Bayonne mayoral candidate Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski says that the Peninsula City needs a seat at the table for Newark Bay Bridge plan in light of Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) favoring a one-bridge concept over the initial two-bridge proposal.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Bayonne is a peninsula. Our residents rely heavily on the Newark Bay Extension Bridge to get to work, access major highways, and move throughout the region,” she said in a statement.
“Unlike larger cities such as Newark or Jersey City, we simply do not have the same level of public transportation infrastructure to absorb the impact of increased congestion.”
Ashe-Nadrowski noted that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor James Solomon have voiced support for scaling back the project, as HCV first reported, but added that Bayonne faces a very different set of transportation realities.
“Newark and Jersey City have far more transit options available to their residents. Bayonne does not. When traffic backs up on that bridge, it directly impacts our neighborhoods, our commuters, and our local economy,” the former Peninsula City council president added.
“When congestion worsens on that bridge, it doesn’t just delay commuters, it can also slow emergency vehicles and limit EMS access for residents who need to reach hospitals and medical care outside our city.”
Further, Ashe-Nadrowski said that the Newark Bay Bridge serves as a critical gateway for thousands of Bayonne residents who travel daily to jobs throughout Hudson, Essex, and the greater region.
“Bayonne residents are the ones who will feel the consequences most directly, yet too often our city is left out of these regional discussions. Any decision about the future of this project must take into account the unique challenges faced by our community,” she concluded.
“Bayonne cannot be the community that bears the burden while others make the decisions.”
U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) and Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour joined Solomon and Baraka in praising Sherrill for encouraging the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to go with the one-bridge plan earlier this month.
I travel daily over the Extension Bridge, and the traffic tie-ups are horrendous! I have to believe that tha pollution created by vehicles stalled by traffic congestion is most serious in Bayonne, as it is situated between Newark and Jersey City. It can make a five minute trek into twenty or more minutes. And thats just going over the bridge. If the local economies are to flourish, this congestion MUST be alleviated.
I no longer live in Bayonne, but still commute to the city. There’s a reason I go through Staten Island.