Route 29 changes topic of meeting

DOT officials plan to meet with residents for their input on the proposed changes for the highway, including the installation of roundabouts.

By: Linda Seida
   LAMBERTVILLE — Representatives from the New Jersey Department of Transportation will meet next week with residents and the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee to seek input on proposed changes for Route 29.
   The meeting is scheduled for April 13 at the Justice Center on South Union Street at 7 p.m. Residents should call City Hall at 397-0110 on Wednesday, however, to confirm the location. Mayor David Del Vecchio said Tuesday "every effort will be made" to have the Justice Center up and running again after being closed this week because of flooding.
   "All are welcome to come" to the meeting, said Councilwoman Cynthia Ege, who chairs the committee. "We’re looking at what the DOT proposes and are asking for comments."
   Residents will be asked to consider the DOT’s proposed changes and then submit their comments and suggestions via mail or e-mail.
   Mrs. Ege said although the DOT has a preliminary plan in hand, "This is not a done deal."
   She said the DOT is seeking to incorporate comments and suggestions from residents and local business owners, hoping to alleviate any potential problems.
   Some residents and businesses already object to the plan. They call themselves the Lambertville Citizens Adversely Affected by a Redesigned Route 165-29. Route 165 is a short stretch of highway that begins where Route 179 veers onto Bridge Street and ends at Route 29.
   Businesses worried about possible adverse effects from the redesign include the two gas stations at Bridge Street and Route 29, Nicola’s Pizza on North Franklin Street and ES & ES Sales at Route 179 and Bridge Street. Those business owners signed a letter to the editor in February stating their concerns.
   Also signing her name was homeowner Pamela Pernot, who lives on Route 29 across the street from Valparaiso’s Deli.
   "I signed because I had a lot of reservations about it," Ms. Pernot said.
   She’s concerned about the lack of parking any changes could cause. There aren’t enough parking spaces for residents now, she said.
   Parking on Route 29 "is an adventure," she said.
   A recent city-sponsored bus trip to visit redesigned roads, including roundabouts, in Rutherford and Bound Brook, alleviated some of her concerns, Ms. Pernot said.
   Along for the ride were DOT representatives, Mrs. Ege, Public Works Director Paul Cronce and city Clerk Lori Buckelew. Mayor David Del Vecchio and Councilman Steven Stegman also visited the cities, but not on the same bus.
   "We saw Rutherford during rush hour and that traffic was moving smoothly," Ms. Pernot said.
   She said she believes the DOT will take the concerns of local homeowners and businessmen into consideration when the plan for Route 29’s redesign is refined.
   On the bus trip, the DOT engineers "seemed to be trying to reassure people, and seemed to be able to accommodate their concerns," Mrs. Pernot said.
   In September, the DOT approached merchants and homeowners with their preliminary plan, seeking input. At the time, DOT spokesman Marc Lavorgna said the state is about four or five years away from awarding a contract for the project. He gave a preliminary estimate of $8 million for the cost of construction.
   The DOT proposes a roundabout on Route 29 at the intersection of Route 518 and another at the Bridge Street intersection.
   DOT officials say roundabouts are effective at getting drivers to slow down.
   If constructed as planned, the two gas stations at Route 29 and Bridge Street would lose "a small piece of right of way," Mr. Lavorgna said in September.
   An elliptical, similar to a roundabout, is proposed for the southern end of the city where Route 29 shifts from one lane in each direction to two lanes each way. The elliptical would allow school buses to make U-turns.
   Mrs. Ege remained concerned by the proximity of two circles along such a short stretch of the highway.
   "That’s very close together," she said, although she added she would keep an open mind.
   "We want to make sure it’s really the best solution for everyone," she said, including some of the business owners "who have been here forever and deserve that."