Dear Editor:

We the residents of Hamilton Park support the development of the Bergen Arches as both light rail and commercial freight rail. We do not support additional roadway development for the Bergen Arches. Our position is based on the following facts:

1. Jersey City, as with our entire region, has the second worst low-level ozone (smog) conditions in the country - second only to Los Angeles. Accordingly, we are in an EPA non-attainment area with regard to the 1986 amendments to the Clean Air Act. Included in the smog readings are particulates - an acronym for many highly toxic substances including carbon monoxide, benzene, sulfur dioxide and mercury vapors. Additional roadway will exacerbate smog further while rail transportation will not.

2. Nationally, asthma rates, especially among the youth and elderly, have gone up over 50 percent over the last decade. Most disturbingly, asthma rates for minority groups (Latin American, Asian and African American) are 21 times higher than for Caucasians. Jersey City has not studied this problem to date. NYC found in its Mount Sinai study very disturbing statistics in poor neighborhoods (NY Times, July 27, 1999). The leading cause of asthma is from air pollution. Vehicular exhaust is the leading cause of air pollution. Additional roadway will definitely worsen this already unacceptable situation. Rail transportation will not.

3. The additional roadway through the Bergen Arches is based on the fallacious assumption that more roadways will ease traffic congestion. NJ highways are the most heavily traveled in the nation. In many cities, a different approach is being taken. Los Angeles and Milwaukee, for example, are getting rid of roadways because additional roadways and capacity have brought more traffic congestion. Hence the argument that three cars in a small area in gridlock will pollute more than many moving cars is both an illogical and moot argument. Greater reliance on rail transportation will avoid/alleviate this situation altogether.

For NJ, as with our entire nation, vehicle exhaust is the leading cause of air pollution. In addition, studies, like from the Regional Plan Association in NYC have definitely linked sustained economic growth to cities with established and maintained mass transportation infrastructures - included especially is rail.

For Jersey City and the entire NJ region, the development of additional highways is disturbing when considering the following things:

1. Fifteen percent of NJ bridges are structurally deficient - many right here in Hudson County.

2. In NJ, 156 highway zones suffer from chronic flooding - many, too, are right here in Hudson County. Additional roadway will worsen this problem - especially for our Hamilton Park neighborhood here in downtown Jersey City.

3. Finally, NJ ranks a dismal 42nd nationally in the pavement condition of our major roads - especially here in Hudson County.

4. New Jersey, and most assuredly Hudson County, has one of this nation's highest rates of vehicular/pedestrian accidents. Ironicallly, the roadway connection from the Bergen Arches to downtown Jersey City will immediately impact the recently relocated Golden Door charter school, among others. This school's creation and new location selection was spearheaded by our mayor, Bret Schundler.

From a more immediate, downtown Jersey City neighborhood perspective, the Bergen Arches will negatively affect our quality of life as follows:

1. The Bergen Arches roadway extension to downtown will be constructed as elevated roadway through the Hamilton Park Historic District. Elevated roadway has definitely been proven to deteriorate property values. The downtown historic districts, including Hamilton Park, have been instrumental in the early revitalization of downtown Jersey City.

2. The additional traffic from the Bergen Arches roadway is estimated at 60,000 vehicles per day. The major traffic artery that will receive all of this traffic, Washington Boulevard, is already at capacity. Furthermore, the Bergen Hudson Light Rail that is being constructed will cross at grade through Washington Boulevard with a train passing through every 90 seconds. As a result, many car commuters will navigate through the side streets back to the roadway on their return commutes and find their way through the many neighborhood side streets, to avoid traffic back ups. The ultimate result will be excessive congestion on our downtown side streets, which are not designed to deal with this type of traffic volume. Another result will be the increase in the rates of vehicle/pedestrian accidents with these commuters making their way through our side streets. This is a problem that Jersey City already faces on downtown side streets.

3. The elevated roadway will contribute even more to noice pollution in our downtown neighborhoods. We already are subject to too much of this from the existing vehicle traffic congestion.

We support the development of the Bergen Arches for rail transportation. This position stands in concert with our commitement to the sustained growth of our entire region in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. Developing the Bergen Arches for rail transportation should be just one important step in the process of putting together a well-planned, integrated mass transit hub. In this manner, we the residents of Hamilton Park, as well as for entire region, will reap the well-deserved benefits of continued prosperity from economic growth.

The Residents of Hamilton Park