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Two planning and development initiatives that could reshape Jersey City’s West Side are currently getting underway, and Thursday night a number of agencies will hold a joint “open house” at NJCU for residents to learn about, and give input on, the projects.

The project that’s gained the most attention thus far is NJ Transit’s study of extending the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail across Route 440 to the Hackensack Riverfront, where an “urban village” mixed-use development is slated to be built on the former Honeywell site.

Last fall, the agency’s board of directors approved an “alternatives analysis” study, the first step in the federal environmental process for an extension. In particular, the study will evaluate potential alignments, station planning, park and ride locations, operational needs, cost estimates and integration with redevelopment. NJ Transit representatives will be on hand Thursday night to talk about it and get feedback on the project.

The other project, led by the city’s Planning Department, is examining a thorough redesign of Route 440/Truck Routes 1&9, with an eye towards the “Complete Streets” and Smart Growth schools of urban planning.

“In its current configuration, the Route 440/Routes 1&9T corridor cannot safely and efficiently accommodate the future travel demands that will be placed upon it,” project director Douglas J. Greenfeld explains on the project website. “In addition, significant congestion and constraints to mobility created by the physical characteristics of the highway as growth occurs will serve as a deterrent to the development of new livable communities and will negatively impact the quality of life for residents, workers and visitors.”

The Route 440 study is hoping to address a number of city planners’ current citywide objectives, including:

• How to make the entire area bicycle and pedestrian friendly
• How to encourage mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development, blending residential, retail, recreational and commercial uses
• How to increase open space in the area, particularly along the Hackensack Riverfront
• How to connect more local streets to Route 440, and how to potentially turn it into a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly “urban boulevard”
• How to increase mass transit use in the area, potentially by the light rail extension mentioned above and more bus lines

The open house is set for Thursday, Feb. 25, from 5 to 8 pm, at Room 202 of NJCU’s Hepburn Hall (2039 Kennedy Blvd.). The presentations on both projects are slated to begin at 6:30 pm. For more on the two studies, you can visit their websites — NJ Transit and Route 440.