Beneath the bustling streets a hidden history awaits at the Cedar Street Subway. This rail tunnel in Newark once buzzed with streetcars and later buses, a vital artery of public transportation. Imagine the rumble of the cars echoing through the tunnel.
The Cedar Street Subway’s story began in 1916. The Public Service Corporation built it as part of the Public Service Terminal. The goal was simple: reduce the streetcar congestion plaguing Broad and Market streets. This tunnel gave several surface lines a dedicated route.
The Cedar Street Subway starts at street level on Washington Street. From there it extends two blocks under Cedar Street. It ends across Broad Street. On April 30, 1916, the subway opened its doors, or rather, its tunnels. Four streetcar lines were the first to use it. These lines served Central Avenue, Orange, South Orange, and Springfield.
The Cedar Street Subway reached its peak in 1927. Fourteen lines ran through it. To better serve shoppers, an inbound station stop was added on January 27, 1927. It was located under Cedar Street and Broad Street, right by Kresge’s Department Store. Soon after, an outbound platform appeared. This one served McCrory’s 5 & 10 store.
In 1935, the Cedar Street Subway expanded. It connected to the newly opened Newark City Subway. This extension allowed service to reach Newark Penn Station. But the winds of change were blowing.
The last three bus lines rumbled through the Cedar Street Subway on May 8, 1966. Line 62 to Perth Amboy, Line 128 to Paterson, and Line 134 to New Brunswick marked the end. The Public Service Terminal was torn down in 1981. Since then, the Cedar Street Subway has ended at a wall under Broad Street.
In 2006, a part of the Cedar Street Subway was repurposed. It became a connection for a new branch to Newark Broad Street station as part of the Newark Light Rail modernization. Though the Cedar Street Subway’s main line is closed, its story isn’t forgotten.
Today, if you look closely on Washington Street, you can still see the tunnel portal and track stubs. They stand as silent reminders of a bygone era, when the Cedar Street Subway was a vital part of Newark’s transportation network. The Cedar Street Subway remains a hidden piece of Newark’s past.