Metro of Newark

Newark Metro (Newark Light Rail)

Newark is a city located to the north of the state of New Jersey, USA. It has a population of approximately 280,000 inhabitants, which makes it the 67th biggest metropolis of the United States.

Historically, this city has been considered important in the country because of its aerial, naval, and railway transportation due to its strategic geographical location. Thanks to this, many businesses have located their headquarters on this city. Also, many law firms and schools of big importance in New Jersey are located on this city.

Thousands of people commute to Newark on a daily basis, mainly due to work or school. This makes it one of the most visited cities via transfers from the entire West Coast in terms of number of people. According to official sources, the number of individuals moving through the city is of 150,000 people per day. However, this number keeps increasing throughout time.

This reality forced the local authorities to inaugurate on the year 2006 a public transportation system that was big enough to alleviate the traffic problem on the metropolis.

As a consequence, on July 17th of that same year, the authorities inaugurated the Newark Light Rail, a suburban rail service that transits below ground level downtown Newark. This rail service also provides transportation to some areas on the outskirts of Newark, but the trains on this area transit at surface-level (above ground level.)

As recent as this light rail service may seem, it is actually a modernized version of a previous tramway system that was operational on Newark since 1935. However, this tramway system was later substituted by the Newark Light Rail.

Newark Light Rail

Lines and stations

The Newark Light Rail has two commercial lines which offer transportation throughout 10 kilometers of distance and 17 stations.

This light rail system transits from the northern part of Newark to downtown Newark. During this journey, the light rail offers transfers with other means of transportations with the goal of offering transportation to the highest number of people.

Newark City Subway

This line travels between the north of Newark and downtown Newark, and it stops by 12 stations. This line is mostly located underground. Even though the trains of this line are from a light rail, you may confuse them by tramways since they have a special design.

Stations: Grove Street, Silver Lake, Branch Brook Park, Davenport Avenue, Bloomfield Avenue, Park Avenue, Orange Street, Norfolk Street, Warren Street/NJIT, Washington Street, Military Park, Pennsylvania Station

* See the annex about stations and connections for more information.

Broad Street Extension

This surface-level route of the Newark Light Rail transits through downtown Newark above ground level. In this journey, there are six stations, and its trains offer connections with other means of public transportation.

Stations: Pennsylvania Station, NJPAC/Center Street, Washington Park, Atlantic Street, Riverfront Stadium, Newark Broad Street

* See the annex about stations and connections for more information.

Fares

The Newark Light Rail trains offer different prices to the users. Among the different payment options to use the trains include the standard tickets, and monthly passes that allow you to save money with each trip.

Additionally, once you obtain one of the train tickets, it is necessary that you keep it always at hand, since it will be checked by undercover officers. For this reason, you won’t find any turnstiles at the stations.

You can obtain a ticket at the vending machines that are available throughout the stops, or at authorized stores within the city.

Prices

One Way: This option offers the user a single ride at any of the stations. This turns out to be ideal for people that occasionally use the light rail service. Its price is of 1.60 $.

10-Trip Ticket: It allows the user to make up to 10 rides, which can be used whenever the user wants them since this ticket does not expire. It is made for people that want to have a ticket whenever they need it, even though they may not use the light rail service frequently.

Monthly Pass: It offers unlimited rides on the light rail service for a whole month. These passes can only be bought between the 19th day of the current month and the 10th day of the following month. It was designed for the users that use the light rail system quite often, that is, the people that use the light rail service a lot. Its price is of 59.00 $.

People over the age of 62, people with disabilities, war veterans, and children between the ages of 5 and 11 have access to a reduced fare of the One Way ticket. They only need to pay 0.75 $.

Also, if you plan to only travel within the underground stations of the Newark Light Rail service, you could buy the Underground Station Fare ticket. This ticket costs 0.75 $, which is almost half of the price of the One Way ticket.

Schedule

The Newark Light Rail is open throughout most of the day, even though it is not a 24-hour business. Its trains are operational for almost 20 hours a day, starting service at 4:30 am and ending at 1:00 am from Monday to Friday. On weekends and holidays, the light rail’s trains offer service during less hours since they are available beginning at 5:30 am, and they close at 11:30 pm.

Its train frequency oscillates between three and 10 minutes, depending on the time of the day in which the passengers get on the wagons. During the normal course of the day, a new train arrives at a station each 7 or 10 minutes. Meanwhile, during peak hours, which occur between the closing and opening times of most of the offices in downtown Newark, the waiting times are reduced to three or five minutes.

Another Newark Light Rail map

Rules

The rules of the Newark light rail are made so that its users receive the best service possible. Also, these rules make sure that the passengers have a harmonious and peaceful ride while they travel on the trains.

