Tomorrow night (Wednesday, September 16), residents will have a chance to provide input on the future traffic flow of Baldwin Avenue–whether it will remain one-way or return to two-way vehicle traffic. The meeting will be held at St. Joseph’s Church at 511 Pavonia Ave (enter through the parking lot).

To many people, nothing could sound more boring and inconsequential than a long discussion about traffic flow directions. But the debate about whether to keep Baldwin Ave as a one-way street actually has important ramifications for the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists along the thoroughfare, especially if the extra space is allocated for cyclists and pedestrians.

Background

The city’s transportation planners first proposed turning Baldwin Ave between Montgomery Ave and Ferry Street into a one-way street in 2021, though it was defeated by opposition from some motorists. As part of the plan, the southbound travel lane would be converted to a two-way protected bike lane. We don’t know whether the planners are currently proposing the same plan, or just keeping the section between High Street and Magnolia Ave one-way as it has been during ongoing repairs to the Baldwin Avenue Railroad Bridge (a CSX train carrying double-stacked containers damaged the structure in 2024) [The Jersey Journal, 2024]. We also don’t know if a two-way protected bike lane is still on the table.

Benefits of a One-Way Baldwin Ave and a Two-Way Bike Lane

Street safety experts we have interviewed have pointed out the following benefits from having Baldwin Ave as a one-way street and adding the two-way protected bike lane:

• Reallocating the southbound car travel lane to a two-way protected bike lane would protect cyclists from car traffic as well as buffering pedestrians walking along the same side of Baldwin Ave. Jersey City has a desperate shortage of safe north-south bike routes, and Baldwin Ave would be a big step in the right direction.
• Removing the southbound travel lane along Baldwin Ave reduces crossing distances for pedestrians, making crossing safer and more pleasant, especially for users with disabilities that reduce their mobility.
• As a two-way street, Baldwin Ave would feature a long series of conflicted left turns (left turns where a vehicle turning left must cross the path of oncoming traffic). These sorts of left turns are responsible for about 51% of intersection crashes, making them 17 times more dangerous than right turns. Removing these turn conflicts would not only improve safety conditions but smooth traffic and decrease congestion.
• Less and smoother traffic along Baldwin Ave would also mean cleaner air.

Anyone who uses Baldwin Ave (even if that just means you cross it on your way through the neighborhood) is encouraged to attend the meeting and voice their opinion on protected bike lanes along Baldwin and one-way traffic.

Edit: A correction to information in the flyer put out by the Hilltop Neighborhood Association and Courthouse Park Advocacy Group — the city’s infrastructure department will not be attending tomorrow’s meeting.