Cheers In Essex County For Huge Hiking, Biking ‘Greenway’

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — At its heart, the Essex-Hudson Greenway is about environmental responsibility and the preservation of open space. But according to Brendan Gill, it’s also about building community between the towns and cities that will thread through New Jersey’s newest state park.

Gill, a Montclair resident and Essex County commissioner, was one of several elected officials in the area who cheered the state’s official acquisition of the long-awaited, massive hiking and biking path on Thursday (watch the video below).

Last year, officials announced that the state will be purchasing nearly 135 acres of property in North Jersey for $65 million. The plan? Turn an old, defunct nine-mile railroad line into a 100-foot-wide biking and hiking path. Read More: NJ Will Turn Old Railway Into Huge 'Greenway' For Hiking, Biking

When complete, the greenway will cross through eight towns and cities: Jersey City, Secaucus, Kearny, Newark, Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge and Montclair. Read More: Essex-Hudson Greenway Closer But Work May Take Years, Officials Say

The project follows the right-of-way of the eastern portion of NJ Transit’s former Boonton Line. Passenger service was discontinued on this portion of the line in 2002, following the completion of NJ Transit’s Montclair Connection and the diversion of Boonton Line trains onto the transit carrier’s Morris & Essex Line. After the termination of NJ Transit’s commuter service, limited freight service continued until the last rail customer ceased operations in 2015.

Supporters of the project say that benefits of the new greenway will help commuters travel from New Jersey to New York City, improve air quality and help to manage stormwater runoff. The greenway will also mean more access to hiking and biking opportunities for residents in one of the state’s most densely populated areas.

Gill – who has been an ardent supporter of the project since it was first proposed more than a decade ago – appeared alongside Gov. Phil Murphy at a news conference on Thursday, accompanied by his peers on the commissioner board, including its president, Wayne Richardson, Patricia Sebold and Leonard Luciano.

“I believe, upon its completion, the Essex-Hudson Greenway will serve as a blueprint for future projects nationwide,” Gill enthused. “It will demonstrate the positive effects large-scale, environmentally friendly transportation projects can have on our community.”

“The Essex-Hudson Greenway will connect people and connect communities,” he added. “It will literally bring people together and allow residents from different communities to experience and understand that we are the same community.”

Richardson agreed, noting that while the process to secure the land wasn’t easy, the diligent work of advocates and groups such as the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition, the Open Space Institute and the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance helped to make it possible.

These three groups – who have united under the banner of the Essex-Hudson Greenway Coalition – each had high praise for the official acquisition of the property, which takes the entire project a big step closer to opening day.

“This acquisition by Gov. Murphy and the state of New Jersey brings us one step closer to creating much-needed green space to the most densely populated and diverse region in the entire nation,” said Kim Elliman, president and CEO of the Open Space Institute, which secured the purchase agreement for the 135-acre former rail property and provided transactional support for the acquisition.

Debra Kagan, executive director of the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, called the latest development “a historic step” on the path to transforming the region.

“We want to thank the many advocates who persevered over so many years to fulfill this dream, and to thank Gov. Murphy for securing this land and his commitment to creating it as New Jersey’s next state park,” Kagan said.

Andy Hamilton, chair of the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance board of directors, noted that in 2021, the organization received “unanimous federal legislation” for the trail route connections the National Memorial and Museum in New York to the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, VA, to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA, creating a triangle-shaped, 1,300-mile trail route.

The Essex-Hudson Greenway will comprise a portion of the 1,300-mile, multi-use trail, Hamilton said.

“Many people don’t realize that in addition to providing nearby residents with new green space, the Essex-Hudson Greenway also has national significance as a component of the 9/11 Memorial Trail,” Hamilton said.

Other local organizations that have advocated for the greenway over the years have included the Bloomfield Open Space Trust Fund, the Friends of the Ice & Iron Trail, and community groups in North Newark, Jersey City and Hoboken.

Gill and the other members of the commissioner board aren’t the only elected officials in Essex County who whooped it up for the greenway this week. Other support came from:

Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz – “For far too long our families have had to deal with the negative impact of an abandoned rail line. From illegal dumping to being an inviting space for negative activities, the rail line has tainted homeownership, backyards, new developments, new elementary schools and the first countywide park system in the country. It is truly historic to see this project finally coming to fruition, which will bring an end to a decades long public nuisance. Today’s announcement shows that New Jersey will continue to fight for environmental justice. I am grateful Governor Murphy sees the value in this project and I look forward to being a partner in this endeavor, which will be a game changer for open space.”

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. – “I want to thank Governor Murphy for putting the state’s resources behind the initiative to preserve this nine-mile ribbon as open space. The greenway has unlimited potential to enhance our quality of life, create new recreation opportunities and spur economic development. As someone who is dedicated to making our county parks as best as they can be, I look forward to creating this wonderful resource.”

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