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The Port Authority received a $25M grant to transform Jersey City's 12th Street corridor at the Holland Tunnel, aiming to enhance safety, traffic flow for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. The project includes wider sidewalks, bike lanes, stormwater management, energy-efficient lighting, and community engagement. Construction is set to be complete by 2031.
Wed January 15, 2025 - Northeast Edition
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) announced Jan. 13 that it had received a $25 million grant through the U.S Department of Transportation's American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program to transform the 12th Street corridor on the New Jersey side of the Holland Tunnel.
The USDOT funding will go toward a transformational modernization of the area to provide safer and more inviting features for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling through the fast-growing Jersey City neighborhoods adjacent to the corridor, while also improving vehicle travel times in the corridor and likely reducing traffic accidents by more than half.
The new design seeks to balance the needs of drivers using the tunnel with those of nearby communities and residents looking to access schools, workplaces, mass transit and housing in the area, according to a news release by PANYNJ.
In addition, the transformation project aims to bring together an area undergoing significant housing development and growth, but which is currently divided by the roadway serving as the New Jersey entrance to the Holland Tunnel. Officials hope that the more inclusive and safer design will further drive Jersey City's economic vitality, inviting more business opportunities while significantly improving safety and air quality through the corridor.
"Ensuring that our residents are able to get from place to place safely and efficiently is critical to the success of our entire region," said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. "This project will not only enhance safety for the residents of Jersey City but will also improve the quality of life for all New Jerseyans traveling through the Holland Tunnel."
In his remarks, PANYNJ Executive Director Rick Cotton said, "This project reflects the Port Authority's focus on delivering forward-thinking infrastructure that prioritizes both efficiency and environmental sustainability. By reimagining the 12th Street corridor, we're enhancing safety and mobility while fostering economic growth and a stronger sense of community in a rapidly growing area."
The new 12th Street design in Jersey City calls for modifying the current roadway width from Jersey Avenue to Marin Boulevard to reflect the reduction from six lanes to four lanes that was implemented in 2020 to better align vehicles as they approach the tunnel's tolling gantries.
The current 80-ft.-to-90-ft. crosswalks across 12th Street can be difficult to safely navigate for pedestrians, particularly children and the elderly, PANYNJ acknowledged. The lengthy crosswalks also necessitate longer red-light cycles to allow pedestrians enough time to cross safely.
By modifying the roadway, the bi-state agency will reduce the length of crosswalks to enhance pedestrian safety and, in turn, allow for improved vehicle travel times with shorter red-light periods at each of the corridor's four intersections.
Additionally, the revamped roadway design and multimodal improvements are expected to cut all crashes by at least 60 percent in the corridor, with a projected 82 percent reduction in collisions involving pedestrians and a 78 percent reduction in accidents involving bicyclists.
Furthermore, PANYNJ's enhancements are anticipated to decrease fatal crash rates in the corridor below the averages for the state and within Hudson County. Likewise, the rate of accidents involving injuries also is expected to drop substantially below the county's average and will be near the statewide average.
Smoother traffic flow will likely have a multitude of positive effects for the surrounding community, too, including improved air quality.
Traffic modeling suggests reduced vehicle idling time will decrease the 12th Street corridor's annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70 metric tons per year and will save drivers 6,300 hours per year.
The Port Authority believes improved infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists will also encourage more travelers to utilize sustainable modes of transportation when moving through the neighborhood and encourage new development that is less reliant on automobiles.
Remaining space from the newly narrowed roadway will be repurposed for the benefit of the area's growing number of pedestrians and bicyclists, with an overarching goal of improving safety, quality of life and community connectivity.
PANYNJ noted that community benefits of the project align with the agency's goals of transforming its legacy infrastructure to incorporate more shared use of spaces whenever possible, such as the additions of biking infrastructure and amenities at the World Trade Center campus, the Midtown Bus Terminal, the Goethals, Bayonne and George Washington bridges, and at LaGuardia Airport.
Other 12th Street improvements include:
"I am proud to have helped secure funding for this transformational project that will directly benefit Jersey City families, commuters, and small businesses," said New Jersey U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, D-8th District. "With this $25 million grant, we are not only creating a safer travel experience for cyclists and pedestrians, [but] we are also prioritizing sustainability and improving the surrounding community as a whole.
"I'm grateful to the Department of Transportation for their commitment to our shared vision for our district and we will always work to tackle the urgent transportation and infrastructure needs of our community."
The Port Authority plans to conduct targeted outreach during the design process for the new 12th Street corridor in Jersey City, including input from community-based organizations, local government representatives, small business and local economic development organizations, and environmental sustainability groups, to ensure they have a role in shaping the appearance of their community.
The design process is expected to be finalized in 2028, with construction anticipated to be complete by 2031.
Construction activity associated with the effort also will continue PANYNJ's industry-leading commitments around partnering with minority, women-owned, disadvantaged and service-disabled veteran-owned (MWSDBE and SDVOB) businesses on agency projects.
All contracts issued by the agency have goals of 20 percent MBE and 10 percent WBE participation, in addition to 3 percent SDVOB, commensurate on the availability of firms.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state agency that builds, operates and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. For over a century, the agency's network of major airports; critical bridges, tunnels, and bus terminals; a commuter rail line; and the busiest seaport on the East Coast has been among the most vital in the country — transporting hundreds of millions of people and moving essential goods into and out of the region.
The agency's historic $37 billion, 10-year capital plan includes unprecedented transformation of the region's three major airports — LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK — as well as an array of other new and upgraded assets, including the $2 billion renovation of the 93-year-old George Washington Bridge.
Its annual budget of $9.4 billion includes no tax revenue from the states of New York or New Jersey, or from the city of New York.