Woodbridge Puts Sidewalks On Magnolia Rd. For MetroPark Commuters

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge Twp. plans to install sidewalks on Magnolia Road, a side street that many people walk along to get to the MetroPark train station.

There are currently no sidewalks on Magnolia Road. The town will be putting in paved sidewalks and replacing/building new street curbs there.

This week, the area's local congressman Rep. Frank Pallone (Democrat), secured $1.25 million in federal grant money to pay for the project. Rep. Pallone called Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac to let him know money for the Magnolia Road project has been secured.

There is no date when the sidewalk work will begin. Woodbridge does not technically have the money in hand yet.

Hundreds of people from Woodbridge, Iselin and surrounding towns park in the area and walk along that road to get to the MetroPark station, which services both Amtrak and NJ Transit express and local trains.

It is dangerous to have so many people walking along the road, said Woodbridge Twp. Also, Magnolia Road is less than one mile from four Woodbridge schools: Kennedy Park Elementary, Indiana Avenue Elementary, Oak Tree Road school and Robert Mascenik. So residents will benefit as well, said the town.

“These federal dollars will provide Woodbridge the opportunity to make much-needed pedestrian safety improvements around the MetroPark area for residents and commuters," said Mayor McCormac.

The project is officially called the "Magnolia Road Improvements: Safe Route to Transit" project.

There is an outdoor parking lot and two very large covered parking garages at the MetroPark train station but NJ Transit announced last fall that it wants to convert those parking areas into an apartment building with ground-floor retail. NJ Transit is still currently seeking developers to submit proposals. A developer has not been chosen.

Additionally, Rep. Pallone secured $5.625 million this week to fund the much-talked-about Carteret ferry terminal proposal, which is still in planning stages. Pallone also secured $13 million to expand the Long Branch train station, bringing buses, trolleys, taxis and ride-sharing services into the station property, add a new indoor waiting room and build a new pedestrian bridge to connect to the city of Long Branch.

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Related: NJ Transit Wants To Build At Metropark Station; Developer Sought (Oct. 2020)

Long Branch Unveils Big Plans To Expand Train Station (April 2021)

Carteret, South Amboy Move Forward With NYC Ferry Service (January 2021)