9-Mile Light-Rail Extension Into Bergen Co. To 'Reduce Congestion'

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A proposed nine-mile extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail into Bergen County is expected to reduce road congestion and improve overall mobility in the region, the New Jersey Transit Corporation said in a news release.

The proposed light-rail extension, known as the Northern Branch, will run through eastern Bergen County from the Tonnelle Avenue northern terminus to Englewood Health hospital with seven station stops, NJ Transit said.

“This (transportation) project will greatly enhance quality of life for local residents and businesses by meeting mass transit demands and improving the environment," Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said, adding that the eastern corridor of Bergen County is one of the most "densely populated areas in the nation."

Now in the design phase, the proposed extension is estimated to serve more than 5,600 additional (light-rail) customers each weekday, NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett said.

The news came alongside the announcement of a $592,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to study "transit-oriented development" along the extension, which would, Corbett said, enable the transit system to "maximize ridership and economic growth" along the corridor.

The TOD study will, NJ Transit said, engage stakeholders and members of the public in order to come up with equitable solutions for the corridor, located through portions of North Bergen, Fairview, Ridgefield, Englewood, Leonia and Palisades Park.

Such transit-oriented developments will work with the extension to help secure a "more sustainable future for the region," according to New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti.

"... completion of this critical transportation project will facilitate utilization of mass transit in our region, benefit the environment, and ease life of commuters," Bergen County Commissioner Chairwoman Tracy Zur said.