Federal Bill Designates Newark Penn Station as the 'Donald M. Payne, Jr. Transit Center'

This legislation officially renames Newark Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey, to the “Donald M. Payne, Jr. Transit Center at Newark Penn Station.” The bill is straightforward: it establishes the new designation and mandates that any future reference to the station in federal law, maps, regulations, documents, or records must use this updated name.

The Name Change: What It Means

For the average commuter, this change is mostly administrative. The station itself, located at 1 Raymond Plaza West, will eventually see its signage updated to reflect the new name, honoring the late Donald M. Payne, Jr. However, the bill primarily focuses on the federal level, requiring agencies like the Department of Transportation or the Federal Railroad Administration to update all their official records and documents (Section 2).

This isn't a bill about funding, new train lines, or operational changes; it's about formal recognition. Think of it like updating the address book for the entire federal government. If you're a planner or engineer working on a project that involves this transit hub, you’ll need to make sure your blueprints and correspondence reflect the “Donald M. Payne, Jr. Transit Center at Newark Penn Station” moving forward. For the rest of us, it means getting used to a longer name when looking up schedules or directions involving the station.