77-928: The Rahway Valley Railroad (RV) was a shortline railroad in the Northeastern United States . During their operations, the RV was considered as one of the most successful shortline railroads in U.S. history. The RV interchanged with the Lehigh Valley Railroad (LV) in Roselle Park , the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) in Cranford , and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W) in Summit . The railroad
154-534: A 2-6-0 "Mogul"-type. No. 12 was purchased in 1927, but it was deemed too large for continued operation over the railroad and was retired a year later. In 1928, Nos. 13 and 14 were purchased, and the RV obtained an adequate locomotive roster with them. In 1932, Roger Clark died, and the Keller estate appointed his son George A. Clark as president. In 1934, under George Clark's management, the Rahway Valley turned
231-539: A 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch of trackage for the NY&;NO, and in the process, a connection was made with the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) at Cranford. During the winter of 1898-1899, an extension was made to N. 19th Street in New Orange, and shortly thereafter, the 0.5-mile (0.80 km) long Lehigh Valley Branch was constructed, to connect with the Lehigh Valley Railroad (LV) at Roselle Park. In July 1899,
308-416: A Class III is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $ 28 million. In Canada , Transport Canada classifies shortline railroads as Class II . There are three kinds of shortlines in the U.S.: handling, switch, and ISS (Interline Settlement System). It was reported in 2009 that shortline railroads employ 20,000 people in the U.S., and own 30 percent of the nation's railroad tracks. About
385-443: A female householder with no husband present and 36.1% were non-families. Of all households, 31.0% were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.33. 25.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
462-556: A greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis. From 1887 to 1965, Irvington was home to Olympic Park, a 40-acre (16 ha) amusement park that straddled the border of Irvington and Maplewood , with the main entrance on Chancellor Avenue and a side entrance on 40th Street. After the park closed, the merry-go-round was sold and transported to Disney World, in Orlando, FL. The book, Smile: A Picture History of Olympic Park, 1887–1965 written by Alan A. Siegel
539-413: A household in the township was $ 36,575, and the median income for a family was $ 41,098. Males had a median income of $ 32,043 versus $ 27,244 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 16,874. About 15.8% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over. Irvington experienced the crack epidemic of
616-410: A profit for the first time in many years. Clark also continued to attract new businesses to locate on the line. An increase in larger industries along the railroad also occurred. In the early 1950s, with the development of improved highways , trucks began serving the Rahway Valley's customers. Clark began to dieselize the railroad in 1951, with the purchase of GE 70-ton switcher locomotive No. 16. For
693-440: A quarter of all U.S. rail freight travels at least a small part of its journey over a short-line railroad. An ever-growing number of shortline operators have been acquired by larger holding companies which own or lease railroad properties in many states, as well as internationally. For example, Genesee & Wyoming controls over 100 railroads in over 40 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces. A consequence of such consolidation
770-688: A reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the 6 + 5 ⁄ 8 % rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in May 1996, the township's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in May 2027. In July 2015, the central business district surrounding the Irvington Bus Terminal on Springfield Avenue was designated as one of 33 transit villages statewide, qualifying it for incentives for revitalization. Irvington had six movie theatres that provided live stage appearances or films for their patrons amusement. The theatres were built in
847-657: A relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the United States and Canada. In the former, railroads are categorized by operating revenue, and most shortline railroads fall into the Class III or Class II categorization defined by the Surface Transportation Board . At the beginning of the railroad age, nearly all railway lines were shortlines, locally chartered, financed and operated; as
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#1732779802896924-422: A reorganization meeting held after each election. The council is the legislative body of the township and needs a ⅔ majority to make changes to the budget submitted by the mayor. The mayor is the township's chief executive and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and submitting a budget, but is not eligible to vote on the council and is not required to attend its meetings. As of July 2022 ,
