NJ Transit Unveils 10-Mile Light Rail Extension Plan Into Bergen County

NJ Transit announced plans to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line 10 miles north with seven new stops. The expansion, called “The Northern Branch Project,” will reach Englewood Hospital from the current end point in North Bergen.

The expansion will add stops across five towns: North Bergen, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia, and Englewood.

The agency put out a Request for Proposals to hire a contractor. They need someone to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The electric railway would run along West Side Avenue in North Bergen and an existing railroad right-of-way owned by CSX Transportation between 91st Street in North Bergen and the northern border of Englewood.

Construction will start in one or two years, maybe sooner if things go smoothly. The environmental impact statement will examine effects on noise, wildlife, air quality, infrastructure, and traffic patterns across the region.

An earlier version of this plan came out in 2011. That one proposed extending service to Tenafly. Residents and local leaders opposed it. The Federal Transit Administration pulled its Notice of Intent to review that Environmental Impact Statement in 2023 because environmental conditions have changed since 2007.

“NJ TRANSIT remains committed to extending the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail into Bergen County,” said NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kris Kolluri, per a news release. “This RFP is a concrete demonstration of that commitment. Providing mass transit options to all regions of New Jersey takes cars off the road, cleans the air we breathe, and drives economic activity, sustainable housing, and a multitude of other benefits.”

Bergen County Executive James Tedesco said the project will meet a need in one of the most packed counties in the state. “The Northern Branch project will fulfill that need and enhance the lives of all who call Bergen County home,” Tedesco added. “I thank NJ TRANSIT for continuing this vital project.”

The public will have a chance to comment once the draft is complete. The comment period will last at least 45 days.

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