Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco talking to PBS New Jersey’s Brenda Flanagan today about the County’s role in working to advance the Route 17 bottleneck resolution
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the County of Bergen have long concluded that Route 17 from Essex Street in Hackensack to the cloverleaf at Garden State Plaza in Paramus need to be widened in order to alleviate traffic congestion in the area . For most commuters and shoppers living in Bergen County this fact has been obvious for a very long time.
The King of Con by Thomas Giacomaro and Natasha Stoynoff https://theridgewoodblog.net/king-of-con-by-thomas-giacomaro-and-natasha-stoynoff/
While the project is still in the early planning phases , or the “Concept Development” stage of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s project delivery process. Data collections, developmental and evaluation of alternatives, stakeholder coordination, environmental screening and assessing right-of-way impacts will be conducted. So the situation is pretty obvious , the over congested road is a hot spot for accidents and emergency services .
In fact a 2017 to 2019 analysis found there were 899 accidents in this section of the Route 17 bottleneck project. That’s about one crash per day, basically requiring continuous emergency responses. This is greater than the statewide average for similar roadways. and perhaps exacerbated by the high levels of congestion .
And no, “bike lanes” to no where and “traffic easing” are not the answer !
To improve traffic and safety, a third lane will have to be added in each direction and standard acceleration and deceleration lanes will be provided for ramp connections at Passaic Street, Pleasant Avenue where possible and Farview Avenue. There will need to be new Route 17 bridges over the NYS&W Railroad, Central Avenue, Passaic Street and Pleasant Avenue.
The route 17 bottleneck project preliminary evaluation plans call for 20 full and 67 partial acquisitions along the corridor. The right-of-way impacts will be further refined during the next design phase. With two major issues ; toxic waste at the the Maywood Superfund site that is currently being remediated and two historic areas could be affected, including the Maywood Chemical Company Historic District and the Captain William Tyson House in Rochelle Park. The impact on the two historical sites will be assessed as part of the environmental process in the next design phase.
I’d rather see the flooding fixed under the Rt 46 overpass.
If the project is in the “early planning stages”, fear not. It should be complete in time for your great-grandkids to enjoy or about the time the automobile becomes obsolete.
early planning stages = figuring out whose second mortgages and children’s private school educations need to be paid off before the project will be allowed to be finished
Oh boy, can you imagine the traffic we hope it’s going to be done at night
Another photo op missed by Siobhan.
Love that…she’s Bory Cooker!
The project was needed twenty-five years ago but Rochelle Park is not so keen on the idea. A third lane would relegate Rochelle Park to “flyover country” status. The town would become just a neighborhood.
Half or more of those 899 accidents could be avoided by closing off the RT.17 entrances from Central and Passaic streets.
Rochelle Park has a councilman that is effen radioactive…makes Jeff look like a good guy !
Call The Boring Company… Make it “The Big Dig NJ”
All work will be done on night shift.
Oh yeah.
Give the Job to Creamer.
Give them an on-time completion bonus, like they did with the Rt4-Rt17 exchange.
And they get it done on time..
They completed that job incredibly fast. Agree with you . . . give the job to Creamer with the completion bonus.