1001-603: A substantial mortgage, secured by bonds owned by the Elmira interests. In 1909, a call feature on this bond issue became active, which effectively reverted control of the railroad to the Elmirans. To circumvent this, Keller organized an operating company, the Rahway Valley Company, to lease and operate the RV. After the Elmirans died, their respective estates looked to liquidate their bond holdings and wished to sell
1078-616: A turnout of 25.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election , Democrat Jon Corzine received 93.2% of the vote (9,218 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 4.6% (459 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 0.9% (93 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (66 votes), among the 9,894 ballots cast by the township's 28,189 registered voters, yielding a 35.1% turnout. In 2022, Irvington sued local resident Elouise McDaniel, 82, accusing her of harassment and bullying by using her rights under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act . Both Mayor Vauss and Municipal Clerk Harold Wiener denied filing
1155-524: Is comprised of the Mayor and the seven-member Township Council, whose members are elected to staggered four-year terms of office on a non-partisan basis in municipal elections held on the second Tuesday in May in even-numbered years. The mayor and the three at-large seats are elected together and two years later the four ward seats are up for vote together. The council selects a president, first vice president and second vice president from among its members at
1232-649: Is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority . As of the 2019–20 school year,
1309-466: Is that shortline railroads may no longer be "by state". Irvington, New Jersey Irvington is a township in Essex County , in the U.S. state of New Jersey . As of the 2020 United States census , the township's population was 61,176, an increase of 7,250 (+13.4%) from the 2010 census count of 53,926, which in turn reflected a decline of 6,769 (−11.2%) from the 60,695 counted in
1386-462: The 2000 census . The township had the ninth-highest property tax rate in New Jersey in 2020, with an equalized rate of 4.890% in 2020, compared to 2.824% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%. Clinton Township , which included what is now Irvington, Maplewood and parts of Newark and South Orange , was created on April 14, 1834. The area was known as Camptown until
1463-680: The 2024-2025 session , the 28th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Renee Burgess ( D , Irvington ) and in the General Assembly by Garnet Hall (D, Maplewood ) and Cleopatra Tucker (D, Newark ). Essex County is governed by a directly elected county executive , with legislative functions performed by the Board of County Commissioners . As of 2024 ,
1540-520: The Libertarian Party and Green Party . In the 2012 presidential election , Democrat Barack Obama received 97.9% of the vote (18,538 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1.9% (363 votes), and other candidates with 0.2% (38 votes), among the 19,036 ballots cast by the township's 30,744 registered voters (97 ballots were spoiled ), for a turnout of 61.9%. In the 2008 presidential election , Democrat Barack Obama received 96.9% of
1617-536: The 10th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 28th state legislative district. For the 118th United States Congress , New Jersey's 10th congressional district is represented by LaMonica McIver ( D , Newark ). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker ( Newark , term ends 2027) and George Helmy ( Mountain Lakes , term ends 2024). For
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#17327798028961694-418: The 16,211 ballots cast by the township's 26,594 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 61.0. In the 2013 gubernatorial election , Democrat Barbara Buono received 86.4% of the vote (6,800 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 13.1% (1,028 votes), and other candidates with 0.5% (42 votes), among the 8,030 ballots cast by the township's 31,292 registered voters (160 ballots were spoiled), for
1771-507: The 1920s during the era of silent films. A few theaters were installed with Wurlitzers, such as the Castle, Chancellor, and Sanford. A Wurlitzer opus 1885 was installed at Chancellor Theater, known prior as the Roxy or Rex. The Sanford had a Wurlitzer organ opus 1301 installed. The organs were used for silent movies, stage acts, or intermissions. Motion pictures began to increase in showings during
1848-625: The 1940s and 1950s, but downturn in audience turn-out resulted in theaters to close during the 1970s. As of 2024, there are no movie theaters operating in the township. Irvington is governed within the Faulkner Act , formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council form of municipal government, one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form. The governing body
