Murphy announces $65 million commitment to make Essex-Hudson Greenway a reality – NJ.com
A long-envisioned rail trail connecting Hudson and Essex counties will become New Jersey’s newest state park, a milestone reached Friday when Gov. Phil Murphy committed to funding the $65 million land purchase.
The vision, thus far referred to as the Essex-Hudson Greenway, is to repurpose a nearly nine-mile portion of NJ Transit’s old Boonton Line into a walkable and bikeable route from Jersey City to Montclair.
Murphy compared the project’s value to that of New York City’s High Line and said it will be both a valuable asset to the eight municipalities it traverses and a regional destination.
“I think when we look back 30, 40 years from now, this is a top five accomplishment,” Murphy said.
Funding for the park will be provided through a collaborative effort by the Murphy administration, including the support of the Department of Environmental Protection and NJ TRANSIT, the Legislature, and New Jersey’s congressional delegation, utilizing American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding.
Hudson and Essex County officials and advocates celebrated the land purchase announcement as the primary and long-awaited kickoff to seeing the trail become a reality.
“In my lifetime we’ve seen the creation of Liberty State Park. We’ve seen the expansion to the western waterfront of Lincoln Park,” said 31st District Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti. “These are all public assets that myself and my family get to enjoy, and I’m looking forward to the day where we will be able to go on that 9-mile walk from the city of Jersey City through Secaucus through Kearny through Newark all the way to Montclair.”
Still, there is plenty to do to get the space in shape for public use, Murphy said.
“We’re purchasing a gem, but please make no mistake; it is a rough cut one,” he said at a press conference in Bloomfield Friday morning.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill said she plans to help the state secure further funding to complete the project.
“I am looking at all the federal avenues, and I think we do have now … a lot of great paths forward for how we can help support this,” Sherrill said.
From East, the property begins on Jersey City’s west side, hits the tip of Secaucus near Laurel Hill Park to reach the Hackensack River and crosses Kearny on a route parallel to Midland Avenue. It then crosses the Passaic River, heads through Newark south of and parallel to Second River, travels through Belleville near Belleville Avenue, and crosses Bloomfield and Glen Ridge before ending at the edge of Montclair.
Much of the land is currently overgrown and some goes through marshy wetlands as trains haven’t run on the line since 2009.
The Open Space Institute secured a deal with Norfolk Southern Railway to buy the rail line in August 2020. The deal was set to expire at the end of January 2022 if the $65 million in funding was not secured.
“This Greenway project will make it easier for millions of people to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors, completely transform the way communities connect with nature and connect with each other, linking people to parks, waterways and their neighbors – all while creating alternative transportation options, improving water quality, and spurring economic activity,” said Kim Elliman, the organization’s president and CEO.
Bike JC President Patrick Conlon helped plan a 60-mile advocacy bike ride from Jersey City to Trenton in September to push for the state to commit to funding the project. He said he’s confident that state will stay on top of the project to see it to fruition considering how much money it committed to spending this week.
“The connection between the counties for cycling, walking, hiking … has just been so horrific for years and to see that we have this opportunity to make a real connection between the cities that’s going to be safe, it’s really really wonderful,” Conlon said.
NJ Transit is also considering using a portion of the old rail line for a new system to reach American Dream and MetLife Stadium. Both NJ Transit and the Open Space Institute said the two uses for the land are not mutually exclusive.
“It’s been a long road to get here, but (Jersey City) Mayor (Steve) Fulop was one of the earliest champions for this project as he recognized that Jersey City will be amongst the biggest beneficiaries,” said Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione. “This project has the potential to be a game changer for New Jersey overall, and we look forward to working with the governor on the next steps to make this a reality.”
Kearny Mayor Al Santos was more cautiously responsive to the news of the state’s commitment, largely because he said he hasn’t heard details about maintenance and security of the trail.
“Some of the line is sunken in town, some of it goes through marsh, but there’s a good component that is at street level and goes through a neighborhood, so security and maintenance are critical,” Santos said.
Kearny has seen drug activity around the railroad, and some residents have been largely supportive of the project while others have been concerned, he said.
The trail will similarly go through neighborhoods in Newark, said 29th District state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, and will provide needed green space for those whose homes and schools surround it.
Children have had to cross the tracks to get to Park Elementary School, Ruiz said.
“In years to come they will glide on their scooters, they will ride on their bikes, they will talk about what we’ve done here, which is creative legacy open space game-changing work,” she said.
Murphy said the state plans to have a contest to determine the name of the park. It will be New Jersey’s first new state park since 2006.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo said he’s always seen the project as a benefit to the entire state.
“With all due respect to Hudson, make sure you start on Essex’s side first,” he joked with the governor Friday.
