The implementation of the westerly bypass is not driven by any influence that Allentown allegedly has over county-level decision-making. If such influence existed, a bypass would have been constructed years ago. The need to reroute traffic around Allentown existed long before the current debate, and will not go away despite the reluctance of officials to address the problem in a rational, cooperative fashion.
Traffic and congestion is a shared problem — residents of both Allentown and Upper Freehold are subject to its effects. We all travel routes 539 and 526 and know well what the traffic patterns are, with or without traffic studies. Certainly, the completion of the easterly bypass will redirect a percentage of traffic from Main Street Allentown to Interstate 195 or northbound Route 539 (primarily trucks that regularly travel eastbound on Route 526). However, there are traffic patterns on Route 539 that will clearly not be improved without the addition of a westerly alternate route. To pretend otherwise is a stalling tactic and unproductive.
Our failure to address this problem now will only result in increased accidents, bottlenecks, air pollution, and deterioration of Allentown’s infrastructure. A recent multi-vehicle accident on I-195 showed clearly how easily major traffic jams can occur on routes 539 and 526 when rush-hour traffic cannot flow onto other major roadways.
Local officials have the responsibility to work with the county to address this problem. Allentown and Upper Freehold are certainly not the only communities in New Jersey that have been faced with road construction issues aimed at alleviating traffic congestion. These decisions are never easy, but they are necessary. Our children will thank us in the future.
Kathy Wolden
Allentown