Hudson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved (9-0) a $23,920 environmental engineering contract with French and Parrello Associates for pedestrian protection for the 14th Street Viaduct at yesterday’s meeting.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“First, I commend the Board of County Commissioners for passing this resolution unanimously. Hudson County is working every day to make our roads safer for bikers, pedestrians, and motorists,” Hudson County Executive Craig Guy said in a statement.
“We must review studies, analyze traffic patterns and pain points, align our plans with state and federal regulations, and take other measures to responsibly and safely implement options that benefit all.”
His comments come three days after he issued his first State of the County Address, which included making Vision Zero a priority.
Local advocacy groups like Bike JC and Hudson County Complete Streets have been pushing for bike lanes at the 14th Street Viaduct for a couple years and it appears that there is some movement now.
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, and state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack wrote letters in support of the endeavor in late 2022 shortly after Hudson County Complete Streets began pushing for it.
“We appreciate advocates’ support for more immediate construction of bike lanes – in fact, it’s our goal to make as many of them happen as possible – whether on the 14th Street Viaduct or in other locations, but Hudson County cannot deviate from the process, steps, and standards mentioned above,” Guy continued.
“We are committed to efforts to make roads safer and even more accessible to bikers, but to cut corners and ignore national safety guidelines is irresponsible and could result in harm to members of our community.”
He continued that the engineering phase will include reconstructing the Manhattan Avenue wall, as well as potentially connecting Union City to the 14th Street Viaduct via a bike lane, with feedback being solicited at public meetings in the next few months.
Additionally, the county is partnering with Hoboken to launch safety improvements to Willow Avenue, which could include traffic calming measures such as bike lane and crosswalk visibility enhancements.
“We must keep in mind that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sets guidelines for roads like the 14th Street Viaduct, which is why we have commissioned an engineering study to explore installing a protected bike lane that meets AASHTO guidelines,” Guy further stated.
“We have heard the community’s concerns about safety on our roads and the need for more bike lanes, which is why I have been so adamant about undertaking our Vision Zero initiative. We’re looking for input from all stakeholders — bike advocates, neighbors, community leaders, businesses and elected officials — to lessen and eliminate all motor vehicle fatalities and serious injuries.”
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