Newark is the Crossroads of Commerce

On Sep 12, 2025

With a combination of rail, roads, port, broadband, aviation, and mass transit like nowhere else in America, Newark means business when it comes to transportation. 

By Lisa Goulian Twiste, Contributing Writer

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Newark has long been a pioneer in the area of transportation. In the 19th century, the city built one of the nation’s earliest and most complicated canals, the Morris Canal, on what is now Raymond Boulevard. When that canal was no longer needed, it became one of the only US cities of its size to develop a subway system, later adding a light rail that connects key neighborhoods and links to buses and trains for regional travel. The first containership sailed out of Newark in 1956, transforming global commerce. Today, innovation in Newark’s transportation industry continues with new companies emerging from Newark-based HAX, a hard-tech venture firm, that are focusing on transportation and infrastructure.

“Newark has one of the most robust and versatile transportation infrastructures in the region, connecting people and goods by air, land, rail, and sea,” says Marcus T. Randolph, president and CEO of Invest Newark, the city’s economic development organization. “With Newark Liberty International Airport, Port Newark, and major hubs like Penn Station and Broad Street Station, our city anchors regional mobility and global connectivity. This infrastructure supports thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity, making it essential to Newark’s continued growth and investment appeal.”

With many of Newark’s 300,000 residents, 130,000 workers, and 60,000 higher-education students traveling to, from and within the city each day via NJ TRANSIT’s rail system and bus lines, a well-oiled transportation network has never been more important for the city.

Efforts are ongoing to upgrade and modernize this system to address an aging infrastructure, overcrowding, and internal accessibility gaps.

“From the very beginning and over time, innovations in transportation infrastructure and Newark’s ability to adapt have been what has allowed the city to prosper,” says Evan Weiss, president and CEO of the Newark Alliance, which champions the city’s economic growth with members like Audible, RWJBarnabas Health, NJPAC, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Prudential, PSE&G and Verizon. “Newark has the best of both worlds because we have all this infrastructure, plus we’ve created the environment where infrastructure-led development can create better and more equitable opportunities for Newarkers.”

Airport Connection to the South Ward

In June, officials broke ground on the $160-million Newark Airport Station Access Project, which connects the South Ward and surrounding area to the existing NJ TRANSIT rail station that has been closed to street access – reducing the airport commute from 40 minutes to under 10 minutes. This project, expected to be completed before the end of 2026, will give residents better access to 24,000 direct and 110,000 indirect airport jobs representing $3.3 billion in wages and salaries, while also creating a new public access area with a pedestrian bridge extension offering improved connections to AirTrain Newark, Amtrak, and NJ TRANSIT rail.

“We’re hoping to put 3,000 to 4,000 households in proximity to that station,” says Darius Sollohub, a professor of architecture at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and a member of the Airport City Newark Coalition (ACNC), representing universities, government bodies and research entities working to maximize the airport’s benefit to the city. 

The public access area will include a pickup/drop-off point for private vehicles, taxis, buses and for-hire vehicles, along with bicycle and pedestrian access. “Projects like the Essex-Hudson Greenway, a nearly nine-mile-long, multi-use trail corridor following a converted rail line running through Newark, and the expanded Riverfront Park, are also creating more walkable, connected neighborhoods,” Invest Newark’s Randolph says.

According to Weiss, the South Ward is already a “cool” neighborhood, being right next to Weequahic Park, with many historic homes and some high-rises getting a facelift. “When you have this kind of infrastructure in place, particularly in the New York metro area, it creates the bedrock for so many kinds of economic development,” he adds.

