Jersey City Ward D Councilman Jake Ephros and Mayor James Solomon are reiterating their support of a new Franklin Street bike lane, and more, in the Heights ahead of the City Council’s second and final ordinance reading tomorrow night.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“As someone who rides a bike, walks, drives, and takes the bus through the Heights regularly, I know firsthand how dangerous Franklin Street can be. I am proud to support both the one-way conversion and the protected bike lane. These two elements work together to calm traffic and give everyone, whether on foot, on a bike, or in a car, a safer, more predictable street,” Ephros said in a statement.
“I am also confident that the city has done the work to engage the relevant stakeholders. The administration has reached out to local businesses like Stop & Shop and made sure that the Departments of Infrastructure and Public Safety are working as partners to have the design works for deliveries, emergency access, and the surrounding community. This project has been through a rigorous process. It is time to build it.”
The City Council voted unanimously (9-0) on first reading at their February 25th meeting to convert Franklin Street to one-way westbound traffic between Palisade Avenue and Central Avenue.
If approved on final reading, the initiative, which is funded by a six-figure grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), would also include traffic calming measures and enhancing pedestrian safety infrastructure.
“I am proud to stand with Council member Ephros and the Heights community in full support of the Franklin Street Safety Improvements Project, because safe, accessible infrastructure is critical to a thriving city. Whether you’re walking your kid to school, riding your bike to Pershing Field Park, or heading to the grocery store, you shouldn’t have to risk your safety to get there,” added Solomon about the long-stalled project.
“With over 90 documented crashes on this corridor in roughly seven years, this project delivers on our Vision Zero commitment through concrete curb extensions, high-visibility school zone markings, a two-way protected bikeway, and a safer connection to Pershing Field Park. This plan was strengthened through extensive community feedback, and passing the Franklin Street One-Way Ordinance at Wednesday’s council meeting unlocks our NJDOT Bikeways Grant. The time is now.”
According to State crash database records provided by Jersey City’s Department of Infrastructure, there were 69 crashes along the corridor between 2018 and 2022, including 10 involving pedestrians and 1 involving a cyclist.
Since then, at least 23 additional crashes were recorded in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with Franklin Street listed as the crash location. In total, that is over 90 documented crashes along this corridor in roughly seven years.
The Jersey City Council will convene at City Hall, 280 Grove St., for a regular session tomorrow at 6 p.m., which will also stream live on Microsoft Teams.
The heights community is a big joke full.of New York people that are trying to take over this town us longlife residents don’t want it n I will go to Trenton n show them what I have been talking about that’s not legal by state law n I don’t use the bike lanes it’s not a mandated law