Quote:

Don't misunderestimate the speed of a glacier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxbiNWSNPTk

A few years ago some (grad) students at Rutgers did a feasibility study of adding light rail/trolley service to the park by re-purposing the old Newark city subway cars, which I understand are simply lying in storage. It'd be a low-intensity route so they could be put back into action. It involved service mostly around the perimeter of the park, cutting through Freedom Way and connecting with the HBLR and so forth. They presented this at Liberty Science Center (where I work) for a public hearing of some sort, and I remember thinking at the time that while a little superficial, it'd be great idea. Still is.

I'm sure LSP still has the proposal - this was supposed to dovetail with their original park renovation dates. Glacier speed, baby.

Extend the PATH into greenville and bergen-lafayette and I can guarantee you those areas will be developed and gentrified in no time.

The lightrail and everything else does nothing for those areas. People want to GET OUT of nj, not into nj.

and the ferry is just way too expensive

Not in any order.

1. Light-Rail
2. Tram
3. Train (Subway / Path extension)
4. Ferries
5. Chairlifts / Gondola / Aerial Tram (Across to Ellis and Liberty Island too)
6. Buses
7. Segway Rentals

There are currently 2 ferries that serve the area, not sure another would make a difference, unless it were cheap to ride with free parking and/or easy pedestrian access.

Generally, that is one of the biggest problems I see concerning the park---the lack of safe, pleasant access to the park by foot. I live on the other side of Garfield and the industrial wasteland between the park and the residential areas feels like a moat of sorts. I sometimes ride a bike to the park, but there are no lanes, lots of broken glass, the gagging stench of moldering mulch piles from the recycling plant, cars flying around to and from the turnpike. Just not pleasant to get there unless one drives.

Start with a public bicycle sharing program. This would give people an easy way to access different parts of the park and provide a revenue stream in addition.

Best way to improve neighborhoods is to have a direct linkage to NYC. If there were a ferry from Greenville to NYC, I could definitely see that neighborhood on a faster gentrification pathway.

Funny you should mention a ferry, about 70 plus years ago, up here in Greenville which was considered a suburb to Wall Street and Newark. JC actually use to offer a ferry that took folks to Wall Street... may one day it will return.

How about a Monorail!

wouldn't it be ironic if they extended the lightrail to the waterfront in libety state park and started ferry service from there to manhattan.


smart development! isn't this the way it was 100 years ago.

Jersey City has received a $175,000 state grant to complete a study on public-transportation options in Liberty State Park.

The study, funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), will analyze a range of options for mass-transit service that would serve destinations within the park and existing and future residential development and businesses in the surrounding area.

?We believe that a circulator service will support tourism and enhance the multi-modal mass transit network for park visitors, residents and workers in the vicinity,? said Mayor Jerramiah Healy. ?Because 40 percent of Jersey City residents are without access to a car, many residents rely on public transportation to access park facilities.?

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Liberty State Park station and park-and-ride lot are located on the western edge of the park, but currently there are no transit connections between the Light Rail station and the park?s interior, and many of the park's destinations are beyond a reasonable walking distance.

The city is urging residents to fill out a brief survey so analysts can gain a better understanding of the travel behavior of current and potential park visitors. The survey is available in English and Spanish through the study website, www.lsptransitstudy.com.

Paper copies of the survey are available at the following locations in Jersey City:

Mayor?s Action Bureau at City Hall, 280 Grove St., Room 105.
The Office of the Division of City Planning, 30 Montgomery St., Suite 1400
The Park Office at Liberty State Park, 200 Morris Pesin Dr.
The Information desk at the Central Railroad of NJ Terminal in Liberty State Park.Liberty State Park Trans Grant