Ron Bautista Releases Transit Plan for Safer Streets and Faster Commutes in Hudson County
Ron Bautista Releases Transit Plan for Safer Streets and Faster Commutes in Hudson County
County Commissioner candidate will fight for Bus Rapid Transit on JFK Boulevard with signal priority, protected bike lanes, and Vision Zero county-wide
Hoboken, NJ — Ron Bautista, candidate for Hudson County Commissioner in District 5, released his Safer Streets and Faster Commutes platform, a plan to redesign dangerous county roads, expand bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and make buses reliable enough to be a better option than cars.
"We lose too many people every year to preventable car crashes. Every one of those deaths is a policy failure," said Ron Bautista. "I think about my daughter walking to school, and my mom and her friends getting around the neighborhood. Our streets should be safe whether you're 7 years old or in your 70s. I helped push for the changes that made Hoboken a national model for street safety, and we need those same types of changes at county roads like Willow Avenue, 14th Street, and Paterson Plank Road.”
To eliminate traffic fatalities, the plan calls for a county-level commitment to Vision Zero with redesigned intersections, protected bike lanes, lower speed limits at county roads, and a ban on right turns on red. Bautista also proposes expanding Citi Bike stations and upgrading street lighting on major county corridors like JFK Boulevard and Bergenline Avenue.
The platform also calls for true Bus Rapid Transit with dedicated lanes and signal priority on major corridors. Right now, buses on JFK Boulevard and other county roads sit in the same traffic as every other vehicle. Bautista's plan argues that making buses the faster option will cut commute times and help improve traffic congestion overall.
“Everyone should be able to get around safely and quickly, whether you walk, bike, or take the bus," said Bautista. "Hudson County roads should work for the people who live here, not just the cars passing through."
Bautista’s platform draws on 15 years of community organizing in Hoboken and Jersey City, having previously served as a leading member of Bike Hoboken and as an advocate for complete streets projects in the mile-square city.
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