NJ TRANSIT opens Bayonne station PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, February 01, 2011

 

NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein joined local, state and federal officials at the grand opening of the new 8th Street Station in Bayonne, welcoming Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service to a new neighborhood and kicking off inaugural service on the recently completed one-mile extension.

As part of the opening ceremony, a special light-rail train operated from 34th Street Station in Bayonne, carrying local officials and dignitaries along the new segment of the line, over the viaduct and into the elevated 8th Street Station. Following welcoming remarks from Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, area leaders such as U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and U.S. Representative Albio Sires highlighted the benefits of the new station for local residents.

In April 2008, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors awarded a $58.4 million contract to George Harms Construction, Inc. of Howell, N.J., for work to extend the light-rail line one mile from its previous southern terminus at 22nd Street. The project included the design and construction of foundations, viaduct structure, trackwork, intersection improvements, a new station building, landscaping, lighting and customer amenities.

Construction work on the project began in October 2008. From the elevated 22nd Street Station, the light rail tracks were extended south, hugging the existing Conrail right-of-way along Avenue E. A viaduct was built to carry light-rail vehicles over local streets to an elevated platform at the new 8th Street Station, which features an elevator and stairs between street and platform levels.

"Hudson-Bergen Light Rail is much more than a transportation system-it is an engine of economic development for the region, creating jobs during its construction, and now serving as the vehicle of choice for thousands who live and work here as they use the system for their daily commute," said FTA Regional Administrator Brigid Hynes-Cherin. "It has also been a shining example of the good things that can happen when government agencies, communities, legislators and stakeholders work together."

As a result of community meetings, the station was constructed at Avenue C and 8th Street, with architecture reminiscent of the old Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) station that once stood near the site.

The new 8th Street Station was designed as a "walkable" station for Bayonne residents. The station also features a "Kiss and Ride" area with 10 short-term parking spaces for customers who wish to get dropped off at or picked up from the station.

Two new bus stops at the station will facilitate intermodal connections between light-rail and bus service for customers of the No. 81 Bayonne-Jersey City and No. 120 Bayonne-Downtown New York bus routes.

 
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