The City of Newark’s redevelopment for Broad Street, the six-lane, 96-foot wide roadway that is much of the city’s main street, promises easier mobility, more alternatives to driving and a better pedestrian environment. While parts of the project are yet to be funded, other parts of the project are already under construction.

New Jersey Transit is currently constructing a new light rail line connecting Newark Penn and Broad Street stations. A short segment of the line will run on Broad St., while the line as a whole is expected to remove some motor traffic from the thoroughfare. The light rail will stop in front of the NJ Performing Arts Center and the Newark Bears baseball stadium. This first segment of the line should be completed and open in 2006. It’s unclear when or if the line’s planned extension to the center of Elizabeth will happen.

A raised, planted Broad Street median, tall enough to stop pedestrians from jaywalking, and lowered in cross walks to create refuge for pedestrians who cannot cross in one try will be constructed as soon as funding becomes available. As planned, the median will run the length of Broad Street in Newark, from the recently completed Route 17 viaduct two miles across town to Bloomfield Avenue.

Currently, funding is only available for the median at the intersection of Broad and Market Streets, identified by the NJ DOT as one of the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians in New Jersey.

Another new feature for the street will allow buses to speed passenger boarding and alighting., and may calm traffic as well. Curbs at bus stops will be extended six feet into the street, placing part of the bus stop in what is now the parking lane. This will allow buses to stop without the delay of pulling in and out of traffic. It will also create more room and a better pedestrian environment around Broad Street bus stops.

Similar to the Broad Street median, construction of the "bus bulbs" is planned for the near future, but the project is not yet funded.

MTR back issues:

Go to index of all Mobilizing the Region back issues.