DEP to hold hearings on Greenway

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will host two community listening sessions to gather ideas from the public on the development of the Greenway.
The Greenway is a nine-mile former rail corridor passing through Essex and Hudson counties that will be transformed into a recreational destination for the state.

The first session will be from 10 a.m. to noon at the Newark North Library, 722 Summer Ave., Newark, followed by a workshop and open house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Branch Brook Park roller-skating rink, 7th and Clifton avenues, Newark.

The Greenway represents a unique and transformative opportunity to create a linear recreational and transit corridor for walking, biking, and transit between Montclair and Jersey City, while serving as a catalyst for environmental improvements and economic development in the surrounding communities.

The Greenway stands to become a destination for exercise, recreation, and access to the outdoors; a conduit connecting people to parks, schools, and business districts; and a way for commuters to bypass congested roadways, according to a press release from the state.

The workshops are the first in a series of six that will occur over the next several months. They will feature interactive and informative posters intended to spur conversation on the community’s vision for the Greenway.

Some of the topics to be covered include background on the Greenway, phased development, stormwater management, environmental factors, and safety and security considerations, the release said.