Funcionarios de la ciudad de Jersey anuncian el programa piloto "Slow Streets" para ayudar a las empresas y los residentes a recuperarse

Las nuevas “calles lentas” mejoran las diversas iniciativas de seguridad de la Administración para acomodar la actual necesidad de más espacio, especialmente en las áreas urbanas

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop announces the historic implementation of a Slow Streets Pilot Program in Jersey City launching today to enhance COVID-19 safety measures by supporting safe outdoor activity and recreation for residents’ physical and mental health. The innovative plan provides residents additional open space by designating certain streets throughout Jersey City as “Slow Streets” which will be temporarily closed to through traffic, with access for local traffic only at very low speeds while maintaining all existing parking.  Slow Streets will have partial closures at intersections to allow for more comfortable use for adequate physically distant walking, jogging, biking, exercising, commuting, and playing all across the city.

“We have been working to bring outside-the-box solutions to address the various issues created by this unprecedented crisis,” said Mayor Fulop.  “We were the first to implement strict and effective social distancing measures, and now as we work to carefully reopen, these Slow Streets will act as a relief valve for safe outdoor activities this summer as we see the streets and parks start to get crowded again.  This program will also support further recovery efforts on the horizon.”

“The street we want to slow down in Ward A is located near a park, so we have enlisted the Triangle Park Neighborhood Association to help utilize the new expanded open space for programming that benefits the local residents while maintaining social distancing such as sports events, kids activities, and a flea market,” contributed Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley.

The Slow Streets pilot is the latest program the city is introducing to utilize city streets to assist business owners and residents with adhering to social distancing requirements.  The city has been working with restaurants to expand outdoor seating into areas of streets to maintain capacity while indoor dining remains limited.  Along with the expansion of the established Newark Avenue Pedestrian Mall, other temporary Pedestrian Plazas are also being incorporated citywide to further support social distancing efforts.  The new plazas include:

· Grove Street desde la 1a calle hasta la avenida Montgomery.

· 1a calle desde Jersey Ave. hasta Newark Ave.

· Bergen Ave. desde Reed Street hasta Duncan Ave.

· Rose Ave. desde Cator Ave. hasta Old Bergen Rd.

· MLK Drive desde Woodlawn Ave. hasta Armstrong Ave.

· Bergen Ave. desde Sip Ave. hasta la calle Newkirk

Considering the new need for additional space on city streets for pedestrians and cyclists, Jersey City is also expediting the construction of permanent bike lanes, with 1.5 miles completed since the pandemic shutdowns, with 6 additional miles of protected bike lanes planned for the remainder of the year.  Since 2019, a total of 6.75 miles of bike lanes have been constructed citywide to encourage a safe space for bicycle use as a more environmentally friendly transportation option.  Now more than ever, the extended bike lane network will also help commuters looking to avoid crowded mass transit.  Please visit our website for a complete map of all roadway installations being implemented.

Como ocurre con todos los esfuerzos de reapertura, se pueden realizar cambios en las calles lentas durante todo el proyecto piloto basándose en la retroalimentación pública y en el impacto en la salud y la seguridad públicas. Las calles lentas designadas estarán marcadas con barricadas de tráfico y señales en las intersecciones. El primer cierre comenzará el miércoles 24 de junio de 2020.

“Empezamos con algunas calles lentas y desplegamos esto en calles adicionales basadas en la retroalimentación pública, ya que queremos que sea una iniciativa impulsada por la comunidad”, dijo Barkha Patel, director de Planificación de Transporte. “Se trata de la salud física y mental de nuestros residentes. A medida que el clima se calienta y los destinos populares como nuestros parques y plazas se llenan cada vez más, queremos proporcionar a los residentes una salida segura para salir de sus hogares y usar cómodamente las calles del vecindario para recreación. ” No puedo .

“Después de incorporar la retroalimentación de la comunidad, esto será una adición bienvenida para hacer que la calle y el área circundante sean mucho más seguras no solo con fines de distanciamiento social, sino también para ayudar a ralentizar el tráfico en áreas donde los residentes han expresado preocupación”, dijo el concejal del distrito D, Yousef Saleh.

Para lanzar el programa, las calles que se enumeran a continuación se transformarán inmediatamente en calles lentas:

These additional streets are being considered for future implementation:

For input and updates on the Slow Streets pilot program, residents are encouraged to fill out the Jersey City Slow Streets Survey here.

“We need to work together to help our businesses and residents recover from this health and economic crisis.  From installing Slow Streets and Pedestrian Plazas to expanding outdoor dining and offering testing and supplies to help business owners safely reopen, as restrictions are slowly lifted we are looking at every angle to see where and how we can provide assistance,” concluded Mayor Fulop.