1925-872: The 1980s and has struggled with its aftermath. The township's violent crime rate was six times higher than New Jersey overall and the murder rate eight times higher than statewide statistics. In 2007, the New Jersey State Police reported that Irvington had a violent crime rate of 22.4 incidents per 1,000 population, the highest of all 15 major urban areas in the state. According to the New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Report for 2013, year-to-year between 2012 and 2013, Irvington experienced an overall reduction in crime of 9% (from 49.6 to 45.2 incidents per 1,000), with reductions coming from overall non-violent crime (18%) and aggravated assault (22%), but an increase in
2002-2133: The County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. ( D , Roseland ), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026. The county's Board of County Commissioners is composed of nine members, five of whom are elected from districts and four of whom are elected on an at-large basis. They are elected for three-year concurrent terms and may be re-elected to successive terms at the annual election in November. Essex County's Commissioners are: Robert Mercado (D, District 1 – Newark 's North and East Wards, parts of Central and West Wards; Newark, 2026), A'Dorian Murray-Thomas (D, District 2 – Irvington , Maplewood and parts of Newark's South and West Wards; Newark, 2026), Vice President Tyshammie L. Cooper (D, District 3 - Newark: West and Central Wards; East Orange , Orange and South Orange ; East Orange, 2026), Leonard M. Luciano (D, District 4 – Caldwell , Cedar Grove , Essex Fells , Fairfield , Livingston , Millburn , North Caldwell , Roseland , Verona , West Caldwell and West Orange ; West Caldwell, 2026), President Carlos M. Pomares (D, District 5 – Belleville , Bloomfield , Glen Ridge , Montclair and Nutley ; Bloomfield, 2026), Brendan W. Gill (D, at large; Montclair, 2026), Romaine Graham (D, at large; Irvington, 2026), Wayne Richardson (D, at large; Newark, 2026), Patricia Sebold (D, at-large ; Livingston, 2026). Constitutional officers elected countywide are: Clerk Christopher J. Durkin (D, West Caldwell, 2025), Register of Deeds Juan M. Rivera Jr. (D, Newark, 2025), Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura (D, Fairfield, 2024), and Surrogate Alturrick Kenney (D, Newark, 2028). As of March 2011, there were 28,545 registered voters in Irvington, of which 14,694 (51.5%) were registered as Democrats , 404 (1.4%) were registered as Republicans and 13,442 (47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated . There were 5 voters registered to other parties such as
2079-488: The NY&NO's first locomotive, No. 1 (named "New Orange"), was acquired and placed into service. The CNJ operated the NY&NO, until the railroad was formally opened for passenger service, on August 1. In September 1900, a second locomotive, No. 2 (named "Baltusrol") was acquired and placed into service. The growing population in the town of New Orange was found to be less successful than its promoters had hoped. The NY&NO quickly fell into default, and on February 16, 1901,
2156-576: The RV at a fast pace, by the Lehigh Valley, the CNJ, and the nearby Staten Island Railway . An explosion at the Wright plant caused widespread damage in the surrounding area, and rumors of German spies promoted the RV to hire armed guards to protect the property. After World War I ended, freight and passenger traffic both decreased on the RV, and it worsened the railroad's financial position. A tumult in
2233-411: The RV consequently ceased operations. Area residents have proposed to create a 7.3-mile (11.7 km) pedestrian linear park to parallel the trackage of the abandoned Rahway Valley Railroad. The rail trail would lie eastbound from Overlook Medical Center on the edge of downtown Summit , and then lie south along the old track bed through Springfield , Union , and Kenilworth , before ending at
2310-565: The RV, the RV's customers continued to abandon the railroad, and it involved the closure of Monsanto Corp. and the discontinuance of Jaeger Lumber, in 1991. In April 1992, DO ceased operations on both the RV and the Staten Island Railway, with the RV only having one remaining customer. In February 1995, DO sold the RV right-of-way to the state of New Jersey, for $ 6.4 million. In 2001, the Morristown and Erie Railway (M&E)
2387-527: The RV. In 1989, Nos. 16 and 17 were transferred from the RV to Binghamton, New York , and they were replaced with Staten Island No. 120, an Ex- Chesapeake and Ohio EMD SW9 . Some light-weight locomotives from the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W) were also transferred to the RV. In 1988, the RV moved their primary interchange to the former CNJ connection at Cranford, and they ripped up their unused LV connection. As DO continued to operate
