Bay Street (NJT station)
Encyclopedia
Bay Street Station is a New Jersey Transit
station on Pine Street between Bloomfield and Glenridge Avenues in Montclair, New Jersey
along the Montclair-Boonton Line
. The station is served by all trains on the line, including all ten weekend trains. The first station of six in Montclair, Bay Street is the southernmost, servicing the downtown district. The station was built originally in 1981 to replace the Lackawanna Terminal
built near Grove Street in 1913 as a part of creating the Montclair Connection
. Upon its opening on February 27, 1981, Bay Street was a lone platform with a single shelter. In 2002, as part of the Montclair Connection, Bay Street was completely rebuilt to standards for handicapped persons, including two high-level platforms and a new elevator for a bridge crossing the tracks. The station also received honors in July 2010 for the development around the station and as a result was a part of getting Montclair designated a transit village by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
.
, located on Pine Street between Bloomfield Avenue (County Route 506
) and Glenridge Avenue. The station has two high-level platforms to serve passengers on its two tracks. The platforms themselves are connected by a crossover bridge with elevators. Ticket vending machines have been recently installed at the station to sell tickets and because of this, passengers who wish to buy a ticket aboard the train must pay an extra $5 in addition to the actual fare for the ticket. Bay Street station has a 248-space parking garage, and a smaller lot a block away. Eight of those spots are handicapped accessible and are maintained by the Montclair Parking Authority. People who use this station's parking garage must pay $5 a day and $300 for six months to park. This does not apply on Sundays however, when parking is free.
Bay Street station is a major stop on the Montclair-Boonton Line, serving 32 trains on a daily basis. These include 21 departures to New York's Pennsylvania Station
and eleven departures to Hoboken Terminal
. Heading outbound from Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal, Bay Street also serves three departures to Hackettstown
, three departures to Lake Hopatcong
, four departures to Dover
, two departures to Mount Olive
and 23 departures to Montclair State University Station at Little Falls
. Arriving trains include 22 from Penn Station, 13 from Hoboken, 24 from Montclair State University, two from Hackettstown, three from Mount Olive, two from Lake Hopatcong and one from Denville. Weekend service on the Montclair-Boonton also terminates here except on special holiday trains, in which cars go to Lake Hopatcong station. Regular weekend service runs ten times daily, serving Bay Street along with Glen Ridge
, Bloomfield
, Watsessing Avenue
and Newark Broad Street Station before heading to Hoboken.
New Jersey Transit also runs several bus routes near or at Bay Street station. The #11, which runs between Newark
and Wayne
, along with the #28 between Newark and Montclair State University
, and the #29 to between Newark to Parsippany or West Caldwell
along (Bloomfield Avenue). The township of Montclair operates a jitney on weekday evenings from Bay Street station to South Mountain Avenue at Bloomfield Avenue. The jitney costs $1.50 and monthly passes are available for riders.
for its Montclair Branch. The station's usage had been relegated from six tracks served by three platforms to one platform serving one station and the branch had gone from two tracks down to one. The station last served passenger trains in February 26, 1981, and the next day, trains, then operated by Conrail, were realigned to the east in Montclair, serving a new station, named Bay Street. At that time, Bay Street was originally a bare platform with only one track and a small shelter. The realignment was the first phase for the planned Montclair Connection to connect the Montclair Branch to the Boonton Line. This station now served as the terminus of the Montclair Branch, and as a result, the end of electrification.
's New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad, which serviced five other stations in Montclair was first proposed in 1929 by the Regional Plan Association. However, the Great Depression shelved any plans to connect the lines. The plan continued to wane for several years until in 1963, when the old Boonton Branch
was reconfigured at Mountain View in Wayne, New Jersey
to the New York and Greenwood Lake, when revival plans returned. However, the connection continued to be a quiet subject until the late 1980s, when New Jersey Transit revived the proposal. A deal was struck with the township of Montclair in 1998, with a one track connection used for only diesel train sets. However, this proposal was changed into a double track connection with overhead electric catenary wires. Construction on the Montclair Connection began one year later and was completed on September 30, 2002.
As a result of the Montclair Connection, Bay Street station was reconstructed entirely. The lone single platform was removed, rebuilt with two high-level platforms and a large crossover bridge. The shelter was removed and service was expanded full time in both directions. Rather than being a terminal for trains, trains continued northward to Montclair Heights
, where passengers could transfer to other trains.
that Montclair, along with Somerville
, had been designated as transit villages. These transit villages are designated to provide residents and people public transit with public services including new residences and stores. Montclair was given high regard for the work done at Bay Street station to make it possible, including a new parking deck, and a complex of seven residential units along Pine Street. These transit villages would also be given a chance to get $100,000 in funding to continue the station's development. Although Montclair's transit village is mostly built at Bay Street, the township also serves five other stations, all in walkable distance from residences.
