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The Open Space Institute Announces Purchase Agreement with Norfolk Southern to Create Northern New Jersey Greenway

NORTHERN NEW JERSEY (July 30, 2020) – The Open Space Institute today announced it has reached a preliminary purchase and sale agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company for property in Essex and Hudson Counties in Northern New Jersey. The agreement sets the stage for the creation of a nearly nine-mile transformational linear park that will provide new recreation opportunities for walkers, bikers, birders, and other nature lovers, while improving transportation options for area residents.

A long-held vision of all the communities along the route, the agreement marks an important initial step in the creation of the linear park. However, many steps lie ahead, including securing federal approval, environmental and engineering reviews, and financing. Looking ahead, community engagement and outreach will be key as the project progresses.

The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition and the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance are key partners and major advocates in growing support for the greenway. Further, the Open Space Institute’s efforts to create the Essex-Hudson Greenway is being generously supported by the Thomas L. Kempner Jr. Foundation.

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The project offers potential to reduce traffic and stormwater runoff in towns along the rail line, improve transportation options for residents, and allow for improved infrastructure connectivity for things like broadband and emergency response.

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About Open Space Institute

Founded more than four decades ago, the Open Space Institute (OSI) has partnered in the protection of 2.3 million acres across eastern North America from Quebec to Florida. Over the past 16 years, OSI has worked to protect more than 21,000 acres of New Jersey farms, forests, and local parkland within the Highlands, the Pinelands, the Bayshore, and the heavily developed northeastern suburbs. In addition to the Essex Hudson Greenway, OSI’s current projects include efforts to help protect land and improve water quality in the Delaware River Basin and provide public access to the 1,200-acre Jersey City Reservoir in Boonton and Parsippany.

About New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition

The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition (NJBWC) is the only statewide advocacy organization for bicyclists and pedestrians and provides a collective voice for everyone who believes that a more rideable and walkable New Jersey means a more livable, equitable, and sustainable New Jersey. NJBWC officially adopted the Essex Hudson Greenway Project in 2014 and has been a leader in building the advocacy campaign to make it a reality.

About the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance

The September 11th National Memorial Trail is a 1,300-mile system of trails and roadways that links the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The route serves as a symbol of national resiliency and character and as a tribute to the fallen heroes who perished on September 11, 2001, and the many heroes who have committed themselves to the response for their country.

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