Congestion

Working through the Port Support Zone concept, and in conjunction with efforts by the State of New Jersey to bring its aging road infrastructure into a state of good repair, Nation’sPort is advocating a series of efforts to reduce the impact of port related traffic on the roads leading to and from the port.

Together with the Port Authority, NJDOT and the Cities of Newark, Elizabeth and Jersey City, there is an ongoing effort to identify a network of roads within the Port Support Zone suitable for the routine movement of heavy trucks, especially those exceeding the current standard of 80,000 pounds. Although permitted to move at present under special permits, such trucks now comprise some 15-20% of the container traffic. Finding methods of moving them safely and efficiently through the designation of special heavy weight routes will also allow them to move outside of the most congested daylight hours.

Nation’sPort is also promoting better signal coordination to reduce stop and go movement of trucks which adds significantly to both congestion and air pollution, extending the hours of operation of both port facilities and shipping facilities so that deliveries can be made out of the heaviest traffic hours, and the reuse of nearby vacant land for warehousing and staging to reduce or eliminate excessive travel and empty backhauls.