NJ TRANSIT has been studying the feasibility of a new Bus Rapid Transit service along the NJ Route 28 corridor in Union County. The route, named the Union County Sustainability Corridor, would run on-street and make stops in Plainfield, Fanwood, Westfield, Garwood and Cranford. The service would then use the out-of-service former main line of the Central Railroad of New Jersey between Cranford and US 1 – 9 in Elizabeth as an express route to make the service quick and reliable. The introduction of a new transit service – such as BRT — could provide significant economic development opportunities to the communities along the route, both at the local and corridor levels. New growth potential could help build a case for the importance of the service and demonstrate ridership potential.

This study was directed by NJTPA and NJ TRANSIT and conducted by Regional Plan Association with guidance from Union County with a Federal Highway Administration Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program grant. The process was driven by a team of stakeholders from each municipality along the corridor. The purpose of the study was to work with each community to identify places within ½ mile of the proposed route that 1) have the capacity for development; 2) could attract uses for which there is market demand; and 3) could attract uses which would support and benefit enhanced transit. The result is an analysis of demographics, economics and land use that illustrates opportunties for economic development within each community and as a greater corridor, supported by and supporting enhanced transit.