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Hudson County meeting draws divided public on River Road protected bike lane; residents and commissioners press for fixes
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Summary
Dozens of residents and local advocacy groups told the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners the River Road protected bike lane will improve safety — while nearby residents and local officials warned the design creates traffic, ADA and bus-access issues and called for engineering fixes and better contractor oversight.
Hudson County commissioners on the record Tuesday heard a series of sharply divided public comments on the River Road protected bike-lane project as work continues and traffic delays persist.
Supporters told the board the protected two-way bike track will make a dangerous corridor safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. “The most dangerous place I ride on my own is River Road, where speeding cars pass cyclists at frighteningly close distances,” said a resident who identified himself as David, describing regular rides there with his 4‑year‑old daughter and applauding the county’s work. Tony Barelli of Hudson County Complete Streets thanked the county and said the project responds to a history of crashes, invoking the death of a Jersey City cyclist in a previous decade to argue for hardened separation.
Opponents and nearby residents said the design poses practical problems at bus stops, creates potential ADA compliance issues, and has contributed to severe traffic congestion during construction. “I live directly on River Road… I am not against bike lanes at all. I am against good bike lanes, functional, scalable bike lanes,” said Mikayla Renee, who said neighbors signed a petition and asked the board to review bus access and flooding risks where low concrete barriers have been installed. Several speakers urged extending or upgrading the waterfront promenade as an alternative to narrowing vehicle space on an already constrained road.
The county’s engineering statement, read into the record by staff, said the rebuilt roadway will remain five lanes — two northbound, two southbound and a center turn lane — and that previously unprotected bike lanes will be replaced by “a protected 2‑way bicycle track on the northbound side of River Road.” The statement said the protected lanes will not reduce the number of vehicular lanes and explained that New Jersey procurement law required hiring the lowest responsible bidder, while urging state-level procurement reform after the county said the contractor’s performance has been unacceptable.
Speakers pressed for answers about bus‑stop safety and ADA access where riders will have to cross the new lane; engineers and administration staff offered to meet with residents and to provide follow‑up technical responses after the meeting. Commissioner Bobby Basiliz acknowledged residents’ frustration and said the county was coordinating with law enforcement to reduce traffic disruption; he told the board and residents the contractor’s work is expected to be done “Tuesday, weather permitting.”
Commissioners and staff also discussed improving pre‑bid and contractor‑selection procedures to limit future delays and recommended better public outreach and real‑time construction updates. Several commissioners urged the public to meet with engineers after the meeting to review technical details and compliance questions.
The board did not take a separate formal vote on the River Road design at this meeting. Engineers invited residents to follow up and pledged to answer specific ADA and bus‑stop questions in writing or in one‑on‑one meetings after the session.
