TheNorth Hudson waterfront is located north ofWeehawken Cove on a long narrow strip of land between theHudson River andHudson Palisades. On April 18, 1670 the government of theProvince of New Jersey confirmed a grant to Maryn Adriaensenfor a parcel of land called Wiehacken in the jurisdiction of Bergen on Hobooken Creek, 50 morgen Dutch measure originally given on May 11, 1647. Sporadic ferry service began and in 1700 a royal patent was given byRichard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont[4] which led to the naming ofWeehawken Street at the landing across the river in today'sWest Village. Later called Slough's Meadow, the waterfront has in the last centuries been transformed from atidal marsh[5] to an extensive rail and shipping port and, since the 1980s, redeveloped for commercial, residential, recreational, and transportation uses. Many duels, including the nation's most famous betweenAlexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804, took place on a site later obliterated by rail infrastructure of theWest Shore Railroad (also used by theNew York, Ontario and Western and theErie Railroad).[6][7]
Extensive yards lined the shore and connected to tunnel under the Palisades
The restoration of rail and ferry services is of a much smaller scale. In 1981Arthur Edward Imperatore, Sr.,trucking magnate, purchased a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) length of theWeehawken Yard from the bankruptPenn Central for $7.5 million, his surname an inspiration forPort Imperial.New York Waterway was established in 1986.[13] Service was originally provided from a converted ferry moored at the shore next to the marina south of the current terminal.[14][15] New Jersey Transit contracted the extensive renovation and waterproofing of theWeehawken Tunnel underBergen Hill which had been built in 1881.[16][17][18] The new ferry terminal, built and owned byNew Jersey Transit and leased byNY Waterway,[19] opened in May 2006.[3][20] The HBLR station opened for weekend service in November 2005[21] and full-time service on October 29, 2006.[22] The construction and maintenance of stairways from atop the cliffs atBoulevard East to the station and the bridge from the station to theferry slips have been a source of contention and controversy. The area, still under development,[23] is considered to be too oriented to automobiles, rather than pedestrians.[24] While there has been some integration in the wider public transportation system, some transportation is geared within the development site, including parking lots.[25][26][27]
The district along theHudson Waterfront has expanded to become a residential, commercial, and recreational neighborhood.[30] In June 2011, ground was broken on 850-space garage and retail space building, across from the ferry terminal.[31][32] In October 2011, the hub was announced as the site of thePort Imperial Street Circuit, amotorsport venue hosting theGrand Prix of America, a round of theFormula One World Championship.[33] The start-finish line and pit facilities for the event were supposed to be directly opposite the ferry terminal, and the area was to be further redeveloped for the race, however the event never materialized.[34] In June 2013, a long-awaited bridge connecting the ferry terminal and light rail station was opened.[35][36] In recent years, there has been many residential buildings built up in the area centered on luxury high rises.
NY Waterway offers two shuttle bus routes servingRiver Road[40][41] and three intra-site routes serving the Port Imperial district.[42][43] Buses operate rush hours only and at no cost.Weehawken Township also operates a shuttle bus on weekdays.[44] In May 2013 NY Waterway initiated afternoon bus service along theNJT bus routes 158, and 159R, which travel north toFort Lee, and 156R, with continuing service toEnglewood Cliffs.[45][46]
NJ Transit Bus routes23,156,158,159 stop adjacent to the rail station in the southbound direction and outside the ferry terminal in the northbound direction.[47][48][49][50]
In June 2012, NJT and NY Waterway began a fare-sharing program for riders transferring between the light rail and ferries for ten-trip and monthly tickets holders,[51] in a program calledSurf and Turf.[52]
^Carroll, Timothy J. (October 11, 2009)."20 years crossing the Hudson".The Jersey City Reporter. Hoboken: Hudson Reporter. pp. 7 & 16. Archived fromthe original on May 13, 2012. RetrievedMay 7, 2010.
