Fort Lee Officials ‘Pleasantly Surprised’ By Lack of GWB Traffic

For a second consecutive morning, Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich surveyed the area near the George Washington Bridge, and once again he found, as most rush-hour commuters apparently did, that traffic was moving along normally Tuesday with only minimal delays at worst.

The mayor also elaborated on some of his about shutting down local roads if things get bad at some point and reiterated his admonition that the full, local impact of the Alexander Hamilton Bridge construction project on Interstate 95 in New York may not be known for days, if not longer.

“So far, I’m pleasantly surprised,” Sokolich said on weekday number two of what was widely at the GWB as a result of the lane closures on the Cross Bronx Expressway. “Today, quite frankly, to me is even more of a surprise.”

He said media coverage leading up to the start of the three-month-long project likely “scared a lot of people off” Monday, and that people probably took other Hudson River crossings, used “other methods to get over the river” or changed their routines.

But he also said that because of coverage on Monday, which largely focused on the lack of traffic at the bridge, local officials were expecting the situation to be much worse on Tuesday.

However with the project expected to last into October, Sokolich reiterated his message to Fort Lee residents, saying it’ll be at least seven to 10 days before the impact can be evaluated.

“Please stay away from the bridge if you can,” Sokolich said Tuesday. “I still think that there’s a potential problem, and think Armageddon is going to happen once school opens up. Fort Lee High School is going to be a problem. Main Street is going to be a problem so we’re taking it day-by-day.”

Taking things day-by-day with regard to the project and potential resulting traffic on local roadways means, among other things, that as soon as local officials determine that emergency service agencies aren’t able to get to where they need to be in a timely fashion, they will shut down local roads, Sokolich said, noting that he’s been criticized for making such statements.

“Notwithstanding all the negativity and criticism I’ll end up getting, if it improves the health, safety and welfare of our residents, then there’s no real decision for me,” the mayor said. “I’ll deal with the criticism.”

Sokolich pointed to North Avenue off Route 46 and a portion of Fletcher Avenue as examples of roads that could be shut down if necessary, but he also said that for people who live or work in Fort Lee, “we’ll make the best decision we can to get them in there.”

“But when it’s total gridlock, and there’s somebody that’s in need of an ambulance, and it’s taking too long to get the ambulance there, then we have to take extraordinary steps,” Sokolich said. “That’s the bottom line. And I don’t even know if shutting down the roads will work; I think it’s more of a symbolic statement [for people who don’t live or work in Fort Lee].”

As for Fort Lee residents, Sokolich called them “combat-ready commuters” and said he’s confident locals will adapt no matter what happens over the next few months, pointing to Center Avenue just south of the upper level entrance and taking a right to the ramp as possible a solution for locals who have to get on the bridge.

“That’s the way I would go if I were them,” Sokolich said.

Meanwhile, the New York Post, citing a TRANSCOM spokesman, reported that Mondays during the summer tend to be slow commuter days, and that the Alexander Hamilton Bridge project could result in traffic backing up as much as five miles into New Jersey.

Visit www.511nj.org for updates on the traffic situation, and be sure and let us know in the comments section how your commutes have been so far.