West Side Avenue station
| Company type | Light rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | April 15, 2000 |
| Headquarters | Jersey City, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | Jersey City and surrounding areas |
| Products | Hudson–Bergen Light Rail service |
West Side Avenue station serves as a terminus on the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) system, positioned within Jersey City's West Side neighborhood in New Jersey. Located on the eastern flank of West Side Avenue, it operates as the endpoint of the West Side Avenue branch, providing transit connections to Tonnelle Avenue station in North Bergen. The station comprises a single island platform flanked by two tracks that conclude at this location. Access between the platform and a parking facility with an adjacent bus stop on the western side of West Side Avenue is facilitated by a pedestrian overpass. The station is fully compliant with accessibility standards, featuring an elevator in the pedestrian bridge and level boarding for trains. This station commenced operations on April 15, 2000, as part of the original Hudson–Bergen Light Rail segment.
History
The site of West Side Avenue station once hosted a stop operated by the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Initially established in 1869 under the Newark and New York Railroad at Mallory Avenue (Hudson County Route 611), this stop was originally named West Bergen. It was relocated to its current position along West Side Avenue during the late 1870s. Around 1888, a two-story wooden depot was erected, which was later supplemented by a brick eastbound station measuring 15 by 40 feet in 1910. Passenger service to Newark's Broad Street station was curtailed on February 3, 1946, following damage to the Hackensack River bridge caused by a steamship collision, leading to the cessation of passenger operations on May 6, 1948.
The present-day station opened its doors on April 15, 2000.
In May 2011, NJ Transit revealed plans to extend the line by approximately 0.7 miles from West Side Avenue across Route 440 toward the northern boundary of the planned Bayfront redevelopment zone, where a new station would be constructed. This undertaking was projected to cost $171.6 million and qualified for federal funding assistance. The extension aimed to decrease travel duration between stations to less than two minutes. By December 2017, NJ Transit authorized a $5 million contract for preliminary engineering work associated with this expansion.
Beginning in June 2019, West Side Avenue along with several nearby stations were closed for nine months to facilitate repairs to a sewer line running along the rail corridor. During this interval, NJ Transit operated shuttle buses as substitutes for rail service. Normal train operations resumed on May 23, 2020.
Station layout
Situated atop an embankment on the east side of West Side Avenue, the station includes an island platform bordered by two tracks. At the western extremity are bumper blocks marking track ends, with the platform extending toward a pedestrian bridge equipped with an elevator that links passengers to an expansive park-and-ride area and bus terminal. This facility occupies what was once part of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey Newark and New York Branch right-of-way stretching westward across Newark Bay.
Vicinity
- New Jersey City University
- Droyer's Point
- Bayfront
- Greenville, Jersey City
- St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church
- Henry Snyder High School
- A. Harry Moore School
- Jersey City Board of Education