Instead of blowing money on this boondoggle, just save some cash, replace the bridge and perhaps prevent NJ Transit from having to raise their fares. NJ Transit’s service keeps getting shittier and shittier and more expensive and the useless NJ government would rather fast-track a highway widening project that nobody wants despite public outcry that NJ Transit needs repairs and enhanced service.
It is not a no-brainer. The area this road serves has decent transit options, such as the light rail or bus service, which could be expanded to better serve the area. Many areas are walkable, and expanding people-first options instead of catering to drivers is the smarter choice. A highway expansion makes more sense in places in the Midwest, for example, where options for transit are much sparser. Not one of the most transit-dense regions in the state.
To get an idea of how effective a third lane is, at one point, they were letting traffic drive on the shoulder that they eventually discontinued in 2019 due to construction ending on the Pulaski Skyway. I know someone who used to commute over the route every morning during rush hour and that theoretical third lane did nothing to fix traffic. Traffic would reach a standstill even with that “third lane.” Why would a permanent third lane be any different? It’s called induced demand, and adding another lane means more people will use it, and we’ll be back to square one.
Another problem is that the widened road will narrow down to the soon-to-be road-dieted Holland Tunnel approach anyway. Even if most drivers are not going to NYC, what good is creating an extra bottleneck that’s going to end up at a road that is being narrowed to expand pedestrian infrastructure in the neighbourhood? We need a governor who’ll finally step up and reject this '50s mentality and expand NJ Transit service instead. We should be displacing the drivers who don’t want to be forced to drive by offering more options to get around, and there won’t be a need to widen the road.
Also, Jersey City and Hoboken are actively protesting the scheme. They don’t want it, so why should they have to be forced to accept it?
I also recommend reading the Congestion Pricing thread because the federal government just bungled their litigation big time. Regardless of their clumsiness, the arguments for congestion pricing are much stronger than what the feds could conceive. The program is going nowhere, and the cameras are going to stay on. They’re going to have a tough time in court, and they know it.
Also, the Turnpike admitted that regardless of who is driving where, it’s still going to add 32% more traffic than what is present today. Your entire argument is invalid because the Turnpike themselves admit it’s not going to “reduce” traffic. This has been proven time and time again that widening roads makes more traffic and does not reduce it.