The federal government has awarded NJ Transit $380,000 to create a transit-oriented development master plan around Paterson station.
This grant will support a study into how Paterson station can better serve residents and visitors by improving multi-modal transit connections and increasing the area’s diverse residential and commercial development.
The planning effort would explore TOD’s opportunities and potential impacts near the station. It would evaluate TOD as a tool for community revitalization through private-public collaboration and as a means to improve transit service and pedestrian, bike and multimodal connections.
The TOD study will also seek to identify infrastructure needs outside the scope of the Paterson station improvements, including evaluating nearby station accessibility. This would include traffic signals, pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, signage and lighting. In addition, the study will assess the need for housing, commercial spaces and community amenities. NJ Transit will partner with the city of Paterson and community engagement will be conducted throughout the planning process, officials said.
Paterson station is a stop on NJ Transit’s Main Line commuter rail line.
Paterson is New Jersey’s third largest city and the ninth most densely populated city of at least 50,000 residents in the United States. According to the U.S. Census, the city is less than 20 miles from New York City, and about 30,000 residents do not have access to private vehicles.
Last month, the FTA announced nearly $10.5 million in grants to support the development and preservation of affordable housing near public transit in communities nationwide. NJ Transit was one of 11 grant recipients in 10 states through the Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which some call the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
