From: LOUIS MASSANO
To: koberle@megahertz. njit.edu
Cc: L.MASSANO@ATT.WORLDNET.ATT.NET
Date: Monday, February 15, 1999 10:28 AM
Subject: BERGEN ARCHES: THE URBAN "EXPRESSWAY" JERSEY CITY DOESN'T NEED

FEBRUARY 12,1999

MS ROSEANNE KOBERLE
INFORMATION OFFICER
NORTH JERSEY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AUTHORITY
ONE NEWARK CENTER
17TH FLOOR
NEWARK, NJ 07102

DEAR MS KOBERLE:

ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5, I WAS ASTONISHED TO READ IN THE "JERSEY JOURNAL" THAT THE STATE, WITH THE HEARTY ENDORSEMENT OF OUR MAYOR, BRET SCHUNDLER, IS PROJECTING AN URBAN FREEWAY ESTIMATED TO COST $100 MILLION THROUGH THE BERGEN ARCHES RAILROAD CUT ALONGSIDE THE STATE HIGHWAY.

I AM VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED TO THIS "BOONDOGGLE," WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE THE LATENT FUNCTION, AT LEAST, OF FUNDING THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS AND BANKS WHO ARE INVESTED IN MY CITY'S WATERFRONT, AS WELL AS SUBSIDIZING NEW JERSEY'S POLITICALLY INFLUENTIAL ROAD-BUILDING INTERESTS.

AS AN OFFICER OF MY TENANTS ASSOCIATION, I WILL BE URGING MY NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS TO CONTACT THEIR FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO PROTEST IT.

WE HAVE ALL BECOME USED TO CORPORATE WELFARE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND IN SOME CASES IT MAY ACTUALLY SERVE A GOOD PURPOSE.

BUT IT WONT IN THE CASE OF A BERGEN ARCHES URBAN HIGHWAY, WHICH WILL, IN THE FIRST PLACE, DRASTICALLY INCREASE POLLUTANTS IN OUR CITY'S AIR. ANYONE WHO CHECKS THE NEW YORK TIMES POLLUTION FIGURES PUBLISHED DAILY KNOWS THAT JERSEY CITY ALREADY HAS SOME OF THE HIGHEST READINGS FOR POLLUTION, NOTABLY PARTICULATES AND OZONE, IN THE NEW YORK REGION - ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER.

BUT I DON'T NEED TO LOOK AT A NEWSPAPER, ONLY CONSULT MY OWN RESPIRATION (I'M 52) ON A POLLUTED SUMMER'S DAY, TO TELL THAT OUR

AIR IS ALREADY UNBREATHEABLE. THERE ARE ALSO THE AILMENTS THAT AFFLICT MY NEIGHBORS, SOME ELDERLY, SOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN WHO HAVE HIGHER THAN USUAL RATES OF ASTHMA.

SECONDLY, A BERGEN ARCHES HIGHWAY WILL ONLY INCREASE THE CONGESTION IT IS SUPPOSED TO RESOLVE. THAT IS WHY I PUT THE WORD EXPRESSWAY IN QUOTATION MARKS IN THE SUBJECT HEADING OF THIS E-MAIL. ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST, OR EVEN A TRANSPORTATION PLANNER, TO REALIZE THAT SUCH EXPRESSWAYS, INTENDED IMPROVE MOVEMENT IN AND OUT OF URBAN CORE AREAS, ONLY WORK THIS WAY FOR A SHORT WHILE. IN THE LONG RUN, THEY ENCOURAGE EVEN MORE AUTO AND TRUCK USAGE ALONG THE AFFECTED ROUTE. THEY "REDOUBLE" THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO ALLEVIATE.

(MAYOR SCHUNDLER SAYS IN THE 2/5199 "JERSEY JOURNAL" ARTICLE THAT A BERGEN ARCHES HIGHWAY WOULD HELP HIM GET OUT OF TOWN QUICKER. HE IS QUOTED AS SAYING IT RECENTLY TOOK HIM AN HOUR TO EXIT JERSEY CITY. I APPLAUD HIS EFFORTS, BUT THE MAYOR MUST KNOW THAT THE REAL TRAFFIC CONGESTION PROBLEMS IN TRAVELING OUTSIDE J.C.ARE ENCOUNTERED ON THE REGIONAL HIGHWAYS [INTERSTATES, N.J. TURNPIKE, PARKWAY]. FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY TWO WEEKS I VISIT MY PARENTS IN OCEAN COUNTY. I KNOW IF I DON'T GET ON THE ROAD BY 8:30 A.M., I WILL HIT HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE TURNPIKE AND PARKWAY. A BERGEN ARCHES HIGHWAY WONT HELP THIS PROBLEM WHICH MUST BE TACKLED ON A STATEWIDE BASIS.)

PLEASE PRESERVE BERGEN ARCHES AS A RAIL-FREIGHT CORRIDOR TO THE WATERFRONT, OR FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE LIGHT-RAIL USE.

IF MAYOR SCHUNDLER IS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT POLLUTION AND AUTO TRAFFIC ON JERSEY CITY'S INNER CITY STREETS ("JERSEY JOURNAL," FRIDAY, 2/5/99, PAGE A-4), HE CAN REQUEST THAT THE $100 MILLION PROJECTED FOR BERGEN ARCHES BE DIVERTED TO THE CITY' S ANTIQUATED INTRACITY BUS ROUTES. THESE FUNDS COULD BE USED TO CONVERT OLD GASOLINE BUSES TO NEWER LESS-POLLUTING ONES, CONVERTING SOME OF THESE ROUTES TO LIGHT RAIL, OR EVEN ADDING NEW ROUTES.

THANK YOU FOR READING THESE COMMENTS

SINCERELY,

LOUIS B. MASSANO