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Port Imperial

Coordinates: 40°46′33″N 74°00′46″W / 40.7759°N 74.0129°W / 40.7759; -74.0129
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Ferry terminal as seen from the Palisades
Port Imperial Ferry
Light rail platform, which contains a pedestrian bridge to the ferry terminal
The light rail platform with the pedestrian bridge connecting to the ferry terminal in the background
General information
Location4800 Avenue at Port Imperial (ferry)
Port Imperial Boulevard (rail)
Weehawken, New Jersey
Coordinates40°46′33″N 74°00′46″W / 40.7759°N 74.0129°W / 40.7759; -74.0129
Owned byNew Jersey Transit
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Bicycle facilitiesYes[1]
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station code30825 (NJ Transit)
Fare zone1 (NJ Transit)
History
OpenedOctober 29, 2005 (2005-10-29) (rail)[2]
May 22, 2006 (2006-05-22) (ferry)[3]
Services
Preceding station NJ Transit Following station
Lincoln Harbor
toward West Side Avenue
 West Side–Tonnelle Bergenline Avenue
toward Tonnelle Avenue
Lincoln Harbor
toward Hoboken
 Hoboken–Tonnelle
Location
Map

Port Imperial is a community centered around an intermodal transit hub on the Weehawken, New Jersey, waterfront of the Hudson River across from Midtown Manhattan, served by New York Waterway ferries and buses, Hudson–Bergen Light Rail, and NJT buses. The district lies under and at the foot of Pershing Road, a thoroughfare traveling along the face of the Hudson Palisades, which rise to its west. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway runs along the shoreline and is abutted by recently constructed residential neighborhoods, Lincoln Harbor to the south and Bulls Ferry to the north.

History

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Weehawken Terminal and Pershing Road circa 1906

Early ferries and railroads

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The North Hudson waterfront is located north of Weehawken Cove on a long narrow strip of land between the Hudson River and Hudson Palisades. On April 18, 1670 the government of the Province of New Jersey confirmed a grant to Maryn Adriaensen for a parcel of land called Wiehacken in the jurisdiction of Bergen on Hobooken Creek, 50 morgen Dutch measure originally given on May 11, 1647. Sporadic ferry service began and in 1700 a royal patent was given by Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont[4] which led to the naming of Weehawken Street at the landing across the river in today's West Village. Later called Slough's Meadow, the waterfront has in the last centuries been transformed from a tidal marsh[5] to an extensive rail and shipping port and, since the 1980s, redeveloped for commercial, residential, recreational, and transportation uses. Many duels, including the nation's most famous between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804, took place on a site later obliterated by rail infrastructure of the West Shore Railroad (also used by the New York, Ontario and Western and the Erie Railroad).[6][7]

Extensive yards lined the shore and connected to tunnel under the Palisades

The turn of the 20th century saw the growth of the railyards, carfloats, ferry slips, and passenger station of Weehawken Terminal. The main ferry ran to 42nd Street and for short time was a component of the transcontinental Lincoln Highway. The highway and the trolleys of North Hudson County Railway and later the Public Service Railway ascended Pershing Road. The Weehawken was the last ferry to the West Shore Terminal on March 25, 1959, at 1:10 am.[8][page needed] and train service was discontinued. The right of way (originally part of the NYC's New Jersey Junction Railroad) was later used by the Penn Central River Division [9] and the Conrail River Line before being abandoned. The United Fruit Company once maintained the largest banana warehouse in the United States adjacent to its berths.[10][11][12] As with much of the traditional harbor of the Port of New York and New Jersey, the infrastructure became obsolete as passenger and freight transport patterns changed.

Post-industrial era

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The restoration of rail and ferry services is of a much smaller scale. In 1981 Arthur Edward Imperatore, Sr., trucking magnate, purchased a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) length of the Weehawken Yard from the bankrupt Penn Central for $7.5 million, his surname an inspiration for Port Imperial. New York Waterway was established in 1986.[13] Service was originally provided from a converted ferry moored at the shore next to the marina south of the current terminal.[14][15] New Jersey Transit contracted the extensive renovation and waterproofing of the Weehawken Tunnel under Bergen Hill which had been built in 1881.[16][17][18] The new ferry terminal, built and owned by New Jersey Transit and leased by NY Waterway,[19] opened in May 2006.[3][20] The HBLR station opened for weekend service in November 2005[21] and full-time service on October 29, 2006.[22] The construction and maintenance of stairways from atop the cliffs at Boulevard East to the station and the bridge from the station to the ferry slips have been a source of contention and controversy. The area, still under development,[23] is considered to be too oriented to automobiles, rather than pedestrians.[24] While there has been some integration in the wider public transportation system, some transportation is geared within the development site, including parking lots.[25][26][27]