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2464-530: The Rahway Valley Railroad (RV). The NOFJ and the new RV were subsequently consolidated, on March 1, 1905. The RV was opened to Springfield on May 25, 1905, to Baltusrol on January 1, 1906, and to Summit on August 2. After a bridge across Broad Street was completed, the RV filed an application with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W) for a connection at Summit. The DL&W
2541-709: The Rahway Valley Railroad, but for only one week, for the occasion of the U.S. Open being held at the Baltusrol Golf Club. Trains were operated between Kenilworth and Baltusrol, in a push-pull formation by Nos. 16 and 17. The train, sponsored by the Union County Trust Company, utilized passenger coaches leased from the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad (C&CV) in New York. Despite improvements and rehabilitation being made,
2618-495: The Rahway Valley had decreased significantly. With smaller profits came deferred track maintenance, and weeds began to grow through the infrastructure. In the early 1970s, the RV closed their line in Maplewood. Bob Clark attempted to attract new businesses to the line, and he was temporarily successful, but his customer base continued to be siphoned away by trucks. Clark unexpectedly died in 1975. The Keller estate, still owners of
2695-531: The Rahway Valley line. The majority of the line between Roselle Park and the Union/Springfield border was cleared of trees and thick brushes. New trackage was inserted from the Union/Springfield border to the Union Wye (behind Rahway Avenue). All of the sidings to the railway's potential future customers were left unconnected to the main line. Trackage was inserted in some parts of Kenilworth. As for
2772-697: The Social Register and the Baltusrol Golf Club , to charter the Rahway Valley Railroad and construct an extension of the NOFJ to Summit. The two railroads were consolidated on March 1, 1905. Louis Keller , the founder and owner of the Baltusrol Golf Club , was dissatisfied with the transportation to his golf club over the rough dirt roads that existed in Union County, New Jersey in the early 1900s. His desire for improved transportation for
2849-515: The Town Council. At age 24, Michael G. Steele became the first black elected to public office in Irvington when he won a seat on the school board on March 25, 1980, then became the township's first black mayor ten years later, when he was elected in 1990 and served for four years, followed by Sarah Brockington Bost in 1994. In 1994 Steele returned to the Board of Education to pursue his career as
2926-720: The approach to the North River Tunnels. The NOFJ began to haul hopper cars of fill material between the excavation sites in New Orange to their Roselle Park interchange with the LV. In 1904, the New Orange Industrial Association failed, and the remaining promoters engaged several New York City businessmen and reorganized the enterprise as the Kenilworth Realty Corporation. These men partnered with Louis Keller, founder of
3003-434: The border of Cranford and Union as a town called New Orange (now Kenilworth ). The Elmirans prospected a profitable manufacturing town with many amenities, and the NY&NO was formed to serve the town's residents and factories. The initial stretch between Aldene and New Orange was surveyed in mid-1897 by J. Wallace Higgins and Anthony Grippo. Between July 1897 and March 1898, contractor Frank H. Bailey of Elmira, constructed
3080-482: The club was frustrated by the New Orange Industrial Association, as their efforts to extend their railroad to Summit came to grief. Keller became involved with the New Orange syndicate in the Cross Country Railroad project, but it went nowhere. On July 18, 1904, after the association had failed, and was reorganized as the Kenilworth Realty Corporation, Keller partnered with its new principals to charter
3157-611: The district's certified School Business Administrator, serving over 22 years. The current mayor is Tony Vauss. According to the United States Census Bureau , the township had a total area of 2.92 square miles (7.55 km ), including 2.91 square miles (7.55 km ) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km ) of water (0.07%). The Elizabeth River runs through the city passing Civic Square and Clinton Cemetery . Unincorporated communities , localities and place names located partially or completely within
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3234-932: The district, comprised of 12 schools, had an enrollment of 8,020 students and 530.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Augusta Preschool Academy (with 341 students; in Pre-K), Berkeley Terrace School (387; Pre-K–5), Chancellor Avenue School (527; K–5), Florence Avenue School (672; K–5), Grove Street School (428; Pre-K–5), Madison Avenue School (410; Pre-K–5), Thurgood G. Marshall School (398; Pre-K–5), Mount Vernon Avenue School (542; K–5), University Elementary School (403; K–5), Union Avenue Middle School (778; 6–8), University Middle School (403; 6–8) and Irvington High School (1,558; 9–12). The district's high school
