Station Review #146: Point Pleasant Beach (NJT)


Point Pleasant Beach is a NJT station along the North Jersey Coast Line in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. The station is located along Hawthorne Avenue, which is the northern side of NJ-35. 

History

 
Point Pleasant was first built sometime around 1880-1881 as part of an extension of the New York and Long Branch Railroad south to Bay Head from the now non-existent Sea Girt station. The station was rebuilt in 1903, with the original station depot to the north. This original depot was used for multiple purposes and finally demolished sometime around 2023. 
 
The 20th century was a time of many changes at Point Pleasant. On April 28th, 1957, the station was renamed from Point Pleasant to Point Pleasant Beach. In 1987, the second depot was burned down in a controlled fire after being condemned. For almost a decade, the depot was replaced by a trailer, The new ADA compliant station started construction in 1994, and was finished by 1996. 
 
Sometime around 2013, the depot was closed. 

Tour

Accessibility

Point Pleasant Beach is generally an accessible station.

Bicycle parking

Car parking

Southbound platform

Depot

I don't really have many complaints about this station. This is adequately usable.

Behind the northbound platform 

Bench

Inside the depot

Point Pleasant Beach is clearly a station that's seen better days. There used to be a ticket office in here, but it's closed now. Now, you can't get into the building at all. 

Official entrance to the depot

More parking

Tracks

Art installation 

Platform

My failure to take a picture of the train

Bus Connections

Point Pleasant Beach has a lot more bus connections than one may expect:

NJT: 

317: This bus runs every other hour between Philadelphia and Asbury Park, running across the entire state of New Jersey

830: This bus only runs from Asbury Park to Point Pleasant Beach train stations, but in doing so serves more of Lake Como and Spring Lake. This bus generally runs once an hour, though has a three hour gap between three and six pm. 

Ocean Ride: 

OC3A: This bus runs from the Barnegat Bay Estates neighborhood of Toms River out to Brick and Point Pleasant Beach. The OC3A is a lengthened version of the OC3, which only runs between Brick and Silverton. Much unlike the OC3, the OC3A only operates one round trip on the second Wednesday of every month. The OC3A serves the station while looping around Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach. 

OC4: This bus runs from Lakewood to Point Pleasant Beach via various points in Brick, including a local hospital and the neighborhood of Herbertville. The bus runs five round trips a day, weekdays only. 

Points of Interest Near Point Pleasant Beach

Point Pleasant Beach is a beach town, and it also has a lot of stores and restaurants like every other Jersey Shore beach town, as well as an aquarium, part of the Jenskinsons Boardwalk complex. There's not much else to this place. The downtown is about a block away, and the boardwalk about five. 

In fact, the Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk is such a destination that NJT often has a sale for a $24 round trip from NYC to the station for this reason. 

Statistics


Name: Point Pleasant Beach
Agency: New Jersey Transit
Line(s): North Jersey Coast Line
Locality: Downtown
Municipality: Point Pleasant Beach 
County: Ocean
State: New Jersey
Ridership: 186 riders per average weekday (2024)

Amenity Checklist


Accessible: ✓
Bathrooms: ×
Bicycle parking: ✓
Clean Station: ✓
Connections to other transit routes: ✓
Easy passage for each side: ×
Existence is justifiable: ✓
Fare Payment Kiosks (if applicable): ×
Good Wayfinding: ✓
Indoor Shelters: ×
Maps: ✓
Multiple entrances/exits: ✓
Adequate Parking: ✓
Safe to use: ✓
Seating: ✓
Shelters: ✓
Station In Good Condition: ✓
TVMs: ✓
Ticket Offices: ×
TOD: ×
Train Departure/Arrival Info (countdown clocks): ×
Updated/Useful Signage: ✓

Final Verdict: 7/10

Station Directory

--------New York--------
--------Manhattan Borough--------
''''''''Zone 0''''''''
New York Penn
--------New Jersey--------
--------Hudson County--------
Secaucus Junction
--------Essex County--------
''''''''Zone 1''''''''
Newark Penn
Newark Liberty International Airport
''''''''Zone 2''''''''
''''''''Zone 3''''''''
''''''''Zone 4''''''''
--------Union County--------
''''''''Zone 5''''''''
North Elizabeth
Elizabeth
''''''''Zone 6''''''''
''''''''Zone 7''''''''
Linden
''''''''Zone 8''''''''
Rahway
--------Middlesex County--------
''''''''Zone 9''''''''
Avenel
''''''''Zone 10''''''''
Woodbridge
''''''''Zone 11''''''''
''''''''Zone 12''''''''
Perth Amboy 
South Amboy
''''''''Zone 13''''''''
''''''''Zone 14''''''''
--------Monmouth County--------
''''''''Zone 15''''''''
Aberdeen-Matawan
''''''''Zone 16''''''''
Hazlet
''''''''Zone 17''''''''
Middletown (NJT)
''''''''Zone 18''''''''
Red Bank
''''''''Zone 19''''''''
Little Silver
Monmouth Park
''''''''Zone 20''''''''
Long Branch

- - - - DIESEL TRANSFER OUTSIDE OF RUSH HOUR - - - -

Elberon
''''''''Zone 21''''''''
Allenhurst
Bradley Beach
''''''''Zone 22''''''''
Belmar
Spring Lake
''''''''Zone 23''''''''
--------Ocean County--------
Point Pleasant Beach
Bay Head

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