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
station on Pine Street between Bloomfield and Glenridge Avenues in Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
along the Montclair-Boonton Line
Montclair-Boonton Line
The Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line of New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. It is part of the Hoboken Division. The line is a consolidation of three individual lines: the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Montclair Branch, which ran from Hoboken Terminal to Bay Street,...
. The station is served by all trains on the line, including all ten weekend trains. The first station of six in Montclair, Bay Street is the southernmost, servicing the downtown district. The station was built originally in 1981 to replace the Lackawanna Terminal
Lackawanna Terminal (Montclair, New Jersey)
Lacawanna Terminal is a small shopping mall in Montclair, New Jersey originally built as a railroad station in 1913 on the Montclair Branch of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The station building was built of brick, and followed a Grecian-Doric style of architecture. The station had...
built near Grove Street in 1913 as a part of creating the Montclair Connection
Montclair Connection
The Montclair Connection is a short section of double-track New Jersey Transit rail connecting the former end of the Montclair Branch at Bay Street Station to the old Boonton Line southeast of Walnut Street Station. It opened on Monday, September 30, 2002, at a cost of $60,000,000...
. Upon its opening on February 27, 1981, Bay Street was a lone platform with a single shelter. In 2002, as part of the Montclair Connection, Bay Street was completely rebuilt to standards for handicapped persons, including two high-level platforms and a new elevator for a bridge crossing the tracks. The station also received honors in July 2010 for the development around the station and as a result was a part of getting Montclair designated a transit village by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
.
Station layout and services
Bay Street station is the first of six stations in the township of MontclairMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, located on Pine Street between Bloomfield Avenue (County Route 506
County Route 506 (New Jersey)
County Route 506 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 10.74 miles from Oak Road in Fairfield to Route 7 at the Passaic River in Belleville.- Route description :...
) and Glenridge Avenue. The station has two high-level platforms to serve passengers on its two tracks. The platforms themselves are connected by a crossover bridge with elevators. Ticket vending machines have been recently installed at the station to sell tickets and because of this, passengers who wish to buy a ticket aboard the train must pay an extra $5 in addition to the actual fare for the ticket. Bay Street station has a 248-space parking garage, and a smaller lot a block away. Eight of those spots are handicapped accessible and are maintained by the Montclair Parking Authority. People who use this station's parking garage must pay $5 a day and $300 for six months to park. This does not apply on Sundays however, when parking is free.
Bay Street station is a major stop on the Montclair-Boonton Line, serving 32 trains on a daily basis. These include 21 departures to New York's Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
and eleven departures to Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
. Heading outbound from Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal, Bay Street also serves three departures to Hackettstown
Hackettstown (NJT station)
Hackettstown Station is a New Jersey Transit station in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The station is located at the intersection of Valentine Street and Beatty Street and is the western terminus of the Morristown Line and the Montclair-Boonton Line, which both provide service to Hoboken Terminal or to...
, three departures to Lake Hopatcong
Lake Hopatcong (NJT station)
Lake Hopatcong Station is a New Jersey Transit station in the Landing section of Roxbury Township, New Jersey. It is named for the nearby Lake Hopatcong. The station is located at the intersection of Landing Road and Lakeside Boulevard...
, four departures to Dover
Dover (NJT station)
Dover Station is a New Jersey Transit station in Dover, New Jersey. The station was originally built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1901-02 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Both the Morristown Line and the Montclair-Boonton Line serve this...
, two departures to Mount Olive
Mount Olive (NJT station)
Mount Olive Station is a New Jersey Transit station in Mount Olive, New Jersey, located in the International Trade Center. The station, located on the side of Waterloo Village Road, services trains for both the Montclair-Boonton Line and the Morristown Line along trackage owned by Norfolk Southern...
and 23 departures to Montclair State University Station at Little Falls
Montclair State University (NJT station)
Montclair State University Station at Little Falls is a New Jersey Transit rail station in the Great Notch area of Little Falls, New Jersey on the Montclair-Boonton Line. It serves nearby Montclair State University as well as serving as a transfer station for trains on the line, and is located on...
