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The HBLR Route 440 Extension Project

The HBLR Route 440 Extension Project will expand the HBLR West Side Avenue branch. The approximately 3,700-foot route extension will include one new station west of the state highway, supporting Jersey City’s planned development on the Hackensack waterfront. The project has moved from the environmental studies phase to preliminary engineering.

Why is this project important?

Click here to learn about the extension’s benefits.

Jersey City, NJ is planning for substantial redevelopment and growth at its western edge, along the Hackensack River, with a mix of new residential, commercial, and institutional uses on former industrial sites. Major projects planned in the area include the new West Campus of New Jersey City University (on the east side of Route 440) and proposed improvements to Route 440 itself. The success of this redevelopment depends on improved transit service to the area, as well as connectivity with the eastern portions of Jersey City.

When the HBLR was in its planning stages, service to the western waterfront area of Jersey City (near Route 440) was considered. Projected to add 4,000 passenger trips each day, the HBLR Route 440 Extension Project will connect residents to planned economic opportunities, continuing to make light rail a vital asset for the community.

PROJECT STATUS

Early action work has been completed for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Route 440 Extension Project (HBLR Route 440 Extension Project).

In May 2020, NJ TRANSIT restored service to the West Side Avenue Station, following the reopening of Martin Luther King Drive and Garfield Avenue stations the previous month. Service had been suspended for approximately nine months on the West Side Avenue Branch while the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority (JCMUA) repaired a deteriorating sewer pipe that ran directly underneath the light rail tracks.

While this utility work took place, NJ TRANSIT completed early construction work for the HBLR Route 440 Extension Project, including upgrades to the stairs and platform area at the West Side Avenue Station. These upgrades were completed in September 2020 and are in preparation for the future work that will extend the line west 3700 ft. to the new Bayfront Station.

The next steps being taken to complete the project include, but are not limited to, applying and seeking funding to complete the project, complete design, acquire the appropriate real estate and begin utility relocations.

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