• Avoid throwing waste on the railroads. Besides being unhygienic, this could negatively affect the trains that transit.
• If any of your belongings fall on the light rail’s railroad, be very careful while recovering your item and be wary of any incoming train.
• Children under five years of age can travel for free as long as they travel with their legal guardian.
• You should always hold hands with your small children, or any other person under your care, in order to avoid possible accidents.
• Do not try to board the trains if they have not fully stopped.
• Remain behind the yellow line at all times while waiting that the train opens its doors to allow you to enter.
• You cannot smoke on the trains of the Newark Light Rail.
• You cannot consume narcotics, hallucinogenic substances, or any kind of illegal substances within the wagons of the trains.
• It is prohibited for users to travel on the trains under the influence of hallucinogenic substances or while drunk.
• Running within the stations or inside of the light rail’s rolling stock is not allowed.
• You should be wary of the elevation between the trains and the platform before boarding or disembarking the light rail. Injuries from falling due to this difference in elevation are quite frequent.
• Strollers should be folded before you enter with them on the train, so that they do not disturb the other passengers.
• Do not leave luggage, bags nor backpacks alone within the facilities or wagons of the light rail service.
• If you find any abandoned luggage within the stations or trains, that is, that the owner doesn’t seem to be anywhere nearby, you should report it immediately to the metro’s authorities.
• You cannot carry flammable objects, fireworks, nor any other kind of hazardous materials.
• You cannot eat while you travel on the light rail’s wagons.

Connection to the airport

Reaching the Newark Liberty International Airport by using the Newark Light Rail system is quite simple, since there is a direct connection between the airport and the light rail.

Once you reach the Pennsylvania Station, which is used by trains from the two lines from the light rail, as well as other transportation services, you should buy a ticket from the North Jersey Coast Line suburban train route. You should make sure that the airport is marked as the destination.

The journey tends to last between six and 10 minutes. The reason that this journey is relatively fast is that there are no stops in between Pennsylvania Station and the train stop close to the airport.

Then, once you reach the airport, you will find an internal transportation line that is shaped like a small monorail wagon, which connects the different airport terminals with each other. This line is called the AirTrain Newark, and you can board it within the same train station where the North Jersey Coat Line leaves you.

Conversely, if you want to go from the airport to downtown Newark by using the railway, you will end up doing a similar journey. Outside of each terminal of the Newark Liberty International Airport there is an AirTrain Newark stop, which will transport you to the closest suburban train stop. From here, it is possible to board the wagons of the North Jersey Coast Line that go towards downtown Newark.

Additionally, you have other options available in case that you do not wish to use any kind of railway service, such as bus lines, taxis, or even rent-a-car agencies. These alternatives are ideal for those who carry baggage of big size.

Rutgers University u2014Newark

Fun facts

• The stations have a Wi-Fi service that you can use if you pay an additional charge after buying your ticket.
• You can bring your bicycle to the light rail on weekends and holidays for the entire day. During weekdays, that is, from Monday to Friday, you are only allowed to bring your bike between 9:30 am and 4:00 pm.
• The light rail stations do not have any turnstiles or any kind or barrier to stop you from entering the trains. However, undercover security officers will be present among the rest of the passengers, and they will watching to make sure that you validate your ticket while boarding and exiting the wagons.
• Some stations have parking lots where you can safely park your car, since security is guaranteed within them.
• Most of the roads used by the Newark Light Rail to transit date back from 1935, when tramways transited on them. However, these tramways started to cease operations after the decade of the 50s.

Touristic attractions

Near the Washington Park station, from the Broad Street Extension, you will find the Newark Museum, which is the biggest museum of the state of New Jersey. Within its facilities there are outstanding exhibits of American Art, contemporary art, art deco, and samples from Asia, Africa, Pre-Hispanic America, and from the Old World, including exhibits from Classic Greece and Mesopotamia.

The most prominent exhibits are the American works from artists such as Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole, Hiram Powers and John Singer Sargent, among others. Although small, these exhibits, as well as the huge artistic richness that it provides, make the Newark Museum a must-visit place for those people that will stay in the city for a while, especially for those that love culture.

Meanwhile, a few blocks off the NIPAC/Center Street station, which is also from the Broad Street Extension line, you will find the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, one of the biggest arts center in the United States. Since its inauguration on 1997, millions of visitors have gone to this building, which is also the headquarters of the New Jersey Symphonic Orchestra.

Its construction was key in the restoration of cultural spaces in the city, which promoted a fresher look of the city. Without a doubt, this is a place worth visiting. Both at an architectural and symbolic level, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center represents the new face of Newark, a metropolis that wants to find its place, and has been often ignored in favor of its neighbor, New York.

