KenR, December 2006: Newark
to GWB over Rt 46 bridge
Overview
On a mid-week day I skated from Pennsylvania train station in
Newark on the west side of the Passaic River to Passaic, east across
into Wallington, past Teterboro airport to Little Ferry, to
Ridgefield, then north to Fort Lee. (similar to
Dec-04 report)
I liked it overall -- except from Edgewater Av to
the GWB didn't work so well (again).
The connection on Broad Av from Edgewater
south to Shaler Blvd needs some sidewalks. Then Shaler Blvd is a
gentle climb, but could be wider. But later it's tough to avoid
either steep climbing or difficult connections into Fort Lee.
Later it's hard to find south-north into
Fort Lee to connect with Bridge Plaza South / Bruce Reynolds that
don't have lots of traffic.
I doubt I'm going to try the Shaler Blvd
connection any time soon -- next time perhaps try heading north from
Edgewater Av on something like ?? Broad Av ?? and reverse my usual route down
from the GWB. ?? or perhaps use Glenwood Av to Grandview Terr?
I again liked taking the west side of the Passaic
River from Newark to Passaic, with some slight variations.
Bridges: I did not take the Rt 46 bridge over Overpeck
Creek, instead the Edgewater Av - Bergen Turnpike bridge over
Overpeck Creek had little traffic. The south sidewalk on the Rt 46
bridge across the Hackensack River was fairly rough (and missing on part of the west approach, but I could have
walked that section). Crossing the Passaic River was easy.
Maps: I used the Hagstom Essex County and Hagstrom Bergen County
maps.
Details
From the NJ Transit train at Newark Penn station, headed roughly
west and a little north, to go west on Central Ave, then angled bear right
onto Sussex Av and Nesbitt St, over Rt 280 and into the southeast
corner of Branch Brook Park. Took the park road west across the
creek, then skated on the
road north thru the park on the west side of the creek, which
I found pleasant with some views of the creek -- and I kept
following the obvious way where it later crossed to the east side of
the creek.
The park road finished by bearing right onto Mill St (east), which was wide well-paved
gentle-to-moderate descent. But after crossing Washington, didn't go
all the way to the end, instead turned Left onto Cortlandt (north)
and then parallel to east side on Stephens (mostly new smooth
surface), (might have worked well also to just stay on Cortlandt to
its end) -- then near its end Stephens got coarse-stone, so around
there found my way east onto the river road
alongside highway Rt 21 and the west side of the Passaic River.
Just after going under highway Rt 3, I took first right (sign
said "to Route 3") to continue on the river road along the west side
of Rt 21. Where the obvious road north curved right to go under Rt
21, I decided to try something different (because last time the
obvious road led me into some stuff on the east shoulder of Rt 21).
The road on the west side of Rt 21 was one-way south-bound (the
wrong way) and had lots of traffic. So I turned west, then turned
Right on Park Av (northeast) to its end (which worked pretty well),
then east to continue on the river drive next to Rt 21 . . .
Which led me into a bear right turn to cross the Passaic river on
the Gregory Av / Main Av
bridge into Wallingford.
Coming off the bridge, I immediately turned Right to get onto Patterson Av, which
turned out to have moderate traffic which seemed to come in big
bunches -- so I could enjoy some pleasant skating in between the
bunches. Then at the traffic light just before another moderate
hill-climb, I went straight onto Hoboken Rd where most of the
vehicle traffic angled right onto Patterson Av.
Along the way, a couple saw me skating
with my ski poles and I stopped and talked with them, and they took
a photo of me.
Steep downhill east-bound on Hoboken Rd (with a traffic light
intersection in its midst). I was glad to have the Gatorleash to
help my heel-brake. I went almost all the way to the bottom of the
hill, but before reaching its end at Rt 17, I turned Left (north) on
8th St (opposite Jane St), which becomes Jefferson St, which worked
prettty well.
Turned Right (east) onto Moonachie, decent bridge but lots of
coarse pavement over highway Rt 17,
then manageable traffic along the south side of Teterboro airport.
Then north on Red Neck Av to its end (nice skating, stopped to watch
a corporate take off from Teterboro airport), north a block or so,
then east on Main St of Little Ferry (with a snack stop) to almost
its end. North a little to the roundabout for highway Rt 46.
Took Rt 46 bridge east-bound across the Hackensack River. Unpaved
dirt path alongside road, with no paved sidewalk and no shoulder for
a section of the west approach (I could have walked this section on
the dirt path, though actually I went "narrow" in the far right
side of the roadway). Sidewalk on bridge was rather rough,
but reasonably wide.
Next I did not want to go thru all the
entrance-exit ramps and complicated traffic of the intersection of
Rt 46 with the NJ Turnpike -- even though from advance inspections
driving my car I remember having seen a sidewalk on the Rt 46
bridge across Overpeck Creek. So instead . . .
I took the first right turn off bridge, gentle downhill into unexpected
intersection where I had to make a quick stop to avoid going into
vehicle traffic on another street which was coming from underneath
the Rt 46 bridge. Joined this street (Bergen Turnpike?) southeast,
climb over the NJ Turnpike, moderate down with curve south to narrow
but pleasant bridge across Overpeck Creek, then continued onto Hendricks Causeway,
nice up and over the railroad tracks, but finishes with some
narrower lanes of cars waiting for traffic light.
?? Next time, if planning to go north on
Broad Av, the traffic patterns might be less tricky if avoid
Hendricks by turning Left (east) on Edgewater and walk across
railroad tracks?
The connection on Broad Av / Rt 1 / Rt 9 from Edgewater south to
Shaler Blvd (2 traffic lanes each way with no shoulders) needs some
sidewalks before I'd try it again. I tried the shortcut on Pleasant
View Terrace, but that had a real steep downhill. Then Shaler Blvd
is a gentle climb, but could be wider. After crossing under Bergen
County Rt 5, continued north on 8th St, but the first way east
that's not real steep is Palisades Blvd (but that had eroded
pavement).
Then I went north on Bergen Blvd / Rt 63 which had mostly good
east shoulder, then joined Rt 46, and I turned Right onto North Av
(which was OK), then Whiteman (which wasn't so good -- perhaps next
time something a little further south), then a little north on
Palisade Av (lotsa traffic, I used the sidewalk) then over to Parker
and Central -- but then Central didn't connect with Bridge Plaza
South / Bruce Reynolds, so I had to find a different way.
Finishing by going east on Bridge Plaza
South / Bruce Reynolds to the GWB is good, but north on Palisades Av
and Martha Washington is a better way to get there.
Skating the GWB south sidewalk on a mid-week afternoon with almost no bicyclists or pedestrians was
as pleasant and pretty as ever.
Maps: Hagstrom Essex county + Bergen county
