August 11, 2008

Last Updated: March 5, 2009

Proposal for use of former Boonton Line

for extension of Newark Light Rail service

OVERVIEW

Phase 1: Extension of Newark Light Rail to Passaic River / Route 21 Park-n-Ride / Belleville connection to Newark Industrial Line.  

            A) Work on actual connection of two lines between Branch Brook Station (Newark) and Silver Lake Station (Belleville-Newark Border)

            B) Get estimate for bridge work (for the WR Draw Bridge) and ensure that bridge is able to support continuous usage by light rail vehicles (should be no problem - previously bridge was used for heavy rail passenger and freight service)

            C) Restore/create new light rail stations along the line (at least three stations can be immediately restored and four can be created at various points, including a park-and-ride along Route 21 which would be a wonderful benefit for commuters coming in from points north)

Phase 2: Extension of Newark Light Rail into Kearny using WR Draw Bridge, terminating at intersection with future Harrison-Kingsland Branch Line (HKBL)

            A) Revamp and restore bridge as necessary for use with light rail cars.  Third rail may be an option to consider regarding crossing the bridge.  

            B) Create three stations on the Kearny side: one new station at end of bridge, where line meets North Midland Avenue, second is restored Arlington Station between Elm and Forest Streets, third is intersection / transfer station at intersection with HKBL.  

Phase 3: Extension of Newark Light Rail along portion of Newark Industrial Line to border of Belleville and Nutley, behind Belleville High School.  (Terminating here due to non-response from Nutley)

            A) Establish stations every three to five blocks, establish anchor station (park-n-ride) at Washington Avenue Pathmark.  Lot is already suited for park-n-ride use, can be expanded as well.

No infrastructure needs to be built for this project, although the WR Draw Bridge needs to be examined and studied to confirm fitness for use or to confirm replacement is necessary.  Belleville is ready to go on this, as is Kearny.  

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The initial aim of this project is to extend the Newark Light Rail system over existing trackage into Kearny and to terminate it where the trackage meets the Harrison-Kingsland Branch Line.  This will open up a whole host of transit options for residents of Newark, Belleville, Kearny, and the towns surrounding them.  The trackage is all intact and the project requires very little to rejuvinate the stations along this line.  In fact, only three brand new stations are proposed for the project: one where the tracks coming from the Newark Light Rail meet up with the former Boonton Line, one which will serve as a park-and-ride just off of Route 21, and one which will serve as the terminal station, at the junction of the former Boonton Line and the Harrison-Kingsland Branch Line.  There are numerous benefits to this project, including increased ridership on the Newark Light Rail system itself, increased ridership on over ten surrounding bus lines as commuters take advantage of this system expansion, severely reduced congestion along the major arteries into Newark, including Route 21, Ridge Road/Kearny Avenue, and other area roads, as drivers get off the roads, out of their cars and onto the trains, and lower, more exact travel time for commuters riding into Newark or New York (currently, bus travel times are difficult to estimate from day to day due to traffic conditions).  

HISTORY

At one point, Kearny had a rail link in the former Boonton Line, which connected Kearny with Montclair and Glen Ridge to the north and Hoboken to the south.  It was owned by Conrail before being leased to NJ Transit at its formation in 1979.  In 2002 it was abandoned when the Boonton Line was redirected at Bay Street in Montclair through Newark Broad Street and Secaucus Junction to form the Montclair-Boonton Line and the MidTOWN Direct system.  Since then, the line has passed in ownership to Norfolk Southern, who use only a portion of the line south of Secaucus Junction for rail car storage, and has become overgrown and neglected, more of an eyesore than anything else.  The at-grade crossings in Kearny, and in other areas which the line passes through, are peppered with signs indicating Norfolk Southern's ownership and discouraging trespassers, although it is more of a formality than anything else, as it is quite difficult to prevent trespassers from using the open areas as shortcuts.  The line passing from Newark into Paterson is known as the Newark Industrial, and while this was not used for passenger rail recently, its most recent use was for freight traffic - though this is rarely, if at all, used.  

CURRENT STATUS

The 39, 40 and 76, the three bus lines which traverse Kearny, are now the only connection most commuters have to New Jersey's rail system and therefore to the Newark and New York economic empires.  Commuters can either use the 40 and reach Harrison's PATH station, and Newark Penn Station five minutes later, or the 39 and 76, and reach Newark Broad Street Station or Newark Penn Station, respectively.  Some commuters use the 44 and 99 private bus lines as well, but as these are somewhat more expensive for most commuters we will not be focusing on them at this juncture.  Currently, there is no active rail line linking Kearny to the rest of the state.  In Belleville, the choice is the 13 and its sub-lines (13N, 13V, etc.) to get around, and while these provide a connection to Broad Street Station, with frequent service in general, should one need to get to a particular area (North Newark instead of Valley Fair, for example, or north into Nutley or Paterson), one would have to switch to several different other buses to do so.  Newark's Branch Brook Station is currently serviced by the 92 and 74, which extend service into Paterson, Clifton (both with the 74) and Belleville (with the 92).  The problem is, neither bus connects to rail stations in Clifton or Paterson, and Belleville's service is rather rudimentary at best, with limited NJ Transit heavy rail service to Montclair and Newark Broad Street, and existing Newark Light Rail service only at two stations in one neighborhood, leaving vast swaths of the town without park-n-ride availability or rail service.  

