Highly Anticipated Greenway In North Jersey Is Taking Shape: See Latest Updates

Progress continues to be made on a gargantuan hiking and biking pathway in North Jersey.

Work officially began on the ambitious Essex-Hudson Greenway last year. The plan? Transform an old, defunct nine-mile railroad line into a 100-foot-wide biking and hiking path.

When it’s complete, New Jersey’s newest state park will cross above the Passaic and Hackensack rivers and pass through eight towns in some of the most densely populated parts of the state: Bloomfield, Belleville, Glen Ridge, Jersey City, Kearny, Montclair, Newark and Secaucus.

Here are two updates to know about the ongoing project:

PROGRESS REPORT

Construction of the nearly Newark portion of the park is underway and is anticipated to open in 2027.

On Monday, state officials said there are plans to plant more than 170,000 native trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials along the one-mile segment of pathway. A sampling of the plantings includes 206 deciduous canopy trees, such as red maple, black tupelo, American sycamore and white oak; 335 understory and evergreen trees at maturity, including eastern redbud, flowering dogwood and eastern red cedar; 1,356 large shrubs, including gray dogwood, witch hazel, northern bayberry, highbush blueberry and pussy willow; and 2,889 small shrubs, including black chokeberry, inkberry, Carolina rose and black raspberry.

The planting plan also includes 165,609 groundcover perennials spanning 132,980 square feet, featuring milkweed, black-eyed susan, wreath goldenrod, New England aster and wild geranium, among others. In addition, 84,139 square feet will be planted in native upland wildlife forage and meadow habitat, along with 46,693 square feet of lawn grass mix.

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Earlier in June, state officials celebrated National Trails Day by hosting a guided walk at the future Bloomfield segment of the greenway. More than 80 people showed up to hike the trail, walking just over a mile – and learning some history about the site along the way.

Another leg of the greenway will be constructed in Glen Ridge, where more than 50 volunteers recently joined the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for a community cleanup and visioning session. Participants removed litter and other discarded materials from the future park and worked alongside New Jersey State Parks and township staff to cut back vegetation, including the removal of invasive species.

• Related: 50 Volunteers Clean Up Future Site Of Essex-Hudson Greenway

All areas of the future state park are currently closed to public access, except for guided events. Learn more about the project and its timeline here. See a list of frequently asked questions here.

CHOOSING A NAME

The NJDEP is asking the public to vote on an official moniker for New Jersey’s newest state park, which has been known as the “Essex-Hudson Greenway” so far.

Voting will be open until 4 p.m. on June 29, and can be done online here.

Here are the four names currently under consideration, state officials said:

PROSPERITY STATE PARK – New Jersey’s official state motto is “Liberty and Prosperity.” The state’s first urban state park, Liberty State Park, is in Jersey City, and the long-term vision for the new park includes a future connection to Jersey City and, ultimately, Liberty State Park. Under that vision, Liberty and Prosperity state parks would be linked, symbolically connecting the two pillars of the state motto.

RIDGE & RIVER STATE PARK – “Ridge & River” describes the physical geography, connecting upland ridges to lowland waterways, across Essex and Hudson counties.

IRONLINE STATE PARK – “Ironline” references the former iron rails that transported people, animals, materials and finished products from Upstate New York to the banks of the Hudson River. Those iron rails are now replaced by a corridor connecting habitats and the associated wildlife, as well as people and their communities. The design elements included in the first constructed segment of the new park reinforces this name.

STEEL TRAIL STATE PARK – “Steel Trail” evokes the rail corridor’s industrial past and its new life as a public trail. “Steel” references the strength and permanence of the infrastructure once used for commerce and transit, while “Trail” suggests a welcoming and accessible space for recreation, community, and movement. The various metal design elements reinforce this name.

• Related: Long-Awaited 'Greenway' Is Shaping Up In New Jersey
• Related: Essex-Hudson Greenway: Work Continues In North Jersey

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