NJ Transit Approves Impact Study of Englewood-Proposed Light Rail Plan

New Jersey Transit's Board of Directors voted Wednesday to contract a Morristown-based engineering firm to study the environmental impact of a proposed extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line into Englewood, NJ.com reported.

The environmental study, which will assess the impact of exending the Hudson County-based line from its Tonnelle Avenue station in North Bergen up to Englewood Hospital, will take about two years to complete, NJ Transit spokesman John Durso, Jr. said.

Stops along the route would include 91st Street in North Bergen, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia and three stations in Englewood at Route 4, Town Centre and Englewood Hospital, the line's terminus.

NJ Transit originally planned to extend the line north of Englewood into Tenafly, but scrapped the plan last month after intense opposition from Tenafly public officials and residents.

The compromise proposal — that will now be studied by Jacobs Engineering for $3 million — has been pushed by Englewood officials, who favor three light rail stops in the city.

Proponents of bringing light rail to Englewood argue its working-class base, large downtown, hospital and high-density housing areas along Route 4 and at Town Centre make it a prime location for light rail.

"We’re a largely blue collar town that needs to be able to get to work," Englewood Economic Development Corporation chairman Adam Brown said. "We have an enormous hospital that needs access to work employees. We have a large industrial sector that needs access to its employees. We have a large performing arts center which would certainly benefit from having light rail access to the towns to the south."

While the project is currently unfunded and a timetable for its completion has not been established, Mayor Frank Huttle said he was very encouraged by the recent developments.

"It's not just great," he said Tuesday. "It's monumental."

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