3311-460: The following reasons: In France, the equivalent of shortlines railroads are the opérateurs ferroviaires de proximité (local railways operators). Because of their small size and generally low revenues, the great majority of shortline railroads in the U.S. are classified by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) as Class III . As defined by the Surface Transportation Board (STB),
3388-404: The formation of Conrail in 1976 affected the Rahway Valley Railroad's operations. Previously having three independent railroads to interchange with, the RV now only interchanged with Conrail in three separate connections. That same year, the final train to Summit was operated, before the interchange was closed. The RV subsequently prioritizing the former Lehigh Valley connection, and they neglected
3465-477: The former CNJ connection at Aldene. But despite these new predicaments the RV under Cahill kept trudging along, increasingly relying on its largest customer, Monsanto Corp. in Kenilworth, as slowly more of the smaller customers switched to trucks. In early 1986, during the break out of the liability insurance crisis , the Rahway Valley discovered that their liability insurance policies had been cancelled, and
3542-560: The highest percentages of African American people in the United States, and the third-highest in New Jersey (behind Lawnside at 93.6%, and East Orange at 89.46%) of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. There were 22,032 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.2% were married couples living together, 27.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who
3619-506: The lawsuit when interviewed, with Wiener commenting "She does file a lot of OPRAs. That comes with the territory, my territory. I know Ms. McDaniel. I don’t have a problem with her." After being the first to report on the story, WNBC was sent two cease and desist letters by the township, accusing them of harassment as well. After the lawsuit became widely publicized, Irvington dropped it. The Irvington Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade . The district
3696-558: The mayor of Irvington is Tony Vauss, whose term of office ends June 30, 2026. Members of the Township Council are Council President Renee C. Burgess (At-large, 2026), Council First Vice President Octavio Hudley (At-large, 2026), Council Second Vice President Charnette Frederic (At-large, 2026), Jamillah Z. Beasley (South Ward, 2024), Vernal C. Cox Sr. (West Ward, 2024), Sean C. Evans (East Ward, 2024) and Orlander Glen Vick (North Ward, 2024). In April 2019, Jamillah Z. Beasley
3773-414: The mid-1800s. In 1850, after Stephen Foster published his ballad, Camptown Races , residents were concerned that the activities described in the song would be associated with their community. The town was renamed, Irvingtown , in honor of Washington Irving . Irvington was incorporated as an independent village on March 27, 1874, from portions of Clinton Township. What remained of Clinton Township
3850-579: The municipality, 10.69 miles (17.20 km) by Essex County, 2.60 miles (4.18 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and 0.17 miles (0.27 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation . The Garden State Parkway is the most significant highway in Irvington, passing through the center of the township; it is accessible from exits 143 and 144. Interstate 78 also passes through very briefly along
3927-400: The next few years, the Rahway Valley used both steam (Nos. 13 and 15) and diesel (No. 16) power until a second 70-ton switcher (No. 17) was purchased in 1954. No. 13 was subsequently scrapped, while No. 15 was later sold to Steamtown, U.S.A. . In 1969, George A. Clark died in his office in the old Kenilworth Station, and his son Robert G. Clark was appointed president. By that time, traffic on
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#17327798028964004-594: The railroad industry matured, local lines were merged or acquired to create longer mainline railroads. Especially since 1980 in the U.S. and 1990 in Canada, many shortlines have been established when larger railroad companies sold off or abandoned low-profit portions of their trackage. Shortline operators typically have lower labor, overhead and regulatory costs than Class I railroads and therefore are often able to operate profitable lines that lost money for their original owners. Shortlines generally exist for one or more of
4081-435: The railroad was sold under foreclosure to the hastily-organized New Orange Four Junction Railroad. The New Orange Four Junction Railroad (NOFJ) was incorporated on February 4, 1901, by several of the New Orange promoters to assume control of the struggling NY&NO. William W. Cole, one of the Elmira men, took charge of the enterprise as president and general manager. Day-to-day operations were carried out by Horatio F. Dankel,
