Light Rail extension provides easy access to NJ hot spots.

Another milestone has been realized in the City of Newark's economic revitalization efforts.

A new light-rail connection from Pennsylvania Station to the city's Broad Street train station provides residents with comfortable and convenient access to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the Newark Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, Rutgers Law School, the Newark Museum, the city's Public Library and the Broad Street commercial corridor.

Working closely with NJ TRANSIT and other stakeholders, such as New Jersey Department of Transportation, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the City of Newark, the Federal Transit Administration, the construction manager, three general contractors and adjoining property owners, PB provided design, engineering and construction support services that resulted in a seamless integration of public transportation into the fabric of the City of Newark that will significantly enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Stations for the state-of-the-art Newark Light Rail were designed to integrate with the existing urban environment, using similar architectural elements and materials as adjacent historic structures.

The new rail alignment shared the right-of-way with the widened city streets that have been constructed with new improvements, such as sidewalks and crosswalks, plazas, street furniture and trees. An historic streetlight was developed especially for this project, which the City of Newark now plans to use in its planned broadening of a major city thoroughfare to help create a sense of a boulevard.

Artwork from local and national artists was used in the station designs to further reflect the nearby cultural and historic connections. The initial segment of a city-wide New Jersey Walk of Fame honoring 30 performing artists who were born or grew up in the Garden State, such as Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, John Travolta, Eddie Murphy, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Queen Latifah, was installed adjacent to the NJPAC Station.

Paying homage to New Jersey's rich jazz heritage, special trackbed treatment was incorporated at all stations to represent the musical score of songs by either Sarah Vaughn or Wayne Shorter, two jazz giants born in Newark; this musical theme was reinforced from the trackbed to the platform via the etching of the songs' lyrics.

The Washington Park Station windscreens, which resemble African war shields and textile patterns, reflect African-American culture in the city whereas the Broad Street windscreens reflect Newark children's vision for their city.

Evidence of the economic growth in downtown Newark due to the new light rail is seen by the transformation of a nearby formerly vacant office building into desirable commercial space with a relocated entrance adjacent to the light rail alignment.

A local community college renovated a building across from the Washington Park Station. NJPAC is seeking proposals to build new residential and commercial high-rises adjacent to the performing arts center and NJ TRANSIT is offering property and air rights acquired for the light rail alignment to prospective developers.

The light rail line provides daily service from 5 a.m. to midnight. To ensure the greatest possible use of the new service, NJ TRANSIT plans to work closely with entertainment venues along the line to coordinate and enhance service on event days. During its first year of operation, the system will provide an average of 4,000 trips on weekdays and service is slated to increase to about 7,000 trips by 2010.

Passenger service on this one-mile light rail extension began July 17, 2006.

The $207.7 million project features five aboveground stations and integrates with NJ TRANSIT's subway, commuter rail and bus networks as well as Amtrak, Greyhound and Newark Liberty International Airport, making transfers between modes easy and economical.