Bridges, tunnels all busier
More cars, trucks squeezing through; economy credited
More cars and trucks used Port Authority bridges and tunnels last year than ever before, the agency reported.The two Hudson River tunnels, which are in Hudson County, were busier last year, helping the Port Authority count an unprecedented 123.6 million vehicles using the six interstate crossings in 1999.
The number of motorists using the Holland Tunnel, in Jersey City, reached 17.4 million last year, up from 17.3 million in 1998.
In Weehawken, Lincoln Tunnel traffic increased from 21.2 million vehicles in 1998 to 21.5 million last year.
The George Washington Bridge carried 53.4 million vehicles in 1999, up 2 percent from 1998.
In all, bridge and tunnel traffic was up 1.8 percent, according to Port Authority officials.
The biggest increase was at the three Staten Island crossings. The Bayonne Bridge, the Goethals Bridge and the Outerbridge Crossing carried more than 31.3 million cars going to New York in 1999, up more than 2 percent from 30.6 million cars in 1998.
Some officials attributed the heavier traffic to the growing economy. Development on the west bank of the river has drawn new residents who commute to Manhattan, they said.
"As development along the waterfront expands, traffic volumes are only likely to increase," said Tom Gallagher, a spokesman for Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler.
Ken Philmus, the Port Authority director of tunnels, bridges and terminals, agreed but added that favorable economic conditions on both sides of the river contribute to traffic congestion on interstate bridges and tunnels.
"Traffic levels at our bridges and tunnels are traditionally driven by the economy and job growth in the bistate region," Philmus said.
Gallagher said 7,000 new jobs have been created in Jersey City along in the last three years and predicted that "this will only increase."
Weehawken Public Safety Director Jeff Welz agreed, but was confident the extra volume will not cause major delays in and around the tunnel.
"It would have been a major problem if not for the advent of the EZ Pass system," said Welz, referring to the electronic scanning system that allows commuters to enter tunnels and bridges without stopping.
"It is astronomical how many cars they can process through the toll plaza (using EZ Pass)."
Still, Welz conceded that the Lincoln Tunnel is at "maximum capacity."
"It's a very fragile situation... If there are any problems on the Manhattan side, it backs up traffic (in Weehawken)".
According to Gallagher, Jersey City has been facing more immediate consequences from its proximity to the Holland Tunnel.
"The whole traffic corridor is simply over-taxed," he said, referring to the area surrounding the eastbound tunnel entrance.
Gallagher has asked the Port Authority Police Department, which maintains a presence near the tunnel entrance, to "take a more active role in making sure intersections (near the entrance) are not interfered with."
In addition to appealing to the Port Authority, city officials have met with county and state representatives to discuss future Jersey City traffic conditions. According to Gallagher, there has been discussion about highway construction and expansion.
There have been no specific proposals, however, due to differences among city, county and state officials. "There are some disagreements among the parties (such as) who is paying for it, timetables, et cetera," Gallagher said.
Despite the disagreements, Gallagher believes increasing roadways is the best way to handle increases in traffic.
You're not going to meet the demands of our highways without making investments in infrastructure," he said.