4158-807: The railroad was unable to afford any insurance coverage. The owners quickly opted to contract an experienced company to operate the RV, and in March 1986, they contracted the Delaware Otsego Corporation (DO), which assumed control of the railroad in December 1987. Under DO ownership, the RV began to interchange with the nearby Statin Island Railway of Staten Island , New York , via trackage rights over Conrail and NJ Transit in Cranford, and Staten Island crews became assigned to operate
4235-448: The railroad's managerial staff ended with Roger A. Clark becoming General Manager in 1920. Through Clark's efforts, and that of his son, George, the railroad's fortunes began to change. In 1922, Louis Keller died, and his estate made Roger Clark president. Clark abolished the last vestiges of the railroad's passenger service and began to replace their aging locomotives. In 1922, Nos. 9 and 10 were traded in to General Equipment Co. for No. 11,
4312-760: The railroad's superintendent. Contemplations were made for the railroad to extend their trackage to Irvington , Millburn , and Summit . Multiple surveys were made, and some work was done in acquiring some nearby right-of-ways, but the NOFJ was unable to extend their trackage. In October 1902, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) purchased Tin Kettle and Press hills in New Orange for the purposes of excavating them for fill material, to be used in filling Greenville Yard in Jersey City, Waverly Yard in Newark, and
4389-454: The railroad, appointed experienced railroader Benard Cahill to the presidency. Cahill was able to bring new life to the railroad, and he secured grants from the state to improve track conditions. He also obtained new office space in a former Lehigh Valley passenger coach that he purchased and parked on a siding in Kenilworth, since the previous offices in the old Kenilworth Station were burned in 1974. In 1980. passenger trains were again run over
4466-454: The railroad. Keller eventually acquired the mortgage bonds, supplementing his status as the railroad's majority shareholder. The Keller family continued to maintain a majority ownership of the RV, until 1986. During World War I , the RV experienced booming traffic by serving military firms: a munitions plant in Kenilworth, and a gunpowder plant in Union. Workers for both plants were delivered to
4543-452: The sections past the Union/Springfield border, no progress was made through the towns of Springfield or Summit. By May 15, 2012, the M&;E removed all of their assets from the track beds, since they did not exercise their option to extend the operating agreement with Union County. Shortline railroad A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over
4620-637: The southeastern border at Exit 54. The most significant local roadway passing through Irvington is County Road 509 . The Irvington Bus Terminal , which underwent renovation in the early 2000s, is one of NJ Transit 's (NJT) busiest facilities and regional transit hubs. Irvington is served by NJ Transit bus routes 107 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan ; the 1 , 13 , 25 , 27 , 37 , 39 , 42 , 70 , 90 and 94 to Newark; and local service on
4697-686: The southwest edge of Roselle Park at the Cranford border. A northern portion of the rail trail on the RV mainline is under construction as the Summit Park Line, with a footbridge over Morris Avenue installed in October 2022. Development of the southern portion of the rail trail, south of Route 22 , is under way, as of 2023. It runs past the Galloping Hill Golf Course through Kenilworth and Roselle Park. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), which owns
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#17327798028964774-651: The township include Irving Place. The township is bordered by Maplewood to the west and Newark to the east, both in Essex County, and Hillside to the south and Union to the southwest, both in Union County, New Jersey . The 2010 United States census counted 53,926 people, 20,093 households, and 12,839 families in the township. The population density was 18,417.0 per square mile (7,110.8/km ). There were 23,196 housing units at an average density of 7,922.0 per square mile (3,058.7/km ). The racial makeup
4851-510: The township was $ 20,520. About 14.4% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 United States census there were 60,695 people, 22,032 households, and 14,408 families residing in the township. The population density was 20,528.3 inhabitants per square mile (7,926.0/km ). There were 24,116 housing units at an average density of 8,156.5 per square mile (3,149.2/km ). The racial makeup of
4928-400: The township was 81.66% Black or African American , 8.97% White , 0.24% Native American , 1.10% Asian , 0.10% Pacific Islander , 3.68% from other races , and 4.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.38% of the population. As part of the 2000 Census, 81.66% of Irvington's residents identified themselves as being Black or African American . This was one of
