Hoboken officials presented updated plans for Willow Avenue traffic safety upgrades, part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative which saw more bike lane support than their first session from last month.
By Joe Murray/Hudson County View
“This is about a safer Hoboken for everyone, especially in this particular area, which we think is relatively more vulnerable. Its about advancing our Vision Zero commitment, which we’ve had great success implementing over the past eight years,” Mayor Ravi Bhalla said at the top of the virtual session this week that lasted for about an hour.
“And we want to make sure we work with the County, to make sure whether you’re in Hoboken or Hudson County, whether you’re walking, biking or taking a motor vehicle, that this is a safer experience for everyone. That is the No. 1 objective.”
Two design alternatives have been proposed for the stretch between 11th and 16th Streets.
One includes protected bike lanes on both sides of the street, while the other introduces a two-way protected cycle track on the east side, aimed at reducing conflicts near Wallace Elementary School and preserving curbside parking where possible.
Greg Francese, Hoboken’s Principal Transportation Planner, said the project seeks “to make Willow Avenue safer and more accessible for all road users” and “improve the pedestrian realm of Willow Avenue with a focus on improving safety for school children.”
The two-way cycle track alternative was a topic of discussion and includes safety features such as high-visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, pedestrian refuge islands, leading pedestrian intervals, and new signalized crossings, including one proposed at 13th Street near Fox Hill Gardens.
“I applaud the spirit of this. And also the fact that you’re willing to design the protected bike lane in a way that protects the students and addresses the concerns of the Wallace School community,” added 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen.
He also voiced support for safety upgrades around Fox Hill Gardens and requested a dedicated public meeting for that population.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christine Johnson, who was against the bike lanes last month, urged the city to prioritize traffic enforcement in front of Wallace Elementary.
“Without the enforcement, it makes it really difficult,” she said.
She also requested that construction avoid the school year, a recommendation the project team agreed to consider, as well as requesting a crossing guard at the intersection of 11th Street and Willow Avenue.
2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher remained skeptical about the bike lanes, raising questions about emergency vehicle access and potential parking conflicts near businesses on 14th Street.
She also questioned the proposed divider between parking spaces and the two-way cycle track, though came out in favor of some aspects of the plan such as pedestrian islands.
Parents and residents also voiced support for the project’s safety focus.
“I have a 4-year-old who will likely go to Wallace next year Our children’s lives are so precious, and this roadway is so dangerous. All of our kids … deserve to be safe and come home at the end of the day regardless of if they get there by walking, biking, taking transit, or getting dropped off in a car,” noted Clayton Lane.
Barbara, a Wallace school parent who declined to give her last name, raised a concern about drivers regularly blocking the crosswalk at 11th and Willow Ave during school drop-off and pickup.
She asked whether an “all walk signal” could be implemented to address this.
Construction is expected to begin in either 2027 or 2028 and may be completed after a year, pending approval from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT).
Francese added that the city is exploring near-term safety improvements and continuing coordination with public safety regarding crossing guard needs.
Residents can provide input through August 5 at www.hobokenwillowave.com, where submitted questions and responses will be publicly posted.
The city expects to refine the plans further this fall and finalize designs next year.
A safer Hoboken would have 45k residents and a working mass transit system. We now have 65k residents and utter chaos on buses and trains. A ride to the Jersey Shore on NJT USED to take one and a half hours and was direct. Today that ride takes two and a half hours through Newark or Secaucus. Political interests over quality of life….
This was always what the Administration was going to do.
The meetings are window dressing to make it appear that a democratic process was used to get it done.
Upper Willow Avenue is an unacceptably dangerous roadway for such a dense, urban environment. The design of this street results in someone being injured here about once per month.
It’s exciting that Hudson County and the City of Hoboken have prioritized making this area safer!
Andrew Wilson is the Chairperson of one issue political pressure group Bike Hoboken.
So how to make an already unacceptably dangerous roadway in a dense, urban environment even worse ?
Add even more density and even more roadway complications and doubling the population density.
The only prioritization by Hoboken’s politicos has always been what the developers want to increase their profits.
