NJ TRANSIT BOARD APPROVES UPGRADES TO NEWARK LIGHT RAIL BLOOMFIELD AVENUE STATION

Improvements will make major transfer point accessible to customers with disabilities

March 14, 2012
NJT-12-022

NEWARK, NJ — Improvements to make Newark Light Rail’s Bloomfield Avenue Station accessible to customers with disabilities and more convenient for all customers will begin this spring, under a contract approved today by the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors. 

“Projects like this reinforce our steadfast commitment to enhancing the accessibility of our facilities and helping to ensure that public transportation is a viable option for all New Jersey residents,” said Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman James Simpson.

The Board authorized a $5.2 million contract with DMR Construction of Waldwick, NJ, for the construction of accessibility improvements at the station, which include raising and extending the two existing station platforms to enhance level boarding for customers who use mobility devices, installing elevators and a pedestrian grade crossing, constructing street-level canopies to protect customers from the elements, and upgrading lighting and customer communication systems. 

“Improvements to enhance level boarding for customers will ensure accessibility for our customers with disabilities, while other improvements will enhance the overall customer experience—one of the key tenets of our Scorecard initiative—for everyone who uses the station,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein.

Located in Newark, Bloomfield Avenue Station serves approximately 2,700 average weekday customer trips and is a major transfer point to and from several NJ TRANSIT local bus lines that serve communities north and west of the station, including Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair, Verona, Cedar Grove, Little Falls, Clifton and Paterson. 

To minimize the impact to customers, work will be performed in phases, enabling a portion of each station platform to remain open throughout construction.  In addition, the agency will launch an extensive communication plan that will include traditional methods such as construction posters, website advisories and My Transit alerts, as well as social media platforms.

The project’s completion, expected by the end of next year, will bring the total number of accessible Newark Light Rail stations to 12, out of the total 17. 

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 164 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.