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NJ TRANSIT NJ TRANSIT

TWO NEW STATIONS TO OPEN ON THE NEWARK CITY SUBWAY

Expanded Service Begins/Weekend Service Resumes on June 22

NEWARK, NJ, JUNE 18, 2002 -- The Newark City Subway system will be extended by one mile beginning Saturday, June 22, when NJ TRANSIT welcomes two new stations -- Silver Lake Station in Belleville and Grove Street Station in Bloomfield. Grove Street Station includes a new 160-space park/ride for the Newark City Subway, the first official park/ride on the 67-year-old system.

"The new stations on the Newark City Subway are indicative of Governor McGreevey’s commitment to developing a strong transportation network and renew the state’s cities," said NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman and State Transportation Commissioner James P. Fox. "The extension benefits new and existing riders and establishes Newark City Subway’s first park/ride facility."

"These new stations and park/ride will better serve residents in Essex County and the surrounding area by providing them with more options when traveling on the Newark City Subway," said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director George D. Warrington. "The new stations are fully accessible to people with disabilities. In addition, the expansion encourages economic development with the help of a reliable public transportation system."

NJ TRANSIT will resume a full schedule of weekday and weekend service on the Newark City Subway on June 22, eliminating the need for substitute bus service related to the construction. However, nightly service to Silver Lake and Grove Street stations concludes each night at 10 p.m. Subway riders can access the No. 90 bus, which serves both Silver Lake and Grove Street stations, to reach their destinations after 10 p.m.

The Newark City Subway extension has also resulted in the consolidation of Heller Parkway and Franklin Avenue stations to form the Branch Brook Park Station. Customers now have full access to the station via the existing bus staging area at Fifth Street, the ramp entrance on Heller Parkway, or the entrance on Grafton Avenue. Heller Parkway Station will close permanently on June 21.

Customers who ride the No. 27 bus and access the subway at Heller Parkway can use the ramp near Heller Parkway or connect to or from the subway near the new Silver Lake Station on Franklin Street. Connecting service from either station will require a transfer fee of $1.60.

In addition, NJ TRANSIT will increase parking capacity on the system by adding 60 daily and 100 monthly permit parking spaces at the Grove Street Station. Parking fees will be waived from June 22 to June 30. Beginning July 1, parking permits must be purchased in combination with transportation fees from designated Ticket Vending Machines at the lot near the station entrance.

Daily round trip transportation and parking from Grove Street Station will cost $4.20, while monthly parking and transportation will cost $85. Customers can purchase July monthly parking and transportation tickets on June 22. However, they must retain their June monthly pass for transportation through the end of the month.

Riders can get additional information on schedules and fares by contacting NJ TRANSIT between 6 a.m. and midnight at 1-800-772-2222. For persons with hearing impairments, the number is 1-800-772-2287. Information is also available on the Internet at www.njtransit.com.

The opening of the two new stations marks the first extension of the Newark City Subway since a short segment from Heller Parkway to Franklin Avenue opened in November 1940. The Newark City Subway improvement project cost $188 million and was funded by the federal and state governments. Those costs included:

  • Construction of the City Subway extension to Bloomfield.
  • 16 New LRVs.
  • Modernization and accessibility improvements at three existing stations (Penn Station, Washington Street and Orange Street) and construction of Branch Brook Park Station (consolidation of Heller Parkway and Franklin Avenue stations).
  • Track, power and signal rehabilitation on the current segment.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing Bus, rail and light rail services for 380,600 daily commuters on 238 bus routes, two light rail lines and 12 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 163 rail stations, 26 light rail stations and more than 17,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

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