That road is dangerous because of the cars, making it harder for cars to drive as dangerously as they currently do is the improvement.
Your solution is to never change, never build, and just let housing get more expensive and transit continue to be dominated by 1.5 ton speeding death machines. Move to the burbs.
No.
Hoboken politicians have lost their minds. Placing further risks on pedestrian and vehicle drivers. Bike should not be Willow, Clinton and Park as these are the main veins in and out of Hoboken. The WOKENESS has to stop and the adults need to take over.
I am soo over it… All these bike lanes taking over parking spaces as well corner extensions which cause more traffic in a congested Hoboken. Learn how to drive a bike and cross a street. In Fort Lee, the pedestrians are held accountable as well NOT just the drivers, example https://www.huffpost.com/entry/texting-while-walking-ban_n_1514308 . The Willow Avenue bike lanes will affect the first responders coming from Union City and Weehawken. I teach my kids to LOOK at both ways before crossing the streets and when driving a bike, follow the traffic laws.! I applaud Fort Lee for it!
This safety improvement plan makes minimal changes to parking availability. Only a handful of spaces would be removed along the corridor– most of which are necessary to install a long-requested signalized crosswalk at 13th Street. Seniors and disabled residents of Fox Hill Gardens have been asking for this safety measure for years. Don’t they deserve a safe place to cross the street?
It’s also worth remembering that parking within 25 feet of an intersection is already prohibited by New Jersey state law. The proposed curb extensions simply enforce this existing rule while significantly reducing crossing distances for pedestrians. It’s a win-win for safety and accessibility.
This project has been developed in partnership with the Hoboken Public Safety Department, including EMS, Police, and Fire. Importantly, Willow Avenue already narrows to one lane just south of this corridor, so there will be no impact on emergency access to Hoboken University Medical Center for surrounding neighborhoods.
Every community has its own traffic safety challenges, and rarely is there a one-size-fits-all solution. But this is a data-driven plan for a high-injury roadway, backed by proven safety strategies, strong community support, and dedicated state and federal funding.
Now is the time to make this happen!
I am replying to every paragraph:
This safety improvement plan makes minimal changes to parking availability. Only a handful of spaces would be removed along the corridor– most of which are necessary to install a long-requested signalized crosswalk at 13th Street. Seniors and disabled residents of Fox Hill Gardens have been asking for this safety measure for years. Don’t they deserve a safe place to cross the street?
—This I can agree on for the senior citizens but not for another bike lane. Jesus, I have 3 kids with bikes and myself as well and we care less for lanes, WHY? Because I’ve thought my kids how to be careful in the bike and BE ALWAYS be AWARE. It starts at home on how to ride a bike and how to cross a street without being stuck on the phone and not looking both ways.
It’s also worth remembering that parking within 25 feet of an intersection is already prohibited by New Jersey state law. The proposed curb extensions simply enforce this existing rule while significantly reducing crossing distances for pedestrians. It’s a win-win for safety and accessibility.
—–Correct, that’s why I would use those corners for drop offs and deliveries RATHER THAN double parking in the BIKE LANES. kill two birds with one stone rather than corner extensions.
This project has been developed in partnership with the Hoboken Public Safety Department, including EMS, Police, and Fire. Importantly, Willow Avenue already narrows to one lane just south of this corridor, so there will be no impact on emergency access to Hoboken University Medical Center for surrounding neighborhoods.
—Those 2 blocks could mean the matter of life and death in regards to timing and traffic with those additional blocks of 1 lane traffic. Hoboken constituents as a community should come together just like Jersey City residents and have the residents decide on the bike lanes and curb extensions, not the politics nor a bike group.
Every community has its own traffic safety challenges, and rarely is there a one-size-fits-all solution. But this is a data-driven plan for a high-injury roadway, backed by proven safety strategies, strong community support, and dedicated state and federal funding.
— Yes every community has there traffic safety challenges, that’s why I agree with Fort Lee’s ordinance where both the driver and pedestrians can get fined. Put some responsibilities on the pedestrians as well. As well as, teach bike riders how to ride a bike without a “bike lane”.