In 2009, New York Waterway was instrumental in the rescue of passengers on US Airways Flight 1549, which made an emergency landing on the Hudson River near Port Imperial.[28] A memorial to the September 11 attacks was unveiled on the event's 10th anniversary.[29]

Waterfront Community

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The district along the Hudson Waterfront has expanded to become a residential, commercial, and recreational neighborhood.[30] In June 2011, ground was broken on 850-space garage and retail space building, across from the ferry terminal.[31][32] In October 2011, the hub was announced as the site of the Port Imperial Street Circuit, a motorsport venue hosting the Grand Prix of America, a round of the Formula One World Championship.[33] The start-finish line and pit facilities for the event were supposed to be directly opposite the ferry terminal, and the area was to be further redeveloped for the race, however the event never materialized.[34] In June 2013, a long-awaited bridge connecting the ferry terminal and light rail station was opened.[35][36] In recent years, there has been many residential buildings built up in the area centered on luxury high rises.

Services

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Ferry

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NY Waterway ferries operate to West Midtown Ferry Terminal 7 days a week, Battery Park City Ferry Terminal/Brookfield Pace during weekday rush hours, and Pier 11/Wall Street weekday rush hours and weekends.[37] At the West Midtown terminal, NY Waterway offers free connecting shuttle buses to further serve Midtown Manhattan.[38] NY Waterway maintains a ferry maintenance refueling facility south of the terminal.[39]

Bus

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NY Waterway offers two shuttle bus routes serving River Road[40][41] and three intra-site routes serving the Port Imperial district.[42][43] Buses operate rush hours only and at no cost. Weehawken Township also operates a shuttle bus on weekdays.[44] In May 2013 NY Waterway initiated afternoon bus service along the NJT bus routes 158, and 159R, which travel north to Fort Lee, and 156R, with continuing service to Englewood Cliffs.[45][46]

NJ Transit Bus routes 23, 156, 158, 159 stop adjacent to the rail station in the southbound direction and outside the ferry terminal in the northbound direction.[47][48][49][50]

