Jersey City NAACP & activists come out hard against MLK/Ocean Ave. bike lane

The Jersey City NAACP and local activists came out hard against a potential new bike lane that would turn Martin Luther King Drive and Ocean Avenue into a one-way street at last night’s meeting.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Let me begin by saying this: We don’t know the origin of this proposal … We don’t know whether there will be one side parking … In fact, what’s most alarming, is everything we don’t know: That’s exactly what the problem is,” began Jersey City NAACP President Charles Mainor, a former state assemblyman.

“The one thing we do know is that we are tired of being disrespected,” he said to applause. “Disrespected because decisions are being made that will directly affect our daily lives, yet no one from our community was consulted, no meetings, no conversations, no opportunity to voice our concerns or offer our input.”

Last week, Mayor Steven Fulop announced on X that a new bike lane was being added on Palisade Avenue near Dickinson High School, as HCV first reported.

He noted that his administration has installed 24 miles of protected bike lanes to date and could have five more if the council approves proposals on Ocean Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, as well as Summit and Baldwin Avenues, respectively.

While neither of those made it onto last night’s council agenda, residents of the city’s south side came out in droves to oppose the bike lane plan for their neighborhood.

“Ocean Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive are more than streets: They are lifelines. They are the homes of multiple schools, where parents pick up and drop off their children, they serve seniors who rely on their sensible bus routes for their independence. Turning these streets into one-way roads with proper consultation risks isolation to our elders.”

Mainor drew loud applause from the audience when he said the NAACP was against the proposed bike lane and again when he concluded his remarks.

When the dozens of people who accompanied him exited council chambers, City Clerk Sean Gallagher called a five-minute recess due to all the commotion as chants of “We will be back!” rang out.

When the public session resumed, others followed suit in opposing the plan.

“I think it’s a disservice to the community when you propose something to the community and you don’t sit down with the body of that community and have conversation for it. Not knowing that a one-way street is an inconvenience to a lot of people,” explained Hudson County Register Jeff Dublin.

“It’s going to interfere with our kids who take buses to school one way and then have to walk down the block to go back home another way. And how bout police, fire, and ambulance? It’s a matter of seconds on people’s lives …”

Ward A council candidate Pam Johnson, the executive director of the Hudson County Anti-Violence Coalition, shared that sentiment, claiming the notion of the new bike lane has caused “a frenzy” on the south side community.

” … I’ll say three things: The community doesn’t want it, we know because we’ve been meeting and strategizing just in case this ever makes it to the agenda and this is the third time it’s being whispered,” she stated.

“Where is the traffic study? We haven’t seen it. And where are the community meetings? We haven’t had any and we’ll be at the one Frank [Gilmore] is hosting next month because it’s the only one we know of. We won’t be left out of the conversation, as you can see tonight from the crowd that was here, you all being put on notice.”

The council took no action on anything related to the potential south side bike lane.