Newark Penn Station Upgrade

Another major transportation-related development is a five-year, $190-million restoration of historic Newark Penn Station, whose first phase kicked off in 2022 with a focus on visual and functional upgrades to the waiting room benches, bathrooms, lighting and HVAC systems. Also notable is the extension of the Mulberry Commons pedestrian bridge designed to better connect Newark’s downtown to entertainment venues – particularly the Prudential Center – green space, and the city’s Ironbound neighborhood, while providing a better link to Newark Penn Station.“Housing, for the most part, follows transportation, and there’s housing being developed on both sides of Route 21 near Penn Station,” Sollohub says. “Given their proximity, the parking lots around the Prudential Center are prime locations for potential development that will add to the city’s population and vibrancy.”

Other major projects include the following:

• Amtrak is making significant electrical upgrades on the Northeast Corridor to modernize its power supply and improve reliability. 
• The existing AirTrain Newark is being replaced with a modern, automated system, with construction expected to begin this year and be completed in 2030.
• Roadway networks and access points are being streamlined and expanded to improve efficiency for vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, and service vehicles.
• NJ TRANSIT is restructuring the local bus network to better align service with community needs through expanded hours, increased frequency, and new routes.
• Invest Newark recently partnered with the city to launch Via Newark, a micro transit service pilot program offering free shared rides to residents (including senior citizens and the disabled) to access cultural activities, jobs, education, and essential services citywide.

Transportation Leads to Business Growth 

Global consulting company McKinsey & Co. recently consolidated New Jersey operations, bringing some 700 employees to Newark’s landmark Ironside building. McKinsey joined a growing list of corporate giants like Audible, Prudential Financial, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, PSEG and Panasonic Corporation of North America that have major offices and headquarters in Newark. The city is not only accessible through major roads and public transportation, but avoids the higher rents, tolls and congestion pricing associated with Manhattan. 

For example, vast and reliable transportation systems – NJ TRANSIT and the Port Authority’s PATH lines, in particular – are invaluable for the engineers and scientists at HAX, who largely work at the Broad Street headquarters to prototype, test, and commercialize technologies. “We build hard tech, which requires a diverse range of highly specialized talent – from mechanical engineers to chemists to industrial designers, and more,” says Susan Schofer, a partner at the global venture capital firm, SOSV, and HAX’s chief science officer. “That regional connectivity allows us to tap into a much broader talent pool than if we were reliant on driving alone, including recent grads from Columbia University, New York University, Princeton University, Stevens Institute of Technology, NJIT, Rutgers University, and even the University of Pennsylvania, as well as mid-career and more experienced talent across the tri-state area.”

Newark is also home to Edge Auto, an employee-owned company that opened a three-plus-acre facility on Delancy Street three years ago, renting its fleet of close to 700 vehicles to film and television production companies, while also providing transportation solutions for corporate clients and entertainment and sporting events. According to Co-CEO Nick Day, Newark was the perfect location to expand the business because of its access to New York, all of New Jersey, and Philadelphia. 

“Newark is an ideal setting for many of our clients who want to shoot unique city environments. It has its own robust talent pool, and we are very happy to have our flag planted here. Plus, New York is just a short drive or train ride away,” Day says. “There’s a rapidly growing film industry here in New Jersey, supported by a strong state tax credit for filming here, endless array of diverse locations, deep infrastructure of talent and vendors, and very supportive and active film commission.”

Case in point: Lionsgate Newark Studios, a new 350,000-square-foot film and television production facility, is expected to be up and running in the South Ward by spring of 2026. Developed through a partnership between Lionsgate, Great Point Studios, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), this project has led to discussions about developing additional housing and big box stores so residents don’t have to go to the suburbs to shop. 

 According to Ferlanda Fox Nixon, president & CEO of the Newark Regional Business Partnership – the premier chamber of commerce serving the Greater Newark region, “Newark’s transportation assets aren’t just about movement – they’re about momentum. From global trade to neighborhood revitalization, it’s the city’s strategic approach to development, combined with collaboration among public, private, and community stakeholders, that transforms this connectivity into real economic opportunity – for business owners, investors and residents. As the region evolves, Newark isn’t just keeping pace – it’s setting the direction.”

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