Light rail

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Stairways to station

In June 2012, NJT and NY Waterway began a fare-sharing program for riders transferring between the light rail and ferries for ten-trip and monthly tickets holders,[51] in a program called Surf and Turf.[52]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Port Imperial Station Weehawken". NJ Transit. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "NJ Transit Announces Grand Opening Date for New Light Rail Stations" (Press release). February 2, 2006. Archived from the original on December 28, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Media Advisory: Port Imperial Ferry Terminal Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Weehawken on Monday" (Press release). New Jersey Transit. May 19, 2006. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  4. ^ Person, Lenore. "The History of Hudson River Ferry Service". HudsonRiver.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  5. ^ New York Historical Society (1995). Jackson, Kenneth T. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 398–400. ISBN 0-300-05536-6 – via Archive.org.
  6. ^ "North Hudson 1884 map". The Weehawken Time Machine. Township of Weehawken Historical Commission. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  7. ^ "The Erie RR's Waterfront Operations: Weehawken, NJ". Railfan.net: Erie Lackawanna Railroad Memories. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  8. ^ Adams, Arthur G. (1996). The Hudson Through the Years. Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-1676-5 – via archive.org.
  9. ^ "Penn Central Rivier Division map". Penn Central Railroad Online. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  10. ^ McCarten, John (July 4, 1959). "Harbor Display". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  11. ^ Martin, Antoinette (June 26, 2005). "'Repositioning' a Riverfront Town". New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  12. ^ "Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Discontinuance Exemption--in Hudson County, NJ \1\". United States Environmental Protection Agency. December 5, 2000. Archived from the original on January 2, 2004.
  13. ^ Carroll, Timothy J. (October 11, 2009). "20 years crossing the Hudson". The Jersey City Reporter. Hoboken: Hudson Reporter. pp. 7 & 16. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  14. ^ "Weehawken Terminal Plan Forgets Pedestrians". Tri-State Transportation Campaign. September 15, 2003. Archived from the original on June 9, 2004.
  15. ^ Hiss, Anthony (December 22, 1986). "Ferryboat Comeback". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  16. ^ "DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE WEEHAWKEN TUNNEL AND BERGENLINE AVENUE STATION FOR THE HUDSON-BERGEN LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM". Transportation Research Board. April 6, 2004. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  17. ^ "New York – West Shore & Buffalo RR tunnel, Weehawken, Bergen Hill, Hudson Co., New Jersey, USA". Mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  18. ^ Office of the Governor of New Jersey (April 22, 2002). "Paterson Plank Road Project Debuts in Hudson County" (Press release). Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  19. ^ "Weehawken Ferry Terminal Project Unveiled at NJ Transit Board of Directors Meeting" (Press release). New Jersey Transit. July 11, 2001. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  20. ^ McGeehan, Patrick (May 23, 2006). "$44 Million Ferry Terminal Is to Open in Weehawken". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  21. ^ Hague, Jim (November 8, 2005). "Light Rail moves up the coast Will offer weekend service through Weehawken; next stop, Union City and North Bergen". Hudson Reporter. Archived from the original on September 17, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  22. ^ "Weehawken Tunnel Photos". The Subway Nut.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  23. ^ "A World-Class Developer". Archived from the original on February 29, 2000.
  24. ^ Allocca, Sean (August 8, 2010). "Getting pedestrians to the waterfront". Hudson Reporter. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  25. ^ "Port imperial local shuttles". NY Waterway. Archived from the original on May 3, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  26. ^ Sullivan, Al (November 29, 2018). "Push for driver's licenses". Hoboken Reporter. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  27. ^ Diaz, Lana Rose (April 25, 2010). "Don't try this at home". Hudson Reporter. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  28. ^ Applebome, Peter (January 18, 2009). "A Small Town's Recurring Role as a Rescue Beacon". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  29. ^ Mestanza, Jean-Pierre (April 20, 2011). "Weehawken breaks ground on 9/11 memorial". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  30. ^ Martin, Antoinette (May 28, 2006). "Where Manhattan is the biggest Amenity". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  31. ^ "Weehawken Twp. and Roseland Property Company Break Ground on Ferry Parking Garage at Port Imperial". Cahncom Real Estate Round-up. July 7, 2011. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  32. ^ Mestanza, Jean-Paul (June 30, 2011), "Weehawken breaks ground on 850-space garage at ferry terminal", The Jersey Journal, archived from the original on July 11, 2011, retrieved December 19, 2011
  33. ^ Elizalde, Pablo (October 25, 2011). "New Jersey confirms F1 grand prix from the 2013 season". Autosport.com. Haymarket Press. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  34. ^ "Briefs". The Union City Reporter. December 18, 2011. p. 2.
  35. ^ Wenik, Ian (June 9, 2013). "Open at last After long wait, pedestrian bridge connects light rail and ferry". Hudson Reporter. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  36. ^ Cichowksi, John (June 11, 2013). "Road Warrior: $9.7M footbridge needs more feet". The Record. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  37. ^ "Port Imperial / Weehawken". NY Waterway. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  38. ^ "Midtown / W. 39th St". NY Waterway. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  39. ^ Klefer, Eric (April 26, 2019). "Hoboken Nonprofit, Ferry Company Clash On Dry Dock: Op-Eds". Patch.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  40. ^ "Blvd East – Gorge Rd – Palisade Ave Bus Info". NY Waterway. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  41. ^ "Lower River Road Bus Service". NY Waterway. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  42. ^ "Intra-Site North Shuttle Bus". NY Waterway. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  43. ^ "Intra-Site South Shuttle Bus". NY Waterway. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  44. ^ "Weehawken Township Shuttle Bus". NY Waterway. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  45. ^ Frassinelli, Mike (May 24, 2013). "Ferry commute sidesteps cramped Lincoln Tunnel, Port Authority Bus Terminal". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  46. ^ "Try Cruising Home Tonight" (Press release). New Jersey Transit. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  47. ^ "Route 23" (PDF). NJ Transit. January 11, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 15, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  48. ^ "Route 158" (PDF). NJ Transit. January 11, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  49. ^ "Route 156" (PDF). NJ Transit. January 11, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  50. ^ "Routes 153 and 159" (PDF). NJ Transit. January 11, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  51. ^ "NJ TRANSIT & NY WATERWAY JOINT "DISCOUNTED" TICKET". The Star-Ledger. NY Waterway. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  52. ^ Frassinelli, Mike (May 31, 2012). "NJ Transit, NY Waterway collaborate for cheaper 'Surf and Turf' pass". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
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