Images from a report on the redesign of Central Avenue in Seaside Heights. (Credit: NJTPA)
A project discussed for years in Seaside Heights – the development of eye-pleasing