A road best known for vehicles will be getting upgraded greenery and open space over the next year as work has begun to bring a pair of new parks to a stretch of Route 139.
Running east to west and serving as a feeder to the Holland Tunnel entrance, Route 139 has undergone various pedestrian improvements in recent years to make it less intimidating to those on foot. The roadway separates The Heights from the growing Journal Square neighborhood and the two new parks hope to accommodate an increasing influx of new residents.
The first section of the new park is situated between Summit and St. Paul’s Avenue. The future Summit Avenue Park will sport a central open area that can accommodate farmers markets, public art, and cultural events, while other features include benches, planting beds, mulching, flowering, and shade trees.
Bike racks will be provided within the park, which has begun construction and is expected to open sometime in 2025.
Further greenery is slated to be added just east of Summit Avenue Park in an area that was once home to part of Jersey City’s extensive streetcar system. Dubbed Trolley Park, the current site between Baldwin and Oakland Avenue has already been fenced off save for a memorial to a pedestrian who was killed in an accident.
The future greenspace will feature a long, winding walking path set to utilize the already existing exposed cobblestone and rail to highlight Jersey City’s history. Signage touting the history of the Pavonia Avenue Car Line will be included in the park, which is also expected to be completed sometime next year.
Both parks are part of an ongoing effort to add some greenery to the Journal Square area, which notably lacks a true park despite a large existing population and a plethora of high-rises currently under construction. The upcoming Courthouse Park project is aiming to change that, as it is slated to add over three acres of open space along a prominent stretch of Newark Avenue.
