The southernmost stop in Bayonne, 8th Street station serves as the southern terminus of the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail.

As part of construction, a new bridge across Newark Bay opened as well as a station at Eighth Street, at the time population center of the city.

[11] Service at West 8th Street station remained stable until the opening of the Aldene Plan on April 30, 1967.

On that day, Central Railroad service to Communipaw Terminal in Jersey City ended, being replaced by a shuttle to East 33rd Street station from Cranford.

Using the former Central Railroad of New Jersey right-of-way operated by Conrail, the agency proposed construction of 33 new stations in the two counties.

[16] For West Eighth Street, the station would be built on the site of former Central Railroad depot, demolished 18 years prior.

Joseph Doria, the Mayor of Bayonne, announced that the new station would be made into a replica of the former Central Railroad depot.

[20] New Jersey Transit announced their capital plan in August 2006 to give $15 million to fund extension of the light rail to 8th Street.

[21] On September 13, the company announced in a press release that they approved the beginning of preliminary work design for the construction of the new light rail extension to 8th Street station.

This contract was all-inclusive, including the rail extension, viaducts, track work and other necessary improvements, along with the new station and amenities.

At a ceremony on January 31, Menendez, Sires, Mayor Mark Smith and Executive Director James Weinstein opened the new station.

Three art installations were built with the construction, including a mural on the station entrance, artistic windscreens on the platform and a stainless steel sculpture in the plaza.

[25] From the start of planning, New Jersey Transit considered Staten Island an important market for the construction of the light rail.

[26] In 2007, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) introduced a 12.5-mile (20.1 km) limited-stop bus route from the junction of Richmond Avenue and Hylan Boulevard in the Eltingville section of Staten Island to the 34th Street station in Bayonne.

Designated as the S89, the bus route operates a rush hour peak service to help eliminate commuting over the Bayonne Bridge to access the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail's park and ride stops.

[27] Weeks prior to the opening of the 8th Street station, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced their plans to raise the roadbed of the Bayonne Bridge 64 feet (20 m) higher than its 151-foot (46 m) clearance over the Kill Van Kull to help freight and cargo ships pass underneath the bridge.

A spokesperson for New Jersey Transit noted they had been in discussions with the Port Authority about extending the light rail south over the bridge to Staten Island, but nothing concrete had been agreed to.

[30] However, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis stated that they were left out of the loop about the announcement despite the city contributing $10,000 to the study.

[31] In March 2020, the MTA introduced the results of the 2017 study to help improve service on Staten Island to places in New Jersey.

Along with a Tottenville–Newark Liberty International Airport branch, the agency suggested a new rapid transit route for Bayonne commuters.

The bus would use a dedicated right-of-way along State Route 440, the Korean War Veterans Parkway and Richmond Avenue.

The MTA did state that even if a bus rapid transit service opened, it would not eliminate the potential for a future light rail project.

In the entranceway, Richard Haas' Bayonne: Port City of Homes and Industry mural welcomes riders.