Passaic County cuts ribbon on $3.4 million Highlands Rail Trail Phase 1 in Wanaque

Passaic County officials and regional partners on Wednesday celebrated the opening of Phase 1 of the Highlands Rail Trail in Wanaque, a roughly two‑mile greenway officials say was built without using county property‑tax dollars.

Commissioner Bartlett, of the Passaic County Board of County Commissioners, said the project stretches about 2 miles from Union Avenue to F.A. Orecchio Drive and cost $3,400,000. “This $3,400,000 project is fully funded by a federal transportation alternatives program grant through the New Jersey Department of Transportation,” Bartlett said. “Not $1 of county tax revenue is being used.”

The trail will be incorporated into the Passaic County Park System and maintained by the county Department of Parks and Recreation, Bartlett said, adding that the corridor repurposes a former freight right‑of‑way into a place for walking, biking and neighborhood connections.

Mayor Dan Mahler of Wanaque praised the conversion of the old railroad bed into public open space, recalling that the line was visible from the air and saying, “Now there's gonna be a nice hiking path on that railroad bed.” He urged participants to proceed with the ribbon cutting.

David Barron, executive director of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, said the NJTPA helped secure and direct federal funding and framed the trail as part of a broader regional effort. Barron said the agency’s recently adopted 25‑year long‑range transportation plan reflects residents’ desire for more trails and greenways and that the NJTPA is also funding design work for Phase 2. “Eventually it can reach Ringwood and extend south into Pompton Lakes,” he said, describing the vision of linking this corridor with the Morris Canal Greenway and other regional trails.

Officials said Phase 2 is currently in design and is expected to extend the trail about 1.4 miles to Conklin Town Road, with construction tentatively scheduled for 2026. The county and its partners thanked water utilities and private landholders who made easements available and the contractors and staff involved in design and construction.

The ceremony closed with a countdown and the official ribbon cutting to mark the opening of Phase 1. County officials said the project is intended to improve connectivity, encourage recreation and highlight local history through interpretive elements along the route.