Allendale Trolley Tracks

During 1907 - 1908 the North Jersey Rapid Transit was built. The Interurban Interlude was a high speed electric trolley. Its purpose was to provide transportation to those who could not afford automobiles. The trolley provided an economical pleasant means to get from place to place. The historic trolley line carried North Jersey travelers from Broadway in East Paterson (Elmwood Park) to Suffern NY from 1910 to 1928. The 15-mile line stopped in Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Ridgewood, Hohokus, Waldwick, Allendale, Ramsey, and Mahwah. After operating for a short time, there was a terrible head-on collision on July 21, 1911, in Ridgewood / Glen Rock area in which 3 men were killed and others injured due to faulty signals on the line. The settlements resulting from this accident and the quiet squeeze of the Public Service is not leasing the line permission to operate over its trackage to Paterson and Edgewater all helped to write the end for the NJRT. Public Service took over the line later and for a short time operated it but the trolley never operated at a profit. Service was discontinued in 1929. Today, there is some evidence of the trolley path in Hohokus and Glen Rock. In Ramsey, it has become a bike path.