By Jaimie Julia Winters
In late June, with the help of about 50 volunteers, 30 cubic yards of trash and illegally dumped debris were removed from the future site of the Essex-Hudson Greenway in Kearny. While it will be some time before residents can walk or bike the nine-mile trail, excitement for the project is growing. Once completed, the Greenway will span eight Essex and Hudson County communities — Jersey City, Secaucus, Kearny, Newark, Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, and Montclair — creating a multi-modal recreational and transit corridor for walking, running, and biking. It will also foster community connection and promote regional environmental improvements.
In Kearny, the trail will run alongside Kearny Riverbank Park, Gunnell Oval Park, and the Kearny Marsh. On June 28, more than 50 residents gathered at Arlington Depot Park, where they picked up trash bags and pickers before heading to the property to clear away years of accumulated garbage from the former rail corridor. Their efforts marked an important step toward transforming the site into New Jersey’s newest state park.
Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey, described the project as a dramatic transformation, saying it will replace an urban dumping ground with a green oasis. He emphasized that the Greenway will provide the “ultimate green commute” for bike riders and create a vital corridor that connects people to the natural beauty of the Meadowlands, the Hackensack River, and Newark’s Branch Brook Park.
“This will be New Jersey’s High Line supersized,” O’Malley said.
Since Governor Phil Murphy announced the acquisition of the defunct rail line in September 2021, the Department of Environmental Protection has partnered with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and NJ TRANSIT to bring the project to fruition. The project officially broke ground on July 15 in Newark.
“Spanning two of the most densely populated counties in the country, the Greenway will be a new landmark that reflects who we are and where we’re going,” Governor Murphy said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “When it’s complete, the Greenway will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best urban parks in the country and will create opportunities for economic growth in the surrounding communities. It will belong to the people who live here, ride it, walk it, and raise their kids alongside it.”
NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri said NJ TRANSIT officials are pleased to collaborate on a project that “envisions public transit as part of a greener, more connected future
for our communities.”
Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin said that reclaiming and transforming the old rail line “speaks to our commitment to preserving New Jersey’s natural beauty and making it accessible
to everyone.”
“The Greenway is more than a new park; it is an innovative rebirth of a long-neglected rail line that for years burdened communities with pollution and illegal dumping,” said Senate Majority
Leader M. Teresa Ruiz.
The rail line last served commuters in 2002, when NJ TRANSIT discontinued operations due to the opening of an alternate line offering direct service to New York, combined with the high repair costs associated with two bridges along the route. Freight service east of Newark had already ended in the 1990s, and no freight traffic has operated between Newark and Montclair since 2009. Currently, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) is evaluating potential economic opportunities that could emerge from the development of the new state park.
In 2021, the state purchased nearly 135 acres of property in North Jersey from the Georgia-based Norfolk Southern Railway Company for $65 million, following years of dedicated work and advocacy by the Open Space Institute (OSI). Key leaders in the effort to establish the Essex-Hudson Greenway include the OSI, the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, and the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance.
As DEP’s delivery partner, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) is overseeing construction of the overall project. AECOM Tishman was selected as the construction manager through a competitive bidding process.
NJ TRANSIT is collaborating with the Greenway design team to potentially extend the Secaucus-Meadowlands Transitway into the future state park, adding a dedicated lane for public transit.
Additional public engagement events and volunteer opportunities are planned in the coming months. To get involved, sign up for the Greenway’s email list at dep.nj.gov/greenway/.