NJ TRANSIT, the largest statewide public transportation system in the United States, is seeking a contractor to prepare the draft environmental impact statement for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail extension project into Bergen County.
The proposed 10-mile extension would provide light rail service from the current terminus at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen up to a proposed terminal at Englewood Hospital.
The proposed service would operate on West Side Avenue in North Bergen and then on an existing CSX Transportation railroad right-of-way between 91st Street in North Bergen and the northern border of Englewood. The proposed service also would include seven new station stops in North Bergen, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia, and Englewood.
“NJ TRANSIT remains committed to extending the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail into Bergen County,” NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kris Kolluri said. “This RFP (request for proposals) is a concrete demonstration of that commitment. Providing mass transit options to all regions of New Jersey takes cars off the road, cleans the air we breathe and drives economic activity, sustainable housing and a multitude of other benefits.”
The Federal Transit Administration did not review NJ TRANSIT’s previously submitted environmental impact statement citing changes in environmental conditions. The agency has determined the work required to update the statement requires a new contract.