You can get there from here…and now it’s a whole lot easier.
Although NJ TRANSIT’s MidTOWN Direct Service has been available from Morris County for six years, the new Montclair-Boonton connection is getting passengers from Essex and Passaic counties to Penn Station, New York, without having to transfer trains in Hoboken or Newark.
The new line, a dream come true for commuters, began in September, but the best is yet to come. A 1,500-space parking garage and train station being built on the Montclair State campus will be a much-welcomed convenience for residents of the University’s neighboring towns, where parking at existing stations is at a premium. The $26-million project, expected to be completed in 2004, is a collaborative effort among Montclair State, NJ TRANSIT and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Meanwhile, commuters can get the MidTOWN Direct service from the nearby Montclair Heights station.

The new facility will greatly benefit the University’s commuting population as well as residential students who like to take advantage of Montclair State’s proximity to Manhattan. “This is a direct, safe and easy way for our students to take advantage of cultural opportunities in New York City,” said Montclair State President Susan A. Cole. The new service also is expected to boost the University’s presence across the Hudson. “It will connect us to Midtown Manhattan and a substantial student population there,” she said. “This project will enable us to encourage mass transit and allow New Jersey’s second-largest educational institution to work with NJ TRANSIT and the state.” (continued)