. Arriving trains include 22 from Penn Station, 13 from Hoboken, 24 from Montclair State University, two from Hackettstown, three from Mount Olive, two from Lake Hopatcong and one from Denville. Weekend service on the Montclair-Boonton also terminates here except on special holiday trains, in which cars go to Lake Hopatcong station. Regular weekend service runs ten times daily, serving Bay Street along with Glen Ridge
Glen Ridge (NJT station)
Glen Ridge is a New Jersey Transit station at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue in Glen Ridge, New Jersey along the Montclair-Boonton Line....
, Bloomfield
Bloomfield (NJT station)
Bloomfield station is a New Jersey Transit station in Bloomfield, New Jersey along the Montclair-Boonton Line. The station is located in downtown Bloomfield, the second within the municipality, just west of Bloomfield Avenue...
, Watsessing Avenue
Watsessing Avenue (NJT station)
Watsessing Avenue is a New Jersey Transit station in Bloomfield, New Jersey along the Montclair-Boonton Line. It is located beneath the Bloomfield Police Benevolent Association meeting hall near the corner of Watsessing Avenue and Orange Street in Bloomfield...
and Newark Broad Street Station before heading to Hoboken.
New Jersey Transit also runs several bus routes near or at Bay Street station. The #11, which runs between Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and Wayne
Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....
, along with the #28 between Newark and Montclair State University
Montclair State University
Montclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...
, and the #29 to between Newark to Parsippany or West Caldwell
West Caldwell, New Jersey
West Caldwell is an township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey. It is located approximately west of Manhattan and six miles northwest of Newark...
along (Bloomfield Avenue). The township of Montclair operates a jitney on weekday evenings from Bay Street station to South Mountain Avenue at Bloomfield Avenue. The jitney costs $1.50 and monthly passes are available for riders.
Opening
The station was built in 1981 to replace Montclair's previous station, Lackawanna Plaza, two blocks to the west of the current station. Lackawanna Plaza (also known as Lackawanna Terminal) was once the grand terminal opened in 1913 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
for its Montclair Branch. The station's usage had been relegated from six tracks served by three platforms to one platform serving one station and the branch had gone from two tracks down to one. The station last served passenger trains in February 26, 1981, and the next day, trains, then operated by Conrail, were realigned to the east in Montclair, serving a new station, named Bay Street. At that time, Bay Street was originally a bare platform with only one track and a small shelter. The realignment was the first phase for the planned Montclair Connection to connect the Montclair Branch to the Boonton Line. This station now served as the terminus of the Montclair Branch, and as a result, the end of electrification.
Montclair Connection
A long sought connection of train service between the Lackawanna Railroad's Montclair Branch and the Erie RailroadErie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
's New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad, which serviced five other stations in Montclair was first proposed in 1929 by the Regional Plan Association. However, the Great Depression shelved any plans to connect the lines. The plan continued to wane for several years until in 1963, when the old Boonton Branch
Boonton Branch
The Boonton Branch refers to the railroad line that was completed in 1870 and ran 34 miles from Hoboken, NJ to Denville, NJ as part of the Morris & Essex Railroad, which in turn was part of the Lackawanna Railroad...
was reconfigured at Mountain View in Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....
to the New York and Greenwood Lake, when revival plans returned. However, the connection continued to be a quiet subject until the late 1980s, when New Jersey Transit revived the proposal. A deal was struck with the township of Montclair in 1998, with a one track connection used for only diesel train sets. However, this proposal was changed into a double track connection with overhead electric catenary wires. Construction on the Montclair Connection began one year later and was completed on September 30, 2002.
As a result of the Montclair Connection, Bay Street station was reconstructed entirely. The lone single platform was removed, rebuilt with two high-level platforms and a large crossover bridge. The shelter was removed and service was expanded full time in both directions. Rather than being a terminal for trains, trains continued northward to Montclair Heights
Montclair Heights (NJT station)
Montclair Heights is a New Jersey Transit station in Montclair, New Jersey along the Montclair-Boonton Line. It is named so because the nearby community was once referred to as Montclair Heights, and the station is one of the few things still with that name...
, where passengers could transfer to other trains.
Transit village
On July 11, 2010, it was announced by the New Jersey Department of TransportationNew Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
that Montclair, along with Somerville
Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,098. It is the county seat of Somerset County....
, had been designated as transit villages. These transit villages are designated to provide residents and people public transit with public services including new residences and stores. Montclair was given high regard for the work done at Bay Street station to make it possible, including a new parking deck, and a complex of seven residential units along Pine Street. These transit villages would also be given a chance to get $100,000 in funding to continue the station's development. Although Montclair's transit village is mostly built at Bay Street, the township also serves five other stations, all in walkable distance from residences.