Clark Park ribbon cutting
Mayor James Davis and members of the city council and community members cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the newly renovated Edward Clark Park on the corner of 8th Street and Avenue C on Thursday, September 29. With the help of a $400,000 open space grant, the park began renovations last year and was completed with $796,000 worth of improvements, including new playground equipment and basketball courts, which were dedicated to St. Anthony High School basketball player George K. Tenety, who died of cancer last year at the age of 40.
Clark Park took priority in the Administration’s park renovation plan.“This is one of the parks we designated to be done right away,” said Mayor Davis. “It took a little longer than it should have because they sent the wrong equipment than what we ordered, but as you can see today it’s a beautiful park.”
Standing on the newly minted basketball courts, which are due to get new backboards in the near future, Davis said, “I used to play basketball when I was a kid, I’m a little too old for that now. It seems the older I get the higher the baskets seem to be.”
The mayor believes people do, in fact, get shorter as they get older. “Yes, I really do because I have uncles who were so much bigger than me that are now at eye level,” he said, “but maybe it all just seems that way because I don’t play anymore.”
Quick comment from the mayor on the Hoboken train crash
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the afternoon of the Hoboken train crash. “It’s tragic,” said Mayor Davis. “My biggest thing with these types of tragedies is that they’re avoidable. We have technology to stop something like this from happening, and I’m tired of hearing people saying well, it’s expensive. There is so much technology out there that this should be a part of our infrastructure.”
Transportation Trust Fund deal includes HBLR expansion funding
The $16 billion, eight-year transportation funding compromise plan unveiled October 3 includes funding for the long-awaited expansion of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system. The agreement will provide $2 billion in new annual revenue into the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, paying for hundreds of projects throughout the state ranging from road resurfacing and major bridge improvements to finally expanding the light rail north into Bergen County.
The proposed light rail expansion would add seven new stations to the existing system, including stops at 91st Street North Bergen, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia, Englewood Route 4, Englewood Town Center and Englewood Hospital. Initial studies have found that it would add more than 20,000 new daily riders.
“Bringing light rail service into Bergen County has been an important priority for local leaders for many years, and I am proud to say that the transportation funding deal we have reached will finally make it a reality,” said New Jersey General Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto in a media statement. “This expansion of public transit will have a tremendous economic impact on Northern New Jersey, opening up opportunities for businesses to thrive and communities to grow as commuters are given greater options.”
“Transportation funding is not just an economic and quality-of-life issue, but it’s also a public- safety issue,” Prieto said. “We do not yet know the cause of the Hoboken train crash, but we know that increased transportation funds will allow our public transit systems to be modernized and expanded, which will both serve commuters better and keep them safe.”
Goethals Bridge to close overnight Friday into following morning
Traffic diversions scheduled for remainder of holiday weekend include;
During Columbus Day weekend, the Goethals Bridge will be closed overnight on Friday, October 7 starting at 10 p.m. through Saturday, October 8 at 8 a.m., with travel diverted the remainder of the three-day weekend on connecting roads on Staten Island, N.Y.
The lane closures and diversions, part of the Port Authority’s ongoing Goethals Bridge Replacement Project, will allow the demolition and replacement of the Travis Spur Rail Bridge that carries Conrail trains over Interstate 278 in Staten Island, immediately west of the Goethals Bridge toll plaza. The replacement project will allow expansion of the roadway approaching the Goethals Bridge from four lanes (two eastbound and two westbound) to six lanes, three in each direction.
Travel delays are expected throughout the three-day weekend, especially during peak travel times. The Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing will remain fully open through Columbus Day weekend as alternate routes.
Construction work during Columbus Day weekend will require the following lane closures and diversions:
At 8 a.m. Saturday, October 8, the bridge will reopen, with traffic diverted on I-278 and Gulf Road in Staten Island, before reaching or after leaving the bridge. These diversions will be in place until 3 p.m. Monday, October 10 when normal traffic will resume. These changes are expected to result in traffic delays.
To avoid expected delays, drivers are encouraged to avoid the Goethals Bridge throughout the weekend, and consider using the Bayonne Bridge or Outerbridge Crossing as alternatives. Following this work, the Port Authority will implement nightly lane closures on I-278 between the toll plaza and the Goethals Bridge in order to repave and expand the lanes approaching the Goethals Bridge.
To receive real time traffic updates, travelers should register for the Port Authority’s Bridge and Tunnel Alerts at http://www.paalerts.com/, call 511 or visit www.511NY.org or www.511NJ.org.