To the Editor:
In response to “Bad news for Bayonne” dated July 20, here is a copy of my comments to the N.J. Turnpike and the mayor of Bayonne:
July 12 meeting in Bayonne on the Interchange 14A Improvement Project:
1) We need help now, not in 2017 – Please station a traffic cop at the intersection of 53rd Street and Ave. E – Exit 14A – during rush hour in the a.m. and p.m.
2) Consider building a ramp from the turnpike right before exit 14A directly to the ramp on Ave. E (which exits today): That way the trucks or cruise traffic can go directly to the back highway and not go through the interchange, freeing up the residential traffic.
3) Consider building a ramp from the Turnpike at the end of Newark Bay down to the highways of 440 North and 185 South. This is not on the map that was handed out at that meeting. The area I am talking about is right after the Newark Bay. There is a road that psses under the Turnpike and it leads to both 440 South and 185 South. This ramp would be used by trucks and cruise port traffic only, not traffic going ot Bayonne, Jersey City or the Holland Tunnel. Call it 14A-1. Call the Bayonne exit 14A-2.
4) Last item – there is no management of traffic flow from Newark Airport towards 14A going east. The traffic goes from the six lanes down to two lanes due to the long term construction project of repairing the road bed.
5) Please have the construction company place cones or plastic pipes that will direct the traffic to queue up an orderly fashion. This will improve the traffic flow, and vehicles should maintain a steady 45 miles per hour all across the span.
6) Also, an emergency plan is needed with a stand by tow truck. When there is an accident on that span, traffic is stalled for hours. The folks of Bayonne only have three ways out of the city: 1) Turnpike; 2) Bayonne Bridge on Eighth Street; and 3) Jersey City local streets.
7) This span is never on any news channels or traffic reports. Why?
I spoke with Paul Nowicki at the Bayonne meeting on July 12.
Thank you.
ANTHONY CONTI