Pennsylvania Station (Newark)

Annex: stations and connections

Newark City Subway Stations:

• Grove Street: It is located on Bloomfield Avenue, on the Bloomfield district. The building was built on the year 2002, and has a parking lot of 160 parking spots.
• Silver Lake: It is located on Heckel Street, on the Belleville district. The station was built on the year 2002, on the same place where the train stop of the New York and Greenwood Lake Railway firm used to be.
• Branch Brook Park: It is located at North 5th Street from the Newark district. The station was renovated on the year 2001, since this station was previously used by a now-defunct tramway route.
• Davenport Avenue: It is located on the intersection between Davenport Avenue and North 5th Street, on the Newark district. This station was renovated on 2001, and it offers access to the Branch Brook Park.
• Bloomfield Avenue: It is located at Bloomfield Avenue, on the Newark District. This station was built on the year 1935, when it was used by a tramway line.
• Park Avenue: It is located between Park Avenue and North Fourth Street, on the Newark district. Its construction dates back to 1935. It was built with the goal of offering service to a tramway line.
• Orange Street: It is located to the south of Orange Street, between the streets of Duryea and First Streets in the Newark district. It was built on the year 1935 as part of the city’s tramway network.
• Norfolk Street: It is localized on Norfolk Street, to the south of Central Avenue on the Newark district. It was built on 1935, when it was used by the city’s tramway service.
• Warren Street/NJIT: It is located on the intersection between Lock Street and Warren Street on the Newark district. It opened its doors on 1935 to be used by the tramways from those days.
• Washington Street: It is on the intersection between Raymond Boulevard and Washington Street on the Newark district. It has been offering service since 1935, when it was used as a stop for different tramway routes that transited on the area.
• Military Park: It is located near Park Place on Broad Street, which is on the center of the Newark district. It was previously used by the city’s tramway lines back in 1935
• Pennsylvania Station: It is located right at Raymond plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard from the Newark district. Its inauguration dates back from 1935, when it offered service to the tramway lines from that era.

Broad Street Extension stations

• Pennsylvania Station: It is located at Raymond plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard from the Newark district. It was built on 1935, when it offered service to many tramway lines.
• NJPAC/Center Street: It is located on the intersection between McCarter Highway and Center Street, right at the center of the Newark district. It was opened on the year 2006 exclusively to be used as a stop by the light rail’s vehicles.
• Washington Park: It lies to the south of Broad Street, on the intersection between Bridge and Lombardy Street, from the Newark district. It has been operational since the year 2006 for the exclusive use of the light rail.
• Atlantic Street: It is located in close proximity to Atlantic Street, in the center of the Newark District. It has been operational since the year 2006, and it is only used by the wagons of the light rail.
• Riverfront Stadium: It is within walking distance of Atlantic Street, on the intersection with Broad Street of the Newark district. It has been operational since July 17th, 2006.
• Newark Broad Street: It is located at the intersection between Lackawanna Avenue and Broad Street in the Newark district. It was built on 1836, but it was later renovated to be used as a stop by the light rail on 2008.

Connections

The Newark Light Rail was conceived as an answer to the city’s daily high transportation demand. As a consequence, most of the stations offer some sort of connection to other transportation services within its facilities, which will be described below:

Newark City Subway

• Grove Street: It has a connection with bus routes number 11, 28, 29, 72, and 90.
• Silver Lake: It has a connection with bus routes number 27 and 90.
• Branch Brook Park: It has a connection with bus routes number 27, 74, 90 and 92.
• Bloomfield Avenue: It has a connection with bus routes number 11, 28, 29 and 72.
• Park Avenue: It has a connection with the bus route number 41.
• Orange Street: It has a connection with bus routes number 71, 73 and 75.
• Norfolk Street: It has a connection with bus route number 99. It also has a connection with bus routes number 24 and 44 from the ONE Bus service.
• Warren Street/NJIT: It has a connection with bus routes number 71, 73 and 79.
• Washington Street: It has a connection with the buses from routes 11, 28, 29, 70, 72, 76 and 78. It also has a connection with the bus from route number 44 from the ONE Bus service.
• Military Park: It has a connection with the buses from routes number 13, 27, 39, 40, 41, 59, 62, 65/66, 67, 70, 72, 73, 76, 78 and 108. It also has a connection with the bus lines 24 and 44 from the ONE Bus service.
• Pennsylvania Station: It has a connection with the buses from routes number 1, 5, 11, 21, 25, 28, 29, 34, 40, 62, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 78, 79, 108, 308, 319, 361, 375 and 378. Additionally, it also has connections with lines 31 and 44 from the ONE Bus service. Also, you can transfer to the suburban rail of the lines Northeast Corridor Line, North Jersey Coast Line and Raritan Valley Line. Finally, you could also transfer to the Broad Street Extension line.

Broad Street Extension

• Pennsylvania Station: It has a connection with the buses from routes number 1, 5, 11, 21, 25, 28, 29, 34, 40, 62, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 78, 79, 108, 308, 319, 361, 375 and 378. It also offers transfers to lines 31 and 44 from ONE Bus. Furthermore, it offers connections to the following suburban rail lines: Northeast Corridor Line, North Jersey Coast Line and Raritan Valley Line. Finally, it offers connections to the Newark City Subway line.
• Washington Park: It has a connection with the buses from routes 11, 13, 27, 28, 29, 39, 41 and 59.
• Riverfront Stadium: It has a connection with the buses from routes 11, 13, 27, 28, 29, 39, 72, 76 and 78.
• Newark Broad Street: It has a connection with the buses from routes number 11, 13, 27, 28, 29, 39, 41, 72, 76, 78 and 108. There are also transfers available to the suburban rail lines of Gladstone Branch, Montclair-Boonton Line y Morristown Line.