The NJ Transit Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit system received a major grant of $485 million that will expand the existing system even further south into Bayonne and to the most northern points in North Bergen as part of its second phase of construction.
According to NJ Transit officials, the NJ Transit Board of Directors received news of the financial windfall last week. They officially announced the monetary award Wednesday.
The grant monies come on the news that the federal Department of Transportation has approved a full-funding agreement grant for the second phase of the project. The second phase of the Light Rail project is expected to be completed by 2005.
According to the plans of the proposal, six new station stops will be built along Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, with an additional Park and Ride parking lot. One area had already been designated at the site of a former trailer park on 48th Street and Tonnelle Avenue.
Also, 30 additional 90-foot light rail trains will be used in the new phase of the system.
The system will connect to the Port Imperial ferry terminal in Weehawken and on into Hoboken, as the original plans called for when the Light Rail was originally introduced five years ago.
The first phase of the HBLRT system has been operating on a seven-mile stretch through Bayonne into downtown Jersey City at Exchange Place since last year. However, the daily usage of 2,500 passengers is far below the anticipated 10,000 riders that NJ Transit had hoped would use the system when it was put into effect. Still, the influx of new dollars has to help the project along to the ultimate goal. It will connect the southernmost point of Bayonne to the Vince Lombardi Park and Ride lot in Ridgefield by the year 2010, covering a total span of more than 23 miles.
NJ Transit said that it hopes to have two light rail lines open with access to Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City by April, 2001, which the agency believes will greatly increase ridership.