Spruce Street – Paterson Gateway Phase One

County of Passaic is holding a Virtual Public Information Center to inform residents, officials, and community with information on the Spruce Street Gateway Phase 1 project. You are encouraged to participate by providing comments at the meeting, by mail, or e-mail.

This Public Information Center (PIC) will be held virtually on Wednesday April 27, 2022 from 6:00PM to 8:00 PM. To participate in the live virtual PIC, go to Passaic County’s website at

https://www.passaiccountynj.org/departments/engineering

and click on the link to the presentation. The live virtual PIC will be recorded, and the presentation and recording will be posted on the Passaic County’s website.  Please visit this website any time between April 28^th and May 13, 2022 to learn more about the project and leave comments. Property owners with rental units are advised that tenants are also invited and encouraged to participate.

The purpose of this project is to address ADA deficiencies, increase pedestrian travel ways, and improve the streetscape amenities along Spruce Street from Market Street to McBride Avenue. Additionally, the geometry of Spruce Street at the intersection of McBride Avenue Ext. will be investigated to improve sight distance for pedestrians crossing Spruce Street. Existing structural deficiencies will also be addressed at the Middle Raceway Structure.  Once completed, the proposed improvements will enhance safety for pedestrians and the overall appearance that reflects the historic context of the Great Falls National Historic Park (NHP) and the surrounding Great Falls Historic District.

Passaic County is using funds from the Federal Highway Administration Transportation Alternative Set-Aside Grant Program (TAP) for this project that are administered by New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), Bureau of Local Aid and Economic Development.  Pedestrian improvements are eligible projects for funding through the highly competitive TAP program.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Spruce Street (County Route 639) within the project limits is an undivided two-lane urban minor arterial with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. Spruce Street, as well as its intersections with Market Street, McBride Avenue Ext. and McBride/Wayne Avenue, connect the Great Falls NHP with surrounding Paterson neighborhoods on both sides of the Passaic River. The corridor is essential to both school access and as a principal route for through traffic, connecting I-80 and NJ 19 to the areas to the north and west of the Great Falls area.

THE PROJECT

Improvements along Spruce Street include ADA compliant curb ramps and sidewalk repairs; decorative lighting; new guide rail along the northbound direction; signal upgrades; and minor

drainage revisions. Spruce Street will be realigned to improve the geometry at McBride Ave Ext. and improve the pedestrian crossing.  It will also be reconfigured to include a left turn lane along Spruce Street southbound. Signal upgrades include the replacement of traffic signals at the Market Street and McBride Avenue intersections to match the decorative signal at the McBride Ave Ext. Intersection.  The existing railing at the Middle Raceway Structure will be replaced with historic railing.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

Anticipated Final Design and Permitting Phase: Start Summer 2022

Anticipated Construction: Fall 2023

Cost

Construction cost is estimated to be $2,600,000.  Costs for Engineering Design, Construction and Construction Inspection is being reimbursed through this Federal grant program and administered through NJDOT Local Aid.

Historic and Cultural Resources

Federal regulations pertaining to the protection of historic properties, referred to as the Section 106 process, require Passaic County and NJDOT to take into account the effect of proposed projects upon historic resources listed in, or eligible for listing in, the National Register of Historic Places. Information about the process is available at: https://www.achp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017-01/CitizenGuide.pdf.

Passaic County and NJDOT are required to solicit public input to assist in carrying out the Section 106 process. Historic preservation organizations, historical societies, and similar groups, or individuals with information about cultural resources (archaeological or architectural) in the project area are encouraged to attend the Public Information Center and provide comments.

PUBLIC SURVEY

Community outreach is a vital part of the project. We encourage you to provide your input on the proposed improvements. Please provide your comments no later than Friday May 13, 2022 to be included in the project record.  

For further information, please contact:

Christopher Marra, PE

Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.

100 Corporate Drive, Suite 301

Lebanon, NJ 08833

cmarra@gpinet.com