State Assembly Transportation Committee to hold special hearing on planned Pulaski Skyway closure; move comes after petition drive

HUDSON COUNTY – The Assembly Transportation Committee will hold a special hearing on Thursday, Feb. 28 in Union City to discuss state Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to close the northbound lanes of the Pulaski Skyway for two years beginning in 2014 while the roadway is reconstructed.
The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Hudson County Community College, North Hudson Higher Education Center, 4800 Kennedy Boulevard, Union City.
The committee has invited the DOT commissioner and other experts on transportation matters in the state to testify regarding the repair and rehabilitation of the Pulaski Skyway and other issues concerning the DOT. The committee will also hear from members of the public who wish to testify on the issue.
“For commuters in my district and the surrounding areas, this will undoubtedly create major headaches,” said Assembly Transportation Committee member Ruben J. Ramos Jr. (D-Hudson). “It’s imperative that the state lay out a clear plan for alternate options for commuters and what impact this will have on those alternate routes as well.” Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop welcomed the news that the Assembly Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing in Hudson County. Fulop organized an online petition drive that garnered approximately 1,400 signatures from residents who expressed concern that the closure of the Skyway will create major traffic problems on the streets of Jersey City.
“I want to thank the 1,400 Jersey City residents who signed our petition demanded to have Legislative hearings in Jersey City on the closure of the Pulaski Skyway,” Fulop said. “I look forward to testifying and hearing from other residents about how the closure will impact their lives and their businesses.”
Fulop said he understands the need to repair the aging elevated roadway so that it meets today’s safety standards, but believes a better solution can be found than the one proposed by the DOT.
“I am confident we can come up with a way to minimize impact to Jersey City while repairing the Pulaski Skyway,” Fulop added.
Opened in 1932, the Pulaski Skyway that carries Route 1 and 9 traffic over the Hackensack and Passaic rivers between Jersey City and Newark. The bridge handles nearly 70,000 crossings per day.