Broadway station (NJ Transit)

In early April 1932, Councilman Thomas Knott made a suggestion to the Fair Lawn Borough Council rename the station from Warren Point to a new name. The idea was supported by the council that they would approve the proposal at their next meeting.{{cite news |title=Warren Point Station to be Named Broadway |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/passaic-daily-herald-warren-point-april/155995867/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Passaic Daily Herald |date=April 15, 1932 |page=21|via=Newspapers.com}} However, there was immediate opposition to the renaming proposal. The Fair Lawn Civic Association held a meeting at Visentin's Country Club on Saddle River Road on May 3 and several speakers voiced their opposition to the proposal. One presented a petition to continue the use of Warren Point as the name of the station and that they should be at the next council meeting to continue their protest. The same member also accused Fair Lawn Postmaster, Charles Challice, of trying to getting the name of the post office changed and that the proposal with the Borough Council would help his cause. The official reason was stated that the name "Warren Point" was there before the name "Fair Lawn".{{cite news |title=Protest Effort to Alter Station Name |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-warren-point-may-4-1932/28979328/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Bergen Evening Record |date=May 4, 1932 |location=Hackensack, New Jersey |page=17|via=Newspapers.com}}

Knott made a public comment to the Bergen Evening Record on May 7 about the comments made at the Fair Lawn Civic Association meeting. He denied that there was any collusion on removing the Warren Point name from the station, stating that his proposal was to stop sectionalism in the borough. Knott also denied the involvement of Charles Challice in the decision making. Knott stated that he never discussed anything with Chalice before his proposal at a Borough Council meeting.{{cite news |title=Knott in Denial of Collusion Charge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-warren-point-name-may-7-193/28794436/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Bergen Evening Record |date=May 7, 1932 |location=Hackensack, New Jersey |page=19|via=Newspapers.com}} The Fair Lawn Civic Association noted that Knott wrote to the Erie Railroad to request the station be renamed.{{cite news |title=Break-Up of Civic Association Denied |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-warren-point-may-19-1932/156001757/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Bergen Evening Record |date=May 19, 1932 |location=Hackensack, New Jersey |page=11|via=Newspapers.com}} At the Borough Council meeting on June 14, they announced that the Erie Railroad responded to Knott's letter. The railroad requested the Borough Council reconsider their proposal to rename the station.{{cite news |title=Council to Pass Ordinance to Curb Fly-by-Night Stands |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-fair-lawn-june-15-193/156001982/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Paterson Morning Call |date=June 15, 1932 |page=11|via=Newspapers.com}}

On the morning of November 17, 1933, an overheated stove left unattended set the depot at Warren Point aflame at 5:30 a.m.. The single-alarm fire was settled by the Warren Point Fire Company until the blaze re-strengthened around 10:00 a.m. while waiting for a second fire company. The second blaze totaled the depot, causing about $1,000 in damage.{{cite news |title=Fire Destroys Erie R.R. Depot |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-warren-point-fire-november-1/26506143/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Bergen Evening Record |date=November 18, 1933 |location=Hackensack, New Jersey |page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} The railroad rebuilt the station in the winter of 1934, partially using insurance from the burned depot. At a cost of $2,200, the new station would be {{convert|14x18|ft|m}} in size with fireproof materials used in the construction.{{cite news |title=Station Almost Ready |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-new-warren-point-january-22/28144256/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Bergen Evening Record |date=January 22, 1934 |location=Hackensack, New Jersey |page=14|via=Newspapers.com}}

In January 1940, Fair Lawn Police Chief Michael Vanore stated that the Erie should be asked to move the 1934-built depot away from its location on Route 4 and Rosalie Street. Vanore stated that the location of the depot was at a bottleneck point Route 4 near the bridge the railroad used to cross the road. On top of that, with no dedicated parking, vehicles waiting for commuters would park on the road, causing hazardous congestion.{{cite news |title=Station Urged |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-warren-point-station-january/35254989/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Bergen Evening Record |date=January 10, 1940 |location=Hackensack, New Jersey |page=14|via=Newspapers.com}} The neighboring municipality of East Paterson opposed to the moving of the depot. Councilman Mario Augusta wrote to the railroad to make their opposition official, stating that the station depot being moved would result in it making harder for residents of East Paterson's Rosemont neighborhood to reach the station.{{cite news |title=East Paterson Fights Erie Station Shift |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-news-warren-point-february-8/156004594/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Herald-News |date=February 8, 1940 |location=Passaic, New Jersey |page=15|via=Newspapers.com}}

