#FIXJFKBLVD

Known as the Boulevard of Death, JFK Boulevard is a county road that is a hazard to all road users. It is impossible to cross with its wide lanes that encourage speeding, there are dangerous left turns and the bus service running along it leaves much to be desired.

We need better solutions. We need to #FixJFKBlvd.

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Fundamental Issues

  1. In the past, safety improvements such as pedestrian overpasses, hardened medians or high-friction paving have been deployed along the roadway, yet the dangerous conditions for speeding have remained.

  2. There is a very low number of commercial spaces and retail that discourage pedestrian activity and remains a walk-able desert.

  3. The capacity of the roadway is underutilized, which can be rectified by providing better bus service and bicycle facilities.

Solutions For A Better JFK Boulevard

The Hudson County Busway.

A 2011 study of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) between Journal Square and Bayonne was conducted.

It has been more than a decade since the report was finalized and yet there hasn’t been any traction among Hudson County to move this project along. We are here to revive this project and make sure a Busway from North Bergen to Bayonne gets done.

Buses are 10X safer per passenger mile than single occupancy automobiles and we know from dedicated bus lanes around the world including the Lincoln Tunnel, bus lanes can transport 10X the number of people as a single car lane. Cities from Boston to NYC to London have moved quickly to dedicated bus lanes that can move more people more quickly without waiting for long studies, large investments, or drastic reconfiguration of the street. Just these dedicated bus lanes have sped up buses by up to 50% and there are additional opportunities to speed up buses with bus bulbs, signal priority, and off-vehicle fare payment. Implementation of fast, reliable bus service will pave the way for even more effective and efficient transit investments.

Below are real world examples and diagrams of an Offset Transit Lane. Source provided by NACTO.

Bicycle and Multi-Modal Facilities.

Bike lanes have proven to traffic calm high speed roads and provide alternative transportation for people doing short trips. This helps the overall congestion problems by removing solo car trips to other modes.

Re-zoning.

JFK Boulevard has a hostile and unfriendly feeling due to a lack of commercial and retail activity. The road is zoned to discourage neighborhood type retail (cafes, small groceries and restaurants) that would make pedestrian and bike trips much more friendly. Re-zoning this area would go a long way towards building a better connected Hudson County.