Craig Guy Announces Rapid Crisis Response Plan to Improve Traffic Safety on Paterson Plank Road

Democratic Nominee for County Executive Coordinates with Local, County Government Partners to Take Immediate Action

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Democratic nominee for County Executive Craig Guy is announcing a rapid crisis response plan to take immediate steps to improve traffic safety on Paterson Plank Road. The action comes in the wake of a tragic fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred on the roadway early Monday morning. Guy convened a meeting of local and county government partners on Tuesday to discuss the situation and formulate a short term action plan that includes several measures that will be implemented in the coming days, as well as longer term proposals to promote road safety.

“We have to do more to make Paterson Plank Road safe and avoid any further loss of life, and this rapid crisis response plan involves taking immediate action to accomplish that goal not in years or months, but right now,” said Guy. “I would like to thank the many partners who met this week and presented ideas and suggestions for how to make this road safer, especially Mayor Steven Fulop, Mayor Ravi Bhalla, County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, Sheriff Frank Schillari, our County Commissioners and the professional staff at each entity.”

The Paterson Plank Road Rapid Crisis Response Plan includes the following immediate steps that will be implemented this week:

• Installation of traffic delineators on Paterson Plank Road from the Manhattan Avenue intersection near Washington Park to south of the Second Street Light Rail Station to separate the North and South bound lanes

• Increased traffic enforcement for speeding and DWI along Paterson Plank Road led by the Sheriff’s Office in coordination with the Jersey City and Hoboken police departments

• Improved signage along Paterson Plank Road including digital speed limit signs and message boards advising motorists to slow down

In addition, Guy is committed to exploring the use of permanent lane barriers along Paterson Plank Road to prevent head-on collisions, as well as traffic calming measures such as speed bumps, rumble strips, lane narrowing and other approaches. Guy has directed county engineers and planners to immediately assess these permanent solutions in consultation with their counterparts in Jersey City and Hoboken.

County government will be funding these traffic safety improvements in order to allow them to be installed immediately, rather than waiting for funding from state and federal transportation agencies which is the usual practice. County officials plan to seek reimbursement from the New Jersey State Department of Transportation and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.

“We’re not going to wait another day to make this road safer, and if that ends up costing us some money then so be it,” said Guy. “I want Hudson County residents to know that we are taking this problem seriously and doing everything in our power to fix it.”

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