A year later, Chief Vanore made a similar request that the Borough Council outlaw parking on Route 4 eastbound for {{convert|150|ft|m}} wets of Turnbridge Road. Vanore stated that if they would not eliminate on the street parking, that moving the depot would be necessary.{{cite news |title=$15,000 Surplus |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-vanore-january-15-1941/156005635/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Bergen Evening Record |date=January 15, 1941 |location=Hackensack, New Jersey |page=7|via=Newspapers.com}} In May 1941, the New Jersey State Highway Commissioner, E. Donald Sterner, requested $175,000 (1941 USD) in federal funding to rectify the bottleneck on Route 4 at the station.{{cite news |title=Requests $175,000 to Improve Route 4 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-news-route-4-may-11-1941/156006844/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Sunday News |date=May 11, 1941 |location=Ridgewood, New Jersey |page=22|via=Newspapers.com}} The Morning Call of Paterson noted that the width of Route 4 shrunk from {{convert|97|ft|m}} to {{convert|40|ft|m}} when crossing under the railroad. Accidents dating back to 1931 caused at least two fatalities, including an accident in which someone burned to death in their vehicle on March 24, 1931. Vanore stated that their statistics did not include the minor accidents and collisions that went unreported. Vanore stated that he would prefer an island be built in the center of Route 4 to Arcola Circle so that they could slow the speed of traffic and limit turns.{{cite news |title=Is This Warren Point Death Trap to be Eliminated? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-warren-point-statin-ju/156006156/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Morning Call |date=July 14, 1941 |location=Paterson, New Jersey |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-warren-point-part-2-ju/156006318/ 26]|via=Newspapers.com}}

File:Route 4 bridge Fair Lawn.jpg

In September 1941, the Fair Lawn Borough Council announced that after consultation with the New Jersey State Highway Department that they would ban angle parking and u-turns on Route 4. The State Highway Department also rejected a system of traffic lights on Route 4 due to the lack of cross streets in Fair Lawn.{{cite news |title=Route 4 Traffic Problem is Given Council Attention |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-route-4-problem-septem/156008443/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Morning Call |date=September 10, 1941 |location=Paterson, New Jersey |page=11|via=Newspapers.com}}

On August 31, 1945, Governor of New Jersey Walter E. Edge announced that the State Highway Commissioner, Spencer Miller Jr., could put out an advertisement for bids on widening Route 4 at the Warren Point station. The project would be funded at $230,000 out of a $4.295 million public works expenditure. Work would begin when the War Production Board would eliminate the outlaw of construction projects over $100,000, which was expected in September.{{cite news |title=State Projects Rt. 4 Widening of Bottleneck |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-route-4-warren-point-august/156012229/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Bergen Evening Record |date=August 31, 1945 |location=Hackensack, New Jersey |pages=2–[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-route-4-warren-point-part-2/156012303/ 3]|via=Newspapers.com}} On October 3, Miller Jr. announced that the Ell Dorer Contracting Company of Irvington would receive the contract with a bid of $187,782.{{cite news |title=Route 4 Widening to Cost $187,782 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-news-route-4-widening-octobe/156012248/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Herald-News |date=October 4, 1945 |page=6|via=Newspapers.com|location=Passaic, New Jersey}}

Construction of the widening began in August 1946. Construction involved building a temporary wooden bridge to the east of the existing bridge to maintain train schedules on the Bergen County Shortcut. By July 1947, the bridge was nearly complete, with the full concrete and steel bridge put together designed by the Erie Railroad.{{cite news |title=Widening Route 4 Traffic Gullet |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-route-4-widening-july/156013534/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Morning Call |date=July 22, 1947 |location=Paterson, New Jersey |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-route-4-widening-part-2/156013680/ 21]}}

In 2008, a group of local store owners asked the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to improve Route 4 at Broadway station due to concerns about accidents and pedestrian strikes. Their original proposal was a traffic light at the pedestrian crossing. NJDOT first reduced the {{convert|40|mph|km/h|adj=on}} speed limit down to {{convert|35|mph|km/h}} and repainted the intersection. They also installed a flashing pedestrian crossing sign to alert drivers in 2011,{{cite news |last1=Baglivo |first1=Vince |title=Beacons to Make Roadway Safer for Pedestrians |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/community-news-fair-lawn-station-june-3/156021268/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=Community News |date=June 30, 2011 |location=Fair Lawn, New Jersey |page=A7|via=Newspapers.com}} which led to several accidents. In 2012, Broadway Improvement Corporation, the group of store owners, got a grant for $300,000 to try a different strategy for improving pedestrian crossings from East 55th Street.{{cite news |last1=Chichowski |first1=John |title=After 7-Year Push, Catching the Train Finally Gets Safer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-news-route-4-may-6-2015/156016051/ |access-date=September 25, 2024 |work=The Herald-News|date=May 6, 2015|pp=B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-news-route-4-widening-may-6/156016096/ B6]|via=Newspapers.com|location=Passaic, New Jersey}}

In 2015, NJDOT installed a new system to maintain pedestrian safety at the station. This new system would involve new traffic lights being installed that were synced with ones further down Route 4, relocation of the pedestrian crosswalk and pedestrian control of the crosswalk lights. The new system would allow 30 seconds to cross Route 4.

The station has two tracks, each with a low-level side platform. No parking for the station is available in Fair Lawn. An 80-space permit parking lot is available across Broadway at East 55th Street in Elmwood Park. The station is accessible on foot from Broadway and Rosalie Street, the latter of which dead ends at the Suffern-bound (northbound) platform, and from Broadway using two separate staircases. The Hoboken-bound (southbound) platform has a ticket machine and a shelter.

• {{cite book |last1=Poor |first1=Henry Varnum |title=Poor's Manual of Railroads |date=1884 |publisher=H.V. & H.W. Poor |location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ncvsg65KThAC&q=bergen+county+railroad+october+1881 |access-date=July 28, 2020}}

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Category:Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Category:Railway stations in Bergen County, New Jersey

Category:NJ Transit Rail Operations stations

Category:Former Erie Railroad stations

Category:1881 establishments in New Jersey

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1881