Grand Street is extremely dangerous, and crossing it requires brass balls.

It's great that the cops are finally pulling over those that feel the need to drive like they're starring in the Slow and the Delirious.

I really don't know how anyone can speed in a pedestrian heavy city. I keep it at the posted speed limit while I get passed by the frequent douche bag.

I do think that the city is overdue for some changes to the route to the Holland Tunnel. 5pm every day gets worse and worse.

Bridges, what a great idea. Why not build a second level of Jersey City. Have all the pedestrians walking across bridges and all the cars driving through street level.

1) Nobody in JC will walk up stairs to cross a street. They will simply Jay Walk.

2) They are expensive and useless and will make the city look stupid. Why not build tunnels while you're at it.

3) http://xwalk.com/pages/videos.htm
The solution posted above (as a replacement for streetlights wont work) a) look at the video, nobody in JC actually stops before the stop line, what makes you think they will stop as far as the car did in the video. b) who will understand what blinking red lights mean. They might think its a red light and they should run it like they always do.

You know, its such a pain walking around the 2 Marin Blvd bulidings (i think Metropolis Towers) in downtown. They take up such a large block. Mayor Healy and Counsilman Fulop, please build a bridge over their property so I don't have to walk around.

Also, everyone J walks on Newark Ave. Please build a bridge infront of every store on Newark Ave so people dont J walk.

Not sure if its a coincidence, but we raised the Grand St. issue to Fulop when he came to speak to our building about six weeks ago and the next day the flashing 25 mph sign went up and there have been cops fairly regularly patrolling when before they were never to be seen.

i was impressed with a cop at grand and grove this morning. i saw him write up a guy probably for going thru a light. then he drove two blocks to montgomery and grove (he was behind me) and pulled over a driver who blocked an intersection.
well done!

Quote:

You hit the nail on the head. Agree with you 100%. Fewer people would use streets like Erie and Coles St. to go to and from the tunnel if there were lights, speed bumps, cops, cameras etc.

And Grand St. is totally nuts. There are three schools and a hospital there, and still people are allowed to drive like thery're on the freeway. Those crossing guards really earn their pay. God bless 'em. It's going to take a kid or crossing guard to get killed before the city does something.

I had read late in 2008 that there would be a traffic light installed at the intersection of 9th Street & Marin Blvd in Spring of 2009 (now). I am very pissed to have read today in Councilman Fulop's email that this traffic light won't be installed until 2010. I was under the impression this traffic light was already approved and slated for installation.

The fact that this crossing is extremely dangerous and is the only place for many residents who live north of 8th St to cross to get to the Path at Pavonia is unacceptable. Last Summer, one of the crossing guards was struck by a speeding car. Does someone need to get killed before the city takes action? And what makes 2nd & Marin any more deserving?


From Steven Fulop
2nd & Marin? This intersection has been studied and determined to qualify for a traffic light.

9th & Marin ? This is in the works and funding needs to be approved. State procedures for lights are strict, but I am pushing and we will see this light go up in 2010.

Grand st. is insane. In the past two months, at least two people have been hit (one killed) and I've personally seen three accidents. Last summer I saw a guy lying in the street with blood pouring down the side of his face after he'd been knocked off his bike by a car. Cars go up on the sidewalk more often than you'd ever imagine and people have to scurry out of the way.

It's a street with a 25 mph speed limit - between Monmouth and Washington there are three schools, the Boys and Girls club and a whole lot more residents than a couple years ago. You could park a non-sleeping cop (preferably one that doesn't have a cell phone glued to the side of his head) and pull over a dozen people an hour going in excess of 50 mph. Great revenue generating opportunity.

I mentioned this on another post a long time ago but last spring I almost got hit by a car while I was walking on the pedestrian cross walk along Marin Blvd. I was literally on the hood of the car staring at a horrified guy on his cell phone with his wife in the car. I am shocked every day on these streets how entitled vehicles are when it comes to rolling stop signs and ignoring pedestrians trying to cross.

I know crime is the largest issue in this city - but if they want to start having police patrolling areas, maybe they can do that AND ticket aggressive drivers.

Ideally, they'd put a pedestrian overpass or underground tunnel at 9th and Marin, but it would be too expensive and probably dangerous at night (particularly the tunnel).

i road my bike home for 2 years and nothing happened. I see more speeding on the side streets.

I am stuill new how do you message people?

Sateen,
Message me and you and I will take a trip through the crosswalks, and see how safe it is.

By the way, cars speed through the traffic light at 8th too. A young woman met her death that way when she was crossing the street a few years ago.

Quote:

I have never seen a car go anywhere near hitting a pedestrian on that street. why wouldn't you walk to 8th if you felt it was so dangerous. you are just being lazy

I concur with everything Robocub wrote. I too am car-less and walk mostly everywhere. I try to cross at 9th and Marin every morning and most weekends I'm trying to get to Target, A&P or Home Depot. These large streets are dangerous.

Aren't we supposed to get a traffic light at 9th and Marin soon? Anyone know any updates? There are no signs of any construction being started...

From Councilman Fulop's Winter Update sent 1/26/2009:
"Traffic Lights: Several new traffic lights have been approved and are scheduled to be constructed in the next 3 months. These are 9th & Marin, Christopher Columbus & Warren, and Montgomery & Warren. The traffic light at Montgomery & Warren is near completion. "

If the city thinks that traffic lights are too expensive for these streets, perhaps they should look at this.

http://xwalk.com/

Thank you Robocub and Grove Path.
You take your life in your hand when you try to cross these streets. The crosswalks on Marin are ignored by the cars speeding along.
Jersey City could balance the budget just by ticketing speeders on Marin.

why don't you just cross at 8th?

i agree they need more lights on Marin but i think it's for the cars not the pedestrians. I use them as my shield to avoid the lights on 6th.

