NJ Transit customers who travel to and from the City of Garfield on the Bergen County Line will now benefit from the recently opened, new and improved Plauderville Station, which is fully accessible to customers with disabilities and provides more convenient access to the station from the parking area.

"Construction of a new station and high-level platforms ensures full accessibility for customers with disabilities, while enhancing overall convenience for everyone who uses it," said NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein. "A major benefit of the new station is that the relocated platforms provide customers with immediate access from the parking area to the station."

In August 2009, the NJ Transit Board of Directors authorized a $7.9 million contract with Anselmi & DeCicco, Inc., of Maplewood, N.J., for the construction of two 450-foot high-level platforms, as well as a new heated waiting area on the inbound platform, canopies, lighting, electronic signage, closed-circuit television cameras, ramps and sidewalks.

The new platforms were built adjacent to the parking area located between Midland Avenue and Outwater Lane, south of the existing low-level platforms, providing customers with more convenient access to the station. With the opening of the new station the old station, located adjacent to Midland Avenue, closed.

Plauderville Station is the first NJ Transit facility to incorporate platforms constructed with an innovative material called Armor Deck, which is a structural polymer composite system used in place of concrete. The use of this material will result in a substantial cost savings to NJ Transit in terms of repairs and replacement over the years, as it resists corrosion and is maintenance free.

Located on the Bergen County Line, Plauderville Station serves about 400 customers on a typical weekday.

After more than a year of construction and seven years of planning, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority East 55th Street Rapid Station will officially be dedicated Tuesday, October 11, at noon. Reek havoc

The $9.4 million, ADA-accessible station is not only an icon in the Slavic Village neighborhood, but will also be as versatile as it is aesthetically pleasing. Construction called for a move to the southeast corner I-490 and East 55th St., making for a more visible landmark and providing easier access to pedestrians and vehicles.

East 55th is unique because it is one of the few stations that services the Red Line, as well the Blue and Green Lines, connecting east side and west side transit, along with linking bus-to-rail service.

The new parking lot and entrance allows buses and automobiles to drop passengers off right at the door of the station. Also new to the station is a center platform that allows convenient transfer between the Red, Blue and Green line transit without having to cross the tracks. At more than 800 feet in length, the platform was a major piece of engineering.

The modern design was selected to embrace the future of its surrounding neighborhood. The stone façade was selected to represent the many churches in the East 55th vicinity.

Public art surrounds the facility, with the structure's purple and cement façade serving as an art form in itself. Art featured includes a mural titled "Space, Speed and Time," along with red figures that appear to move as your train arrives and departs the station.