White Realty Co. 1423 Stuvyesant Avenue Union, New Jersey 07083 908-688-4200 Fax 908-688-1411 WhiteRealty@QualityService.com NJ real estate, New Jersey real estate

The ceremonial opening of the $27 million Union Train Station was held today. The new depot is located at 900 Green Lane, Union, NJ, off Morris Avenue, across from Kean University and Schering-Plough Corporation, with a 484-space parking area. Commuters may choose to purchase parking permits on either a daily or monthly basis. About 30 percent (~140) of the commuter parking spaces will be allocated for use by daily commuters at $3 a day. A three-month permit will cost $150.

The red brick, turn-of-the-century-style station is the 19th stop on the Raritan Valley Line, which offers direct service to Penn Station Newark, linking Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon counties to Union and Essex counties. Service continues from Penn Station Newark into New York City via the PATH train. Union Township is the most populated community along the Raritan Valley Line, which currently serves nearly 9000 passengers a day. The 12-minute trip into Newark Penn Station costs $1.80 one-way for adults ($2.75 off-peak roundtrip), and $50 monthly.

The Raritan Valley Line now uses a portion of Conrail track, so instead of going from Plainfield straight through to Elizabeth and then to Jersey City, as it had in the past with the old Central Railroad of New Jersey track, the eastbound trains now bear northeast after Cranford and go through Roselle Park and Union Station before reaching Newark Penn Station. While most trains terminate there, on weekends some go to Hobokon.

Most of the station's users will be headed out of the county, but thousands of commuters are also expected to get off at the Union Station for Shearing Plough, Kean University, Liberty Hall Corporate Center and many other commercial businesses surrounding the site.

The pedestrial underpass that leads to the train platform is decorated with the ceramic tilework map designs by artist Gregg LeFevre, depicting places in the United States and around the world that share the same latitude as Union.

Township officials are in the process of applying to the Department of Transportation for a grant of upwards $240,000 to go toward the design and construction of a second entranceway to the station from Lehigh Avenue.

Union Township also has plans to develop two acres for a bank, restaurant and dry cleaner to service commuters, part of a "Transit Village". Construction of a 49-unit townhouse project on the west side of the station is expected to get underway in May 2003, and a hotel and restaurant are planned for the Morris Avenue-Green Lane corner. Note also that there is preschool daycare at the YM-YWHA of Union County at the western end of Green Lane.

Towns that have recently added direct New York City train services, such as Summit, have consequently seen a 15-20% rise in home property values. In addition to the value generated by the convenience afforded by the new depot, Union Township also stands to profit from more than $1 million in yearly tax ratables.

With the first passenger rail station in township history, customers now have convenient access to major transportation centers and key destinations throughout the region including Newark Penn Station, Penn Station New York, Newark International Airport, the Hudson Waterfront, the Jersey Shore, and the State Capital, as well as connections to NJ TRANSIT bus, AMTRAK, and PATH trains. For schedule and fare information, visit the New Jersey Transit website and choose the Raritan Valley Line, or refer to the PDF of the Raritan Valley Line public timetable or call 1-800-626-RIDE.