NJT Wants To Launch Bus Service From Secaucus To American Dream

SECAUCUS, NJ — On Wednesday of this week, NJ Transit approved the very first steps of a plan to run permanent bus — or bus-like — service between Secaucus Junction train station and the Meadowlands train stop, which serves American Dream mega mall and MetLife stadium.

NJ Transit announced it awarded a $3.5 million contract to HNTB Corporation, a New York City design firm, to come up with a concept plan.

Their proposal, unveiled at the Aug. 25 NJ Transit board meeting, calls for a bus or bus-like vehicles to depart Secaucus station, cross the Hackensack River at Laurel Hill Park along the abandoned Boonton rail tracks and then connect to I-95 near the stadium. Their plan calls for paving over the old Boonton line, which currently has grass and weeds growing in between old railroad ties.

Once on 95, the buses would run on a dedicated bus-only lane until they get to the American Dream/MetLife exit.

That abandoned Boonton line over the Hackensack River is owned by Norfolk Southern freight rail company. So NJ Transit or another group would likely have to buy the narrow strip of land from Norfolk Southern to make this proposal a reality.

Norfolk Southern has not said how much they would sell it for.

There is another idea for the old Boonton rail tracks: This proposal to build the Essex-Hudson Greenway Project, a plan to build a walking/biking path along 8.6 miles of train tracks between Montclair, Secaucus and Jersey City. Think of it as the New Jersey version of the High Line.

The Essex-Hudson Greenway also seeks to use the abandoned Boonton line for their walking/bike path. The railroad path is about 100 feet wide as it crosses the Hackensack.

"The idea has always been that the Greenway and what NJ Transit are proposing are compatible," said Dene Lee, senior director of the NE Land Program Open Space Institute, the group that backs the Greenway.

Renderings released by HNTB show buses operating alongside pedestrians over the Hackensack River, and in their proposal they said they want to "support partner bike and ped goals."

Lee also said the 100-foot track would not need to be widened to fit both the Greenway and the bus route.

"There is plenty of room at 100 feet wide to make these both work," she said.

This map shows the two projects sharing the old Boonton line as it crosses the Hackensack River:

It appears at this time NJ Transit is trying make both a reality:

"NJ Transit continues to diligently work alongside private and public sector stakeholders as expeditiously as possible to identify and explore all future possibilities for this tract of land," said NJT spokeswoman Nancy Snyder. "The goal at this time is to determine the most effective way to proceed in order to successfully incorporate both a pedestrian and bicyclist-friendly trail, and reserve a portion of tract that can effectively be used to increase mass transit options that will alleviate some of the congestion along this heavily traveled segment of the corridor."

"The Essex-Hudson Greenway Coalition, comprised of the Open Space Institute, New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, and the September 11th National Memorial Trail, is completely supportive of NJ Transit’s recent award for the Innovation Challenge to find creative transportation solutions for the Meadowlands," said Lee's group in a statement. "This alternative transportation system could be integrated within a portion of the proposed Essex-Hudson Greenway and is compatible with the long-desired goal of the Greenway to create urban transportation solutions and reduce carbon emissions."

Supporters of the Essex-Hudson Greenway once called it a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity, but just this June they publicly said the plan was in grave jeopardy.

It was previously reported that the Open Space Institute tried to buy the Boonton line from Norfolk Southern, but could not raise enough money.

But Lee said this week her group has a legally binding contract with Norfolk Southern to buy that piece of the rail line.

"We're working on ways to find the financing," she said.

"A formal agreement between the Open Space Institute and Norfolk Southern Rail Corporation remains in place," said her group. "Conversations with the state of New Jersey regarding the purchase of the property continue."

Read more on the Montclair Patch: Essex-Hudson Greenway Plan In Jeopardy, NJ Groups Warn (June 2021)

Gov. Murphy backs bus service

Bus service from Secaucus Junction is still in "concept phase;" no construction has begun. HNTB was awarded the $3.5 million contract to begin "conceptual development and preliminary engineering."

However, this week's awarding of the contract is a significant step forward and means the project will likely happen.

Gov. Phil Murphy also backs the bus service plan; he has not publicly voiced strong support for the walking/bike path.

“The Meadowlands Complex is home to many of our state’s premier attractions, including MetLife Stadium and American Dream,” said Gov. Murphy this week. “This forward-thinking initiative by NJ Transit will explore ways to get more people to and from the many sporting and entertainment events and venues in the Meadowlands."

New Jersey government officials appear eager to help make American Dream be as successful as possible, after the failed Xanadu complex at the site sat as a vacant eyesore for years.

“This critical initiative will support economic growth in the state, while effectively meeting the anticipated travel demand to New Jersey’s premier sports, retail and entertainment destination," said NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett.

For several months now, NJ Transit has been asking for a request for proposals on how to link Secaucus Junction and American Dream/Met Life.

"How would you move a stadium's worth of people seamlessly and continuously between Secaucus Junction and the Meadowlands Sports and Entertainment Complex, anchored by MetLife Stadium and American Dream, seven miles away?" asked NJ Transit. "NJ Transit invites you to participate in a public-private partnership to develop the innovative solutions that will turn this challenge into a reality."

NJ Transit says the service will be "environmentally friendly."

"The Meadowlands represents a very distinct set of challenges to mass transit which must be carefully planned for and addressed as the project progresses," said NJ Transit. "The area is densely populated and includes heavily congested roadways and an existing rail line to Secaucus Junction. Environmentally, the project will be completed with careful attention to the Hackensack River and its surrounding meadows."

You can read the entire proposal for bus service and the Essex-Hudson Greenway here: https://d2g63oyneaimm8.cloudfr...

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