- Martin Luther King Drive (Jersey City)
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County Route 609
Martin Luthur King Drive Route information Length: 1.52 mi[1] (2.45 km) Major junctions South end: McAdoo Avenue in Jersey City North end: Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City Highway system County routes in New Jersey
500-series • County routes in Hudson County← 
CR 608CR 610 
→Martin Luther King Drive is a street named for Martin Luther King, Jr. in Jersey City, New Jersey with the designation Hudson County Route 609 and the name of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail Station on it. It runs between Communipaw Avenue in the Bergen-Lafayette Section and McAdoo Avenue (one block east of Old Bergen Road and Kennedy Boulevard) in Greenvville.[2]
Contents
Street
The avenue was called Jackson Avenue, and until 1947 Public Service Railway's # 7 Jackson streetcar line ran along it. A small block called Jackson still exists that was not included in a realigment.[2] It was later named in honor of the slain civil right leader Martin Luther King, Jr., who had twice spoken in the city.[3] The drive has been the heart of the African American community in Jersey City for decades, and has sometimes been called "The Hill",[4][5][6] though the area is not within the state designated Bergen Hill Historic District. The 100th affiliate of the National Urban League is located on MLK Drive.,[7][8] which is a one of the city's major shopping districts.[9] The Cunningham Branch of the Jersey City Public Library, the city's newest named for former mayor Glenn Dale Cunningham, is located on MLK Drive.[10]
HBLR Station
Martin Luther King Drive 
Station statistics Address Martin Luther King Drive and Virginia Avenue
Jersey City, NJCoordinates 40°42′44″N 74°04′38″W / 40.7121°N 74.0773°WCoordinates: 40°42′44″N 74°04′38″W / 40.7121°N 74.0773°W Lines Platforms 2 Tracks 2 Other information Opened April 22, 2000 Electrified 750VDC Accessible 
Owned by New Jersey Transit Fare zone 1 Services Preceding station Hudson–Bergen Light Rail Following station TerminusWest Side–Tonnelle toward Tonnelle AvenueThe Martin Luther King Drive station of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (West Side Branch) is located nearby the intersection of Virginia Avenue.[2] The station opened on April 22, 2000, with a memorial to slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. at its entrance.[11] and other related public art thourghout the station.[12]
The original cut of the Newark and New York Railroad Branch of Central Railroad of New Jersey excavated through Bergen Hill in 1869 was raised to a level crossing, though the still-standing train station has not been renovated.[13][14] |
Service and Transfers
Direct northbound service is available to the Tonnelle Avenue terminus in North Bergen. Northbound service to Hoboken Terminal requires a transfer at stations between Liberty State Park and Pavonia-Newport. Southbound service to Bayonne requires a transfer at Liberty State Park. As of 2009, westbound service terminated at West Side Avenue. Connection to PATH trains to Midtown Manhattan and to New Jersey Transit commuter train service are available at Hoboken Terminal. Transfers to PATH trains to Newark, Harrison, and Downtown Manhattan are available at Exchange Place.[15][16]
New Jersey Transit buses 81 and 87, Red and Tan #4, and the Bergen Avenue Bus all stop nearby. The 87 stops on King Drive, the 81 and Bergen Avenue bus on Bergen Avenue (one block west) and the #4 on Ocean Avenue (one block east).
Vicinity
- Bergen Hill, Jersey City
- Lincoln High School
- St. Patrick's Parish and Buildings at Grand Street and Ocean and Bramhall Aves. (40°42′50″N 74°4′23″W).
References
- ^ "Hudson County 609 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/09000609__-.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
- ^ a b c Hudson County New Jersey Street Map. Hagstrom Map Company, Inc. 2008. ISBN 0-88097-763-9.
- ^ Martin Luther King, Jr. speeches in Jersey City
- ^ JCRA The Hill
- ^ MLK Drive
- ^ The Hill
- ^ National Urban League of Hudson County
- ^ · MLK Redevelopment Plan
- ^ JC Shoppring Districts
- ^ Cunningham Branch Library
- ^ MLK Memorial
- ^ MLK Station photos
- ^ Jackson Avenue Station
- ^ Jackson Avenue Station
- ^ *MLK Drive Station information
- ^ Hudson-Bergen Light Rail schedule (PDF)
External links
- NJT Hudson–Bergen Light Rail station information page for Martin Luther King Drive
- Hudson–Bergen Light Rail schedule
- Martin Luther King Drive
- Station from Google Maps Street View
Municipalities and communities of Hudson County, New Jersey Cities Bayonne | Hoboken | Jersey City | Union City
Borough Towns Guttenberg | Harrison | Kearny | Secaucus | West New York
Townships Categories:- Neighborhoods in Hudson County, New Jersey
- Streets in Hudson County
- Transportation in Jersey City, New Jersey
- Memorials to Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Monuments and memorials in New Jersey
- Stations along Central Railroad of New Jersey lines
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