New restriction will ease stress on Portal Bridge
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member of the Senate’s transit subcommittee, announced that the U.S. Coast Guard has granted his proposal for marine traffic restrictions on the Hackensack River. The restrictions are designed to mitigate the risk of a Portal Bridge failure that could cripple the entire Northeast Corridor affecting hundreds of thousands of commuters.
Under the Coast Guard order, all marine traffic on the Hackensack River that requires Amtrak’s Portal Bridge in Kearny to open has been halted between 5 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 8 p.m., with only limited exceptions due to tidal restrictions and with a minimum two hours’ notice. The restriction remains in effect for six months and can be extended
The request was made after two separate bridge failures on Oct.30, 2018 during the morning and evening commutes that forced the delay and cancellation of 164 NJ transit and AMTRAK trains, affecting more than 155,000 passengers. Last year alone, the 108-year-old rail span, which is forced to open to marine traffic on the Hackensack River, failed to properly close five separate times causing major disruptions.
Bronx man charged with alleged theft of sneakers
Councilman John Gerbasio, chair of the Public Safety Committee, said he could not comment on the recent arrest of a man who allegedly stole $50,000 worth of sneakers from a County Road warehouse.
Regional media reported that a Bronx man had been arrested after allegedly gaining entrance to the warehouse of Goat.com, an online retailer of high-end shoes.
The arrest came after several months of separate alleged burglaries at the warehouse starting in October 2018.
Second recreation center planned for Meadowlands Parkway
Town officials said they are looking to build a second recreation center.
The new center could be located at the site of the Krauszer’s Food Mart on Meadowlands Parkway. The facility would host a number of youth sports programs. The deal would involve a 99-year lease with Hartz Mountain which currently owns the property. The town would pay Hartz $1 per year.
The town would seek to use a number of grants including one from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund.