I think these overheard passages are a waste of money. if you are elderly or disabled you would just cross at street level since walking up stairs is either painful, difficult or impossible.

"It seems only cars and funneling people into the shopping Mall were on the planner's minds when the Mall was built. Downtown JC needs to keep up with the times and the pedestrian population and nature of Downtown JC."

do you how difficult they have made it to get into the mall with those fences they put up that are too high because all these idiots were cutting across the street.

I am one for walking to lights on major roads. they can't put a light everywhere. I used to ride my bike to pavonia or grove street everyday from 7th and jersey and I had no problems.

They really need to stop Downtown being used as a shortcut to the Holland Tunnel and the suburban shopping at the Newport Mall, the Target, the BJ's etc. They need to put cameras on traffic lights on Newark Avenue, Columbus & Grand and enforce the traffic lights. SLOW TRAFFIC AND YOU LIMIT TRAFFIC!

I have sent this message to Mayor Healy and Councilman Fulop in the hopes of improving access and safety for pedestrians in Downtown JC.


I am a Hamilton Park resident and avid pedestrian on 10th Street in Downtown Jersey City. I also commute on the PATH at Pavonia/Newport. I would like to bring to your attention some SERIOUSLY dangerous pedestrian situations on the streets of Downtown Jersey City.

Situation #1 - see green circles on map
Much needed traffic signals along Marin Blvd, specifically between 9th and 10th Streets. There are many pedestrians that use this area to cross to and from walking to the PATH at Pavonia/Newport. There is a traffic signal only at 8th Street. There is a school at 9th Street and hundreds of residents on 9th & 10th streets. Cars come from both north and south bound speeding along Marin Blvd. I have personally witnessed and experienced several near fatal accidents of cars speeding and hitting pedestrians along Marin. Hundreds of pedestrians cross Marin everyday in order to get to/from the PATH, as there is no other easy access. This is a very dangerous situation. Not to mention there is a school on 9th Street & Marin. Crossing guards are posted during school mornings only and offer very little if any safety for pedestrians at night. In fact last Summer, one of the crossing guards was hit by a car and she had to be hospitalized. I witnessed this accident and I fear for life when I cross Marin at 9th or 10 Streets.


Situation #2 - see red color line on map
Getting around Newport Mall is a dangerous situation for a pedestrian. For many Downtown JC residents who live west of Marin Bldv anywhere between 6th & 10th Streets who wish to avoid the Newport Mall by walking around it are given little to zero options in safe pedestrian access. Yes believe it or not, some people do not wish to walk through Newport Mall in order to access public transportation such as the Light Rail or Pavonia PATH station. Additionally if one is walking late nights, the Malls closed at some exits and thus forces people to take a much longer route. If I am to walk around the Mall, walking along Barnum St/Newport Pkwy is very dangerous. Pedestrians must navigate a dangerous multi-route intersection at Washington Blvd and Newport Pkwy in order to cross the street to the north side of Barnum St/Newport Pkwy. Why this is so is beyond me since most pedestrians will be heading south once they arrive at Marin Blvd. If pedestrians do not cross to the north side at Newport Pkwy & Washington Blvd, they must cross over to Barnum Street at Mall Drive East or West along Newport Blvd where there are NO traffic signals and unimpeded cars speeding east and west along Newport Pkwy. This is an extremely dangerous area for pedestrians and no concession for pedestrians has been made in this area. There should be a pedestrian crossing bridge on the south side of Newport Pkwy that goes over the Newport parking entrance so pedestrians do not have to cross this very dangerous roadway or the very scary intersection at Washington Blvd & Newport Pkwy.


Situation #3 - see light blue circles on map
Downtown JC residents living south of 12th Street must cross the most dangerous streets (12th & 14th Sts, Holland Tunnel) in the neighborhood in order to access the large public shopping centers such as A&P, Target, Staples, Pier 1. It is unconscionable that residents must cross the dangerous gauntlet of 12th & 14th Streets in order to access this major shopping center. There should be pedestrian overpass bridges located at Erie, Grove/Manila, Marin/Henderson Streets crossing 12th & 14th Streets. The traffic signals for crossing 12th & 14th last maybe 5 seconds. I have nightmares imagining a slow walking senior citizen would have to go through taking their life into their hands crossing these major streets. Often times many residents must cross these dangerous streets with shopping bags or carts coming from A&P. It is truly frightening to cross here. This is probably the most dangerous pedestrian crossing in the entire city and no serious consideration to pedestrians crossing 12th & 14th Streets is given. In fact it's an insult to have crossing signals that last a few seconds before they blink red. Pedestrian bridges would solve this dangerous situation easily.

Please take into consideration the situations I have pointed out to make Downtown JC a SAFER pedestrian environment. Jersey City's populations has exploded and not all residents have cars or drive, like myself. Nor should we have to as Downtown JC is billed as one of the most pedestrian friendly cities in the US. But sadly this is not so in all cases. I am disgusted that the Newport Mall was built with no consideration for pedestrians and nearby neighborhoods. It seems only cars and funneling people into the shopping Mall were on the planner's minds when the Mall was built. Downtown JC needs to keep up with the times and the pedestrian population and nature of Downtown JC.