Traffic tie-ups in rush hour being addressed
Traffic has been tied up for a week and half coming into Bayonne during the morning rush hour, including a 3 1/2-mile delay on Thursday, April 9, and officials are working to fix the problem.
The delays have been attributed to increased transit to and from the GCT Bayonne marine terminal at the Bayonne-Jersey City border.
On Tuesday, April 14, a commuter in Hoboken told the Bayonne Community News that his morning drive through the Bayonne area was the longest he had ever experienced.
But Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman said that day’s backup was partially due to an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike.
The larger problem seems to stem from increased marine deliveries to GCT, and therefore increased truck visits to load and transport those goods.
Part of the problem is truckers arriving at the GCT gate as early as 4:30 or 5 a.m., ahead of the terminal’s 6 a.m. opening time, Coleman said.
The Port Authority is the landlord of the terminal, while GCT is the tenant and operator.
A plan has been put in place to attempt to alleviate the problem.
“We’ve reallocated some Port Authority police resources out there to divert trucks away which try to queue up at the terminal before its opening,” Coleman said.
A meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, for all the stakeholders. They included representatives of the Port Authority, the Port Authority Police Department, GCT, the New Jersey Turnpike, and the administrations of Bayonne and Jersey City.
Last week, the Turnpike Authority issued a statement saying that the morning backups on the turnpike extension and 14A Interchange in Bayonne were not due to the recently begun turnpike improvement project.
Port Authority announces Bridge closures
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has announced closures of the Bayonne Bridge as part of the “Raise the Roadway” project.
Remaining multi-hours closures for this week are: Thursday, April 16 from 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. and Friday, April 17, from 11:59 p.m. to Saturday, April 18, at 11:59 p.m.
The authority also announced that beginning Monday, April 20, the new nighttime closure time
will be 8:30 p.m., instead of 9 p.m., for the project’s duration.
Mayors Hours to include congressional reps
Mayor James Davis has announced that representatives of Congressman Albio Sires, NJ-8, and Congressman Donald Payne Jr., NJ-10, will be present during his monthly “Mayor’s Hours” sessions at Bayonne City Hall.
“We have a great working relationship with our congressional delegation, and I am so happy that we can expand the scope of ‘Mayors Hours’ to include them,” said Mayor Davis. “This provides a unique and convenient opportunity for Bayonne residents to bring questions to their representatives on the federal level.”
Upcoming sessions this year are: May 5, June 9, July 7, Aug. 4, Sept. 1, Oct. 6, Nov. 10, and Dec. 1.
Mayor’s Hours begin at 4:30 p.m. and generally conclude at 6 p.m.
Liberty Humane Society opens new Spay/Neuter clinic
Nonprofit animal shelter Liberty Humane Society has announced the opening of its own dedicated spay/neuter clinic.
Liberty Humane Society is the animal shelter for Bayonne, Jersey City, and Hoboken, and has a strict spay-neuter policy, meaning all animals are altered before adoption. This is done to ease the financial and logistical burden of spaying/neutering on adopters and to reduce the number of unwanted pets born through accidental litters of puppies and kittens.
Prior to the clinic opening, LHS was forced to transport adoptable animals 80 miles each way to a partner clinic.
LHS’s clinic is housed in a customized recreational vehicle, fully equipped, on LHS grounds. Staffed by experienced and specialized veterinarians and technicians, the shelter will now be able to spay or neuter adoptable animals onsite.
The first day of operation, on March 25, saw the safe and effective alteration of five of the shelter’s animals. While access to the clinic is available only for animals in the shelter’s care at this time, shelter officials hope to increase the clinic’s capacity to eventually serve other local shelters and rescues and to help in trap/neuter/release efforts.
To learn more about Liberty Humane Society and the new Spay/Neuter Clinic, visit www.libertyhumane.org.
Meadowlands center to offer three-part art series
“The Art Safari: An Interactive Exploration of the World Around Us,” for teens and adults, will be offered by the Meadowlands Environment Center on Saturdays, 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, on April 18, April 25, and May 2, from 2 to 4 p.m.
During the three-part art series, participants will learn how to use the traditional media of graphite and charcoal in an interactive way.
“We will explore the positive and negative space around your subject matter,” said spokesman Brian Aberback. “Each person will walk away with a finished piece that will inspire your taste for art.”
No experience is necessary. Supplies are covered in the cost of the class.
Pre-registration required. To register, go to njmeadowlands.gov and click on “Events.”
The cost is $35 per person, $30 for MEC members. It includes all three sessions and supplies.
For more information, call (201) 460-2003 or email mimi.sabatino@njmeadowlands.gov.