Fort Lee braces for traffic nightmare as New York City congestion pricing looms
FORT LEE, New Jersey (WABC) -- Fort Lee, New Jersey is bracing for the impact of congestion pricing, including the potential for more traffic, pollutants and headaches as drivers look to avoid the congestion zone.
The borough that sits as the gateway to the world's busiest crossing expects more cars using the George Washington Bridge to dodge the tolls south of 60th Street in Manhattan.
"We're back on guard and have to deal with congestion pricing. It is a little frustrating, yes," said Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich.
Over 104 million vehicles use the George Washington Bridge annually, and on any given day, traffic is heavy on the bridge, and we have witnessed what congestion is like when traffic patterns change.
"You are potentially looking at Bridgegate all over again," Sokolich said.
For almost a week, Fort Lee became immobilized because the mayor refused to endorse the governor, so access lanes to the bridge were shut off and Fort Lee became a parking lot.
"I mean, I don't think anyone can predict with exactitude what's exactly going to happen with the traffic here, but the one thing we can guarantee... it ain't getting better with congestion pricing," Sokolich said.
The borough has gone so far as to meet with Google to have streets removed from the navigation system so frustrated motorists won't use local streets to find shortcuts around traffic.
"I can't make more roads, I can't widen them here in Fort Lee, I can't put more lanes on the bridge, I can't fit any more cars," Sokolich said. "We're going to be looking at a 20-25% increase in traffic volume."
If that spike in traffic at the bridge comes to fruition, it could resemble the Thanksgiving holiday every day. That puts more stress on Port Authority cops dealing with backups and delays.
"The job is the job no matter what, but obviously with more vehicles, more cars, more trucks, more people, that's more calls for service, more breakdowns, more motor vehicle accidents," said Port Authority PBA President Frank Conti.
The officers will have to maneuver through heavier traffic responding to emergencies.
"Expect that it's going to take you a little longer to get to where you need to go," Conti said. "My focus is more on my guys having the tools they need, the manpower they need to be safe."
The MTA disagrees mayor Sokolich's assessment of how much traffic will increase, citing a study used in the environmental assessment for congestion pricing, saying traffic will only increase 2 to 5%.
Finally, there are still lawsuits focused on the environmental impact of congestion pricing.
"If New York takes the action that they're about to take, those lawsuits are in fact our last stand. We are in harms way here in Fort Lee," Sokolich said.
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