The Town Council passed a resolution at last week’s meeting to accept $200,000 and insert it in to the budget for a transportation study. The money was donated by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC).
“It is gratifying to know that Mayor Elwell and his council are moving forward with this money to better understand how to deal with Secaucus’ traffic challenges,” said NJMC Chairperson Susan Bass Levin. Levin is also Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
The assistance was initiated after Secaucus residents raised concerns about traffic at a public hearing about the Transit Village planned for the southern end of town. “I have personally read the transcripts from the public hearings we have held in Secaucus, I’ve been reading the letters to the editor, and I have spoken with the mayor about his vision for a better quality of life,” Levin said.
Business Administrator Anthony Iacono views the traffic study as something to work on in anticipation of the transit villages and resulting changes in traffic patterns downtown. The proposed Turnpike interchange, a new overpass in the southern part of town where County Road and County Avenue meet, and an extension of Seaview Drive are all expected to have a positive effect on traffic both in the southern part of town and in the center.
“It could mean that all the trucks that get off at 16E make a left at Paterson Plank Road, go to Town Hall, make a left, and go down County Road to the industrial areas can use a new route,” said Iacono. “The new interchange is right down there by the transfer station and old prison, and will go directly into the industrial area.”
Mayor Dennis Elwell said that he anticipates there may be problems after the new interchange opens with truck traffic in southern Secaucus, and hopes the study will convince the state to provide large signs to point out the route through town.
“I think the important part about it is we’ve had enormous amounts of problems with local truck traffic entering our town and getting lost,” Elwell said. “With the new Turnpike interchange, there is going to be a need to detour trucks away from our residential areas and directly to our industrial area.”
Levin said that the NJMC has no expectations as to what Secaucus will do with the traffic study.
“I would hesitate to say what the expectations of a Secaucus traffic study would be,” she said. “This is a chance for Secaucus to set the agenda. I know from experience, as a former mayor [of Cherry Hill] myself, how valuable it is to chart your town’s own destiny and not have to rely on information and engineering from outside sources.”
Looking north
Councilmen John Bueckner and Robert Kickey hope to see the study focus on Route 3 and the north end of town.
“I think the most important area that we have to look at is the traffic coming off of the center of town from Route 3 East and West,” said Kickey. “When there are backups, it comes into the center of town.”
Bueckner is wary of the effect the Xanadu Entertainment Complex is going to have, specifically on westbound traffic.
“When you go out on Route 3 traveling west, every night traffic gets heavy in that area. What I’m looking for out of that $200,000 study is that when Xanadu goes in there, you’ve got a major problem in Secaucus,” Bueckner said. “When Xanadu goes in, you’re going to have the New York traffic in addition to the Xanadu traffic.
They’re talking about a ridiculous amount of employees. Between that, people visiting the complex, and events at the stadium, you’re going to have all of that going into the area.”
Bueckner added that he felt the study could be used to further empower the mayor and council to strongly approach the NJMC.
Levin agreed that Route 3 is a problem area, and said the NJMC would be supportive of attempts to keep minimize the problems.
“I understand the challenges that Secaucus faces as a crossroads for sluggish Route 3 and the eastern spur of the Turnpike, not to mention local traffic jams,” she said. “As a consequence, I have directed the Meadowlands Commission to help the mayor and his colleagues shape their vision and defend the interests of residents.”
Bueckner and Kickey also want to focus on expanding traffic routes in the north end of town. Presently, Paterson Plank Road is the only route in and out of the north end.
“All you have to do is talk to anybody in Secaucus, especially in the north end,” said Bueckner. “And everyone knows we need an alternate route out of there besides Paterson Plank Road. If something happened at Paterson Plank Road – like an accident, or if something happened to the bridge, the north end would be landlocked.” When the study is completed, town officials expect to approach the NJMC for assistance.
“We’d have to go to the NJMC and ask them what they’re going to do to improve it,” said Kickey. “They have to come up with the infrastructure if they’re going to improve Xanadu.”
The next step is for the town to issue a Request for Proposals to planning companies to complete the study.