FUTURE PLANS

There is a proposal to bring heavy rail (NJ Transit standard rail cabs/cars) back to Kearny using formerly freight trackage which lines the eastern borders of Kearny and North Arlington, and passes through Lyndhurst, meeting up with the Main Line before Kingsland Station.  The line would be identified as the Harrison-Kingsland Branch Line and would represent an immediate connection for riders looking to get from Lyndhurst to New York or Newark without relying solely upon bus service and without transferring at Secaucus Junction.  Thus far, one station is scheduled to be built at Bergen Avenue in Kearny, near the intersection of Bergen and Schuyler Avenues.  

FITTING IN WITH NEW PLANS 

AND 

FUTURE EXPANSIONS OF LIGHT RAIL

• Highland Station (new): At the intersection of the NLR extension and Highland Avenue, this station, Forest Hill Station and North Newark Station would serve the residents of Newark's Forest Hill and Belleville's Branch Brook Park area. In the future, depending upon ridership numbers and situation after this NLR extension is complete, it may also serve as a conjunction should this project be further extended northward, up the former Boonton Line.

• Forest Hill Station (rehabilitated): At the intersection of NLR extension and Mt. Prospect Avenue.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

Pictured: Stations along proposed initial NLR Extension.

• North Newark (rehabilitated): NLR and Broadway/Washington Avenue (Newark side of tracks is Broadway, Belleville side is Washington Avenue).  Offers existing bus service by the 13 and sub-lines of the 13 (13N, 13V, etc.).  

• McCarter Highway / Route 21 Park-and-Ride (new): Near Mill Street and Main Street, just off Mill Street exit for Route 21 South and just north of Verona Avenue exit on Route 21 North. Area currently has a number of places where a Park-and-Ride could be created and maintained for this line.

• Midland Station (new): Where Midland Avenue North curves sharply and meets the NLR extension, could also be named Passaic Station or Passaic Avenue, as Passaic Avenue meets Midland Avenue North on the other side of the tracks. This station would service the residents of Kearny's Manor section and generally the residents of Kearny west of Kearny Avenue.

• Arlington Station (rehabilitated): NLR and Garafola Place, open rail cut goes underneath Kearny Avenue, passes under Chestnut Street, and passes at road level across Devon, Elm and Forest Streets before passing under Schuyler Avenue and connecting with the HKBL. Station would be located between Elm and Forest at remnants of old Arlington Station, could be expanded for park-and-ride usage between Elm and area just west of Devon. This station would generally serve residents of Kearny located east of Kearny Avenue, as well as residents coming from North Arlington, Hackensack, and locations served by the 39, 76 and 40 bus lines (the 40 takes Elm to Midland Avenue and returns by way of Forest and Garafola Place). The 39 and 76 meet up with the 40 at its northern terminus in North Arlington.

• Midland East Station (new): Intersection of NLR and HKBL, this would primarily serve as a method for commuters to transfer from one line to another and vice-versa.

  
  

  This is only to serve as a guide to possibilities - there are more than a few locations along the entire route which would be perfect for stations.  

  
  

  THE BIG COST

  
  

  Altogether, the entire project should not have a high initial and maintenance cost - all of the existing trackage has electrical service either on or very close by.  The only sticking point right now is the WR Draw Bridge over the Passaic River.  NJ Transit has indicated that the refurbishment of this bridge would be high in cost, but has not explicitly said how much it would cost exactly.  

  
  

  ONE FINAL NOTE

  
  

  The bridge over the Passaic River that currently carries the former Boonton Line is called the Boonton Line Bridge.  The bridge ought to be renamed after my nephew, Nicholas Fowler, who died on November 19, 2008, in his sleep.  He was 2 years old.  He led a full and vibrant life in the short time he had on this earth, and brought unceasing joy to everyone he met.  His loss has devastated his whole family - his seven uncles and two aunts, his forty-two second cousins, his eight great-uncles and eight great-aunts, his grandparents, and especially his mother, who lived and breathed and sweat and bled for him after they were abandoned by his father.  I propose the name "Nicholas Tolentine Alexander Knock Fowler Memorial Bridge" (his full name) but "Nicholas Fowler Memorial Bridge" would work as well.