Construction crews will begin work this week to redesign a busy and hazardous stretch of John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City's Journal Square neighborhood, county officials announced. The project targets the corridor between Sip and Pavonia avenues, and includes a portion of Bergen Avenue between Sip Avenue and JFK Boulevard.
Scope and safety goals
The work — part of a plan first developed in 2014 — aims to reduce collisions and improve conditions for pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders near the PATH station in Journal Square. The corridor currently carries up to seven lanes of traffic in places and serves as a focal point for bus, bicycle and foot traffic converging on the transit hub.
County and transportation advocates cited a recent New Jersey Department of Transportation analysis showing 154 crashes in the project area from 2022 through 2024. The study found that more than two-thirds of those crashes involved a distracted driver and that roughly 14% involved a pedestrian or cyclist.
“JFK Boulevard is one of the most dangerous streets in the county,”
said Talya Schwartz, vice chair of Hudson County Complete Streets.
“The stretch that we're talking about now is on the High Injury Network. It's been identified as having the most severe dangerous crashes and number of fatalities in the county.”
Planned improvements
The project will:
- Replace and update curbs and sidewalks, making them wider and more accessible;
- Upgrade traffic signals and enhance crosswalk visibility;
- Install curb extensions (bulb-outs) to shorten crossing distances and discourage double parking;
- Improve street lighting.
Advocates say curb extensions and wider sidewalks should be particularly effective in a corridor where double parking is common and often forces drivers to swerve into live lanes, reducing visibility at crosswalks.
Local context and expected impacts
Journal Square is a dense, multimodal node where JFK Boulevard, Bergen Avenue and nearby thoroughfares intersect and funnel riders into the PATH system. Pedestrian volumes remain high throughout the day, and the mix of buses, taxis, delivery vehicles and private cars contributes to congestion and risky interactions.
Officials say the improvements are intended to calm traffic, reduce conflict points and lower the risk of severe crashes — particularly those involving pedestrians and cyclists. For commuters and local businesses, the construction will mean temporary lane shifts, sidewalk detours and potential delays while crews work to install the new infrastructure.
Hudson County Complete Streets and other local groups have long advocated for these changes. Talya Schwartz noted that the area’s persistent double parking has been a visible safety concern:
“Historically, this area has terrible double parking. It's just, it's everywhere. So I think putting in physical curb extensions and expanding the sidewalks”will help address that problem.
Timing, disruptions and next steps
County officials said construction will begin Monday. The project includes coordinated work on adjacent streets, including the segment of Bergen Avenue between Sip Avenue and JFK Boulevard. Local transportation agencies will provide details on lane closures and detours as the schedule is finalized.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project area | JFK Blvd between Sip and Pavonia Aves; Bergen Ave between Sip and JFK Blvd |
| Crash count (2022–2024) | 154 |
| Crashes involving distraction | More than two-thirds |
| Crashes involving pedestrians/cyclists | About 14% |
As construction moves forward, residents and regular users of the Journal Square transit hub should expect short-term inconveniences alongside potential long-term safety benefits. Officials will continue to coordinate with local stakeholders to minimize disruption and communicate progress.
For many in Jersey City, the project represents a critical test of whether targeted street design changes can reduce the city’s high rate of serious traffic incidents along one of Hudson County’s most dangerous corridors.
