersey, but it is also spurring
significant economic growth and redevelopment along
the waterfronts of Burlington and Camden Counties.
|
