Transit Village Update

Netcong chosen as 17th Transit Village!

Netcong borough officials were informed September 29, 2005 of their official designation as New Jersey's next Transit Village. The borough is located along both the Morris & Essex - Morristown Line and the Montclair-Boonton Lines of NJ TRANSIT. The notice came shortly after the borough’s announcement that it had chosen the developers for a new 13-acre project in the Main Street area of the town. Woodmont Properties and Roseland Properties will develop a mixed-use project which integrates 201 new housing units with 13,200 square feet of retail and 7,000 square feet of office space. The transit-oriented project also includes the construction of a public greenway and a community center. The Borough of Netcong, located in the Highlands Planning Area of Morris County, is the third Village named this year (after New Brunswick and Journal Square/Jersey City), and the 17th in the six-year history of the Transit Village Initiative partnership.

The following Transit Villages received FY2005 project awards totaling $1 million provided by the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund:

$250,000 – South Amboy, for streetscape improvements and street lighting upgrades in the area immediately around the new train station plaza. $250,000 – Belmar, for its Phase III walkway, including Main Street crosswalks, pavers, sidewalks, etc. $250,000 – Rahway, for downtown streetscape improvements. This funding is a continuation of earlier phases and includes sidewalks, streetlights, tree grates, etc. $250,000 – Bound Brook, for renovation of the train station. Building upon previous funding, town officials focused renovation efforts on the repair of the eastbound platform canopy in order to protect waiting passengers from inclement weather.

Bound Brook Eastbound Platform, NJ

The FY2005 awards will total $2 million, supplied from federal CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) funds. NJDOT is currently reviewing proposals that were submitted by the April 15, 2005 deadline. Projects must be at least $250,000 and focus on construction work.

Pedestrian Overpass and Plaza Now Open at the South Amboy Train Station

A new 16-foot wide pedestrian overpass has opened at South Amboy station linking the existing parking lot on the northbound tracks with a new transit plaza on the south side. The overpass is accessible by stairs or elevators on each side. This is the first phase ($4.8 million) of a comprehensive improvement plan for the South Amboy rail station. The second phase ($8 million) will include a new station building and high-level platforms. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2006, thanks in part to recently secured federal funding.

South Amboy's new overpass and plaza

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