Newark Council OKs Transit Village Proposal For ‘Four Corners’

NEWARK, NJ — The intersection of Broad and Market Street, also known as the “Four Corners,” is one of the busiest in Newark. Early maps of Newark from the 1660s show that the city was founded around the intersection. In more recent times, it’s been the setting for major motion pictures like “Joker.”

And those are just a few of the reasons why the area deserves a “transit village” designation, according to Mayor Ras Baraka.

Earlier this week, the Newark Municipal Council approved Baraka’s proposal to petition the state to designate the half-mile around Broad and Market Streets as a transit village. The move would enable New Jersey to partner with Newark in an effort to reduce traffic congestion, increase mass transit use and “build a more diverse and pedestrian-friendly downtown,” the mayor said.

Baraka said the designation would ultimately give the people of Newark more control over development in their city.

“Market forces already drive development in Newark,” Baraka stated. “The transit village designation gives us a greater say in prioritizing mixed-use and mixed-income growth downtown.”

“Recognition as a transit village will unlock funding from the state for development that makes the area more transit-oriented,” Deputy Mayor and Director of Economic and Housing Development Allison Ladd said.

“That would mean placing mixed-use properties, pedestrians, bicyclists and more accessible and efficient public transportation options at the forefront of future development,” Ladd added.

It may also help nab some funding via New Jersey Department of Transportation Transit Village grants, and net the area priority status for other state programs, officials said.

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