The Greenway (Formerly the Essex Hudson Greenway) is an approximately nine-mile, 100-foot-wide linear corridor spanning Essex and Hudson Counties through eight municipalities (Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, Kearny, Secaucus, Jersey City). The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition led an advocacy campaign for over a decade to have the former rail line become a public greenway accessible to millions of residents in the region. Our advocacy campaign was successful! The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection acquired the property from Norfolk Southern Railroad on August 19, 2022 and announced it will become the next New Jersey State Park.
The Greenway will transform the region with an equitable and safe path for commuters and recreational use, as well as countless economic, environmental and health benefits. It will provide a safe transportation and recreation corridor for people of all ages walking, biking and rolling, access to nature and connect communities from Montclair to Jersey City.
The Department of Environmental Protection is now in the process of determining a phase 1 section of the Greenway to open by the end of 2025 and working to hire consultants to assist with the creation of a strategic master plan. They are also charged with organizing an interagency working group and organizing interactions with local elected officials, residents, and other stakeholders.
The DEP now has a website for the Greenway. Inquiries about the Greenway should be directed to them through their website.
This could not have happened without your amazing support. A broad coalition of supporters composed of local government leaders, environmental and community-based organizations and literally thousands of residents wrote letters, made phone calls, and showed up to support this once in a lifetime opportunity to create a truly valuable public asset.
NJBWC will continue to support the development of the Greenway and work towards its development that includes input from the many diverse communities it will connect. Thank you all for your support over the years and we look forward to working with you to bring the next stage of this amazing project to life.