5005-484: The track bed, has been working to clear it for trail usage. Funding for a portion of the rail trail was announced in July 2023. The Rahway Valley Railroad's earliest predecessor, the New York and New Orange Railroad (NY&NO), was incorporated on May 6, 1897, by the promoters of the New Orange Industrial Association. The organization had been formed in 1894 by several Elmira, New York businessmen, to redevelop some land on
5082-463: The violent crime rate of 16% from 13.1 incidents per 1,000 to 15.3. Portions of the township are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Irvington was selected in 1996 as one of a group of seven zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of
5159-442: The vote (18,923 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 2.5% (493 votes) and other candidates with 0.1% (29 votes), among the 19,533 ballots cast by the township's 28,879 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.6%. In the 2004 presidential election , Democrat John Kerry received 91.8% of the vote (14,885 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 7.3% (1,189 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (80 votes), among
5236-418: Was 34.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 88.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 84.2 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $ 42,580, and the median family income was $ 50,798. Males had a median income of $ 38,033 versus $ 36,720 for females. The per capita income for
5313-425: Was 5.64% (3,042) White , 85.41% (46,058) Black or African American , 0.38% (204) Native American , 0.87% (471) Asian , 0.07% (38) Pacific Islander , 5.42% (2,922) from other races , and 2.21% (1,191) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.60% (5,716) of the population. Of the 20,093 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18; 27.6% were married couples living together; 27.9% had
5390-465: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.39. In the township the age distribution of the population shows 28.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males. The median income for
5467-495: Was absorbed into Newark on March 5, 1902. On March 2, 1898, Irvington was incorporated as a Town , replacing Irvington Village. In 1982, the town was one of four Essex County municipalities to pass a referendum to become a township, joining 11 municipalities that had already made the change, of what would ultimately be more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships
5544-580: Was appointed to fill the South Ward seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the death of Sandra M. Jones. He served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office. Council President David Lyons, who had served six terms in office representing the North Ward, died in August 2019. Irvington is located in
5621-432: Was contracted by the state of New Jersey to rehabilitate and operate the southern portion of the former Rahway Valley Railroad. In July 2005, M&E operations on the southern portion of the former Rahway Valley Railroad commenced, and they continued to interchange with the newly-restored Staten Island Railway, via an interchange with Conrail Shared Assets in Cranford. During 2010, NJDOT struggled to raise funds to rebuild
5698-404: Was instrumental in the development of many towns along their right-of-way, including Kenilworth , Union Township , Springfield . By 1986, the RV experienced declining freight traffic, and they lost their liability insurance coverage, That same year, the railroad was sold to the Delaware Otsego Corporation (DO). Freight customers abandoned the railroad to the point only one remained, and in 1992,
5775-494: Was opposed to the connection, and multiple court battles ensued, eventually rising to the level of the United States Supreme Court. RV-DL&W connection was not completed, until March 1930. The RV obtained a large sum of debt from their line construction, and without their desired DL&W connection, and a lack of lineside industry, the railroad was unable to pay their indebtedness. The railroad obtained
5852-418: Was published in 1983 by Rutgers University Press. The 1967 Newark riots hastened an exodus of families from that city, many of them moving a few short blocks into neighboring Irvington. Until 1965, Irvington was almost exclusively white. By 1980, the town was nearly 40% black; by 1990 it was 70%. On July 1, 1980, Fred Bost, was sworn in as East Ward Councilman, making him the first black person to serve on
5929-466: Was the 309th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 287th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. As of May 2010 , the township had a total of 69.44 miles (111.75 km) of roadways, of which 55.98 miles (90.09 km) were maintained by
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