Governor-elect Sherrill Transition Priorities for Transportation in Hudson County
Hudson County has a population greater than the city of Boston in a smaller land area, yet it does not have a transit system that matches the needs of its fast-growing population and economy.
Transportation is a key affordability issue. The ability to go from two cars to a single car or a single car to a car-free household can easily save each family $1,000 per month in insurance, maintenance, depreciation, and fuel costs. Thirty-five percent of the households here are already car-free.
Meanwhile, Hudson County continues to grow vertically providing much needed regional housing and economic growth. But traffic congestion is going from bad to worse – perfect conditions for investments in the combination of much higher-capacity, efficient mass transit and micromobility.
Last but certainly not least, more than 600 New Jerseyans die in traffic crashes each year, nearly all from impacts with motor vehicles. Investments in alternatives to car-centric transportation will not only save New Jerseyans money and clean our air, it will reduce the trauma, disabilities, and death associated with these crashes.
We thus call for the following investments:
Stop the Turnpike Trap: Rehabilitating the Newark Bay Bridge for just $260M remains the most fiscally responsible decision. But if a new bridge is to be built, build just a single bridge with three lanes each way and no further widenings instead of two new, redundant bridges at a much higher cost. More lanes will only induce more congestion. The savings will provide substantial cash that can fund much needed transit projects in Hudson and around NJ without the need to increase taxes.
Fund Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for Hudson County: Buses serve over 10 million annual rides in Hudson County yet often get stuck in traffic and are slowed by traffic lights. BRT on John F. Kennedy Boulevard can be built quickly at a reasonable cost providing an enormous ROI, and provide affordable, fast, sustainable transportation options for the growing population in Hudson County.
Expand Light Rail: Light rail continues to grow and has reached pre-pandemic ridership levels: the Hudson Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) serves 60,000 passenger trips per day. But destinations are limited and bottlenecks constrain service frequency. Complete the long-awaited Bergen County Northern Branch Extension and build the extension to Bayfront to support NJ’s largest affordable housing project and connect onward to Newark. More details here: https://hudcostreets.org/hblr
Target Zero NJ: Support counties and municipalities implementing traffic-calming infrastructure. Lift restrictions on raised intersections and speed tables, redesign notoriously deadly state roads (Routes 1/9, 440, 139), and adopt automated speed enforcement, proven effective at saving lives nationwide.
PATH: Continue to improve PATH train frequency, even beyond improvements that we successfully organized for and recently won, and evaluate extending PATH service to Newark Airport to maximize economic, sustainability, and congestion benefits.
We are grateful for the opportunity for Hudson County Complete Streets to engage with you on these important matters.
Sincerely,
Emmanuelle Morgen, Executive Director
Johan Andrade, President
Talya Schwartz, Vice President
Ryan Williams, Secretary
James Vance, Treasurer
Beatriz Bofill, Trustee
Anthony Borelli, Trustee
James Lee, Trustee
Ayla Schermer, Trustee
Clayton Lane, Trustee
