An important $72 million extension of Jersey Avenue into Liberty State Park, which would link downtown Jersey City with the southern end of town, was scheduled to start by the end of this month but has been delayed because the city was rejected for a federal grant.
The project has been discussed by city officials for more than 10 years. The City Council approved last September a detailed application for a grant to fully fund it. However, city spokesperson Jennifer Morrill confirmed last week that the city was at some point rejected, although they are not even sure why.
She said that the city will resubmit the application for the $72 million grant by the end of this month.
Jersey City is hoping to reapply for a $72 million grant to extend a major downtown road.
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One activist opposed
Downtown resident and activist Mia Scanga, who has opposed extension of the road going back at least 10 years, said she is still opposed to the project being built, predicting problems with vehicles traveling through an area where the NJ Transit Light Rail runs.
“You will have more accidents because people will try to beat the light rail, and these idiots will end up running into the side of these trains,” Scanga said.
Morrill said no specific reason was given by the federal government as to why the application was rejected, other than that money was appropriated by the Department of Transportation for other road projects across the country.
She said the city still expects the project to go forward one day, whenever the city gets the money.
The benefits of the extension
Extending Jersey Avenue into Liberty State Park would allow traffic to enter the park directly rather than through a roundabout route across several city blocks. Emergency vehicles could enter into the park quicker and transport patients from the park to local hospitals faster, like Jersey City Medical Center on Grand Street, located in the vicinity of the extension. The extension would also improve traffic flow through the park to lower Jersey City and Bayonne.
If the new grant application is approved by the USDOT, then the $72 million will cover three components: The construction of Jersey Avenue between Grand Street and Johnston Avenue/Audrey Zapp Drive, the expansion of the Mill Creek foot bridge 125 feet for vehicle traffic, and the extension of a combined city sewer outlet into Mill Creek to just east of the proposed extension of Jersey Avenue.
If and when the project is ever completed, Jersey Avenue leading into Phillips Avenue in Liberty State Park would become a 36-foot wide boulevard with two travel lanes and one parking lane. A 10-foot-wide bike path would be adjacent to the travel lane on one side of the roadway and separated by a landscaped island. Sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of the roadway.
Councilman wants it
Downtown City Councilman Steven Fulop said last week that he didn’t know about the grant not being approved, and said it will be “disappointing” if the project doesn’t go through.
“It would be a huge asset for making the park more accessible, and minimize traffic flow,” Fulop said.
Morrill said the project is “extremely important” to Mayor Jerramiah Healy’s administration because it “increases traffic mobility and will enable further development opportunities.”
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.