“We’ve got a big commercial area and we have the waterfront, and the two never mix,” said Guttenberg Mayor Gerald Drasheff, describing the geography of the town. “For people from the waterfront to go shop on Bergenline Avenue is a hike. You’ve got to take your car, you’ve got to park.”
A large reason for the separation is of course the Palisades cliffs that rise above the waterfront developments, creating a long, steep division between the two areas of town. “That’s a major barrier, and the bus solves that,” said Drasheff.
The bus he’s referring to is a new shuttle service the town will be implementing on weekends beginning Saturday, Aug. 1.
The shuttle service will run on a continuous loop between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It will be free to town residents and run between Kennedy Boulevard and River Road.
“This service is intended to facilitate the movement of residents around town and to enable them to move easily between the town’s commercial districts on Bergenline Avenue, Broadway, Park Avenue, and Boulevard East, as well as the new Waterfront Park on River Road,” reads a recent press release. “It is anticipated that this service will encourage all Guttenberg residents to shop and dine at the various businesses and restaurants located throughout town. The bus route will also help residents wishing to visit friends and relatives in Palisade General Hospital or the Harborage.”
The bus route will begin at the senior building on Boulevard East and proceed west on 70th Street to Adams Street, where it will turn south. Turning down 68th Street it will travel east to Bergenline Avenue and then continue on 69th Street to Boulevard East. Passing in front of the Galaxy Towers it will head down Ferry Road to River Road, making stops at the Waterfront Park and Palisade General Hospital and The Harborage.
“That’s the logical place to turn around,” said Drasheff. “It’s not good to make a left turn out of the park but there’s a traffic light at the hospital.”
The bus will then return to its starting point in front of the senior center. Residents can flag the bus at any cross streets along the route or at the bus stops at 68th Street and Bergenline Avenue and 69th Street and Boulevard East.
The free, hop-on/hop-off shuttle bus service will run continuously between River Road and Kennedy Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
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Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult to ride the shuttle. The bus is expected to make two to three round trips per hour.
State to kick in $300K over three years
“We were committed to doing this on the weekends through September and then taking a step back and evaluating to see how much it’s being used, and see about expanding service during the week,” said Drasheff. “Then we found out we got this grant.”
The town was recently advised by the state that it has been awarded a grant of approximately $100,000 a year for three years to offset the cost of the shuttle bus program.
“We put in for this about a year and a half ago,” said Drasheff. “I think only nine towns in the state got it. That’s a lot of money.”
While details of the grant are still forthcoming, it requires that the town institute weekday service as well as weekends.
“We will have to expand the service,” said Drasheff, saying the town was aiming for a date in the fall to implement changes.
A part time driver has already been hired for the weekend service. “It’s a town resident who drives for the school during the winter months and is available now, and even after September for the weekend work,” said Drasheff.
Another requirement of the grant is that the town kick in some money toward the operation of the service, although the exact amount has not been determined.
Currently the town owns three buses, holding approximately 28, 24, and 15 passengers respectively. One of those buses will be used for the weekend shuttle. The two larger buses both have lifts for individuals with handicaps. “We want to make sure we can provide that service,” said Drasheff.
“Our buses are used for senior trips during the week, so we don’t have a bus for this route Monday to Friday,” he continued. “We should really have one more bus. Our buses are getting old and we’re kind of on borrowed time.”
While the grant money can be used to pay salaries and operating expenses, it cannot go toward the purchase of a new bus, according to state restrictions.
Once the full grant regulations are available the town will determine whether the purchase of a new bus can be allocated against the amount the town needs to kick into the program.
More information on the new service and is available on the town website at guttenbergnj.org, or by calling Marisol Montanez at (201) 868-2316 Ext. 152.
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.
SIDEBAR
Metered parking proposed for Boulevard East
Public hearing on July 27
Regularly cited by the U.S. Census as among the most densely-populated municipalities in the country, Guttenberg has always had an issue with parking. With that in mind, the Town Council has proposed initiating metered parking along Boulevard East between 68th and 71st Streets.
“The goal is to try and free up space,” explained Mayor Gerald Drasheff. “We have difficulties with people who leave their cars parked for days on end. What we want to do is free up those spaces, so two or three people can use them instead of one individual.”
Meters would have a two-hour time limit, with days and hours of operation similar to those in effect in other metered areas in town. Vehicles with permanent resident parking stickers would be permitted to park in metered spaces during certain morning and evening hours without the need to pay the metered fee.
“Right now we’re leaning toward not having individual meters but having meter machines” that dispense tickets, said Drasheff.
An ordinance regarding the meters was introduced at the Town Council meeting last month. The proposed ordinance will be open for comment from the public at the Town Council meeting on July 27 at 8 p.m. in Town Hall, 6808 Park Ave. Residents are invited to attend the session and share their comments on the proposal.
Following that, the council will vote on the proposal at their meeting next month. If adopted, the metering is expected to go into effect in the fall.
“Boulevard East has a commercial presence,” said Drasheff, noting the shops in the Galaxy and local restaurants. “And it’s not that long a walk to Park Avenue. It’s very discouraging if you want to eat and can’t get a parking space. The council really believes this is a worthwhile thing to do. It will benefit the town.”