Construction for the Rebuild by Design flood resiliency project in Hoboken will close portions of 15th Street starting tomorrow morning.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“15th Street from Park Avenue to Bloomfield Street will be closed to vehicular through-traffic 24 hours a day for approximately three months to facilitate ‘resist’ structure for RBD at the intersection of 15th Street and Garden Street,” the city said in a Nixle alert.
Garden Street from 14th Street to 15th Street, as well as the alleyway between Garden Street and Bloomfield Street, will remain closed.
“Since construction began, my top priority has been to safeguard passage and minimize disruptions for my neighbors and ensure your voices are heard. However, I honestly do not believe that those involved in running the project have a full understanding of the real impact of this intersection closure during this timeframe,” 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher wrote in a newsletter earlier this month.
“Just a few weeks ago, when 15th and Park was closed for two days, traffic in the area became gridlocked. An example, although Bloomfield Street is being used as a drop-off area for the schools, if traffic on 15th Street doesn’t move during the morning commute—when school drop-off occurs—what will Bloomfield St. look like and will the expected gridlock prevent kids from getting to school on time?”
Additionally, sidewalks will remain open on the south side of 15th Street between Park Avenue and Garden Street as well as between Garden Street and Bloomfield Street; and the west side of Garden Street from 14th Street to 15th Street. Garage access will be maintained.
Hoboken police officers will be on site to help manage traffic flow as needed, and detour signage and variable message sign boards will be placed in key locations to provide traffic and pedestrian safety advisories.
Designated loading zones for deliveries and resident shuttle pick-up and drop-off will continue to be provided on the north side of 14th Street between Garden Street and Park Avenue.
Emergency access for police and EMS vehicles will be provided on 15th Street, while fire trucks will use the cobblestone area of Garden Street north of 14th Street. To facilitate emergency access, bollards on Garden Street at 14th Street have been temporarily removed.
Better late than never.