Wednesday, May 31, 2000

Lite Rail and the Jersey Avenue Extension
Now... the Master Plan

In June 1997, Steve Lanset wrote a letter to the JJ regarding the City Of Jersey City awarding Dames & Moore a $279,000 contract to secure the permits to fill in a portion of Mill Creek so as to extend Jersey Avenue. The contract was paid for by Jersey City property taxes, which was then unprecedented. That fall, we formed a group, Concerned Residents Against the Jersey Avenue Expressway (CRAJAE) to investigate the City's intent to extend Jersey Avenue to Audrey Zapp Drive and Phillips Drive in Liberty State Park. The false statements and misrepresentations by City officials astounded us as well as the lack of overall planning by the City. There was no one looking at the big picture since in the same area, across the street, Jersey City is planning on building a new School 3 complex of 2 schools. On the south side of Grand Street, directly across the street, is the site for the proposed Jersey City Medical Center.

What made this proposal so dangerous was the $1.2 Billion Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System crossing Jersey Avenue at Aetna Street with a scheduled train every 3 minutes at rush hour. Now, within a month of its opening, there has already been a car accident involving a train and school children write letters to the JJ fearing for their safety. Just imagine if our group had not been successful in stopping Schundler in pursing his dream of extending Jersey Avenue. Frustrated, suburban commuters coming off the turnpike would try to cut across Aetna Street at Jersey Avenue between trains to get to the waterfront or Holland Tunnel and slam into trains!

But Bret still dreams of a highway, irrespective of the safety of our school children and hospital patients, since the Jersey Avenue extension is in the new Master Plan!!! That plan was just approved by the City Council as the document guiding the overall planning, what little there is, for JC. Schundler with the support of the City Council doesn't give up!

By the way, our group evolved into HART, Hudson Alliance for Rational Transportation. We were instrumental in influencing the NJTPA in changing the proposal for the $1.2 million study to look at all alternatives to the Bergen Arches. Schundler almost had them sold on a highway only study until we got involved. Now ALL alternatives must be studied including lite and freight rail. Also Jersey City lost control of the public outreach meetings since we convinced the NJTPA and the County he can not be trusted to be unbiased and honest.

Whose side is Schundler on, anyway? Bankrupting the City wasn't enough, now he wants to get us killed??

Mia Scanga, CPA
HART Co-Chair
www.hartwheels.org
Jersey City