Broadway station (NJ Transit)
| Company type | NJ Transit rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Headquarters | Fair Lawn, New Jersey , United States |
| Products | Passenger rail service |
Broadway—also referred to as Broadway–Fair Lawn—serves as a NJ Transit train station positioned on the Bergen County Line within Fair Lawn, New Jersey, located in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It represents one of the pair of NJ Transit stops found in Fair Lawn, the other being Radburn. The station is situated atop an overpass crossing Route 4, which carries the name Broadway through both Elmwood Park and Fair Lawn.
History
In April 1932, Councilman Thomas Knott introduced a proposal to rename the Warren Point station, a motion that received backing from the Fair Lawn Borough Council. Contrarily, the Fair Lawn Civic Association opposed this change and submitted a petition advocating for preservation of the Warren Point designation. Their objection was grounded in the fact that the name predates Fair Lawn itself, and they alleged that Postmaster Charles Challice had influenced the renaming effort to serve his post office interests.
Knott refuted claims of any collaboration or involvement by Challice, emphasizing that his intention was to diminish divisions within the borough. The Civic Association acknowledged Knott’s correspondence with the Erie Railroad requesting the name alteration. By June 1932, Erie Railroad urged reconsideration of the proposal by the council.
On November 17, 1933, a fire ignited by an unattended overheated stove destroyed the Warren Point depot, inflicting damage estimated at approximately $1,000. The Erie Railroad undertook rebuilding during the winter of 1934, investing $2,200 and utilizing fire-resistant materials along with insurance proceeds. The reconstructed station measured 14 by 18 feet.
Route 4 overpass (1940–1947)
In January 1940, Fair Lawn Police Chief Michael Vanore called upon the Erie Railroad to move the depot constructed in 1934 away from its congested location at Route 4 and Rosalie Street. The depot’s proximity to the railroad bridge created dangerous traffic congestion due to inadequate parking facilities, forcing vehicles to park along the roadway. Meanwhile, neighboring East Paterson opposed relocating the station, concerned it would limit access for Rosemont residents.[1]
By 1941, Vanore advocated for prohibiting parking on Route 4 eastbound near Turnbridge Road, warning that failure to implement this would necessitate relocating the depot. In May of that year, New Jersey State Highway Commissioner E. Donald Sterner requested $175,000 in federal funding to resolve this bottleneck issue. The narrow underpass beneath Route 4 (reduced from 22 feet to 18 feet) had been linked to numerous accidents since 1931, some fatal. Vanore suggested installing a center island to slow traffic and restrict turning movements.[2]
By September 1941, after consultation with the State Highway Department—which dismissed traffic signals due to few cross streets—the Fair Lawn Borough Council prohibited angle parking and U-turns on Route 4.[3]
On August 31, 1945, Governor Walter E. Edge announced a state-funded initiative allocating $230,000 for widening Route 4 at Warren Point station as part of a broader $4.295 million public works plan. This project awaited approval from the War Production Board concerning restrictions on expenditures exceeding $100,000.[4] In October 1945, Ell Dorer Contracting Company from Irvington secured the contract with a bid of $187,782.[5]
Work commenced in August 1946 and included erecting a temporary wooden bridge just east of the existing one to ensure uninterrupted train operations along the Bergen County Shortcut. By July 1947, construction neared completion on a new concrete and steel bridge designed by Erie Railroad.[6]
Recent developments
In 2008, merchants in the area appealed to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to enhance safety measures on Route 4 near the Broadway station, prompted by a series of collisions and pedestrian incidents. Their primary demand was the installation of a traffic signal at the crossing. Initially, NJDOT responded by reducing the speed limit from to , refreshing the intersection's markings, and adding a flashing pedestrian crossing alert in 2011; despite these efforts, accidents persisted. The following year, the Broadway Improvement Corporation obtained a $300,000 grant aimed at implementing alternative pedestrian crossing enhancements originating from East 55th Street.
By 2015, NJDOT rolled out an upgraded safety system that included coordinated traffic signals along Route 4, repositioned crosswalks, and pedestrian-activated signals granting a 30-second crossing interval.[7]
Station configuration
This station consists of two tracks served by low-level side platforms. While there is no parking within Fair Lawn itself, an 80-space permit parking lot is available across Broadway at East 55th Street in Elmwood Park. Pedestrian access is provided via Broadway and Rosalie Street—the latter terminating at the northbound platform—with two stairways leading from Broadway. The southbound platform heading towards Hoboken features a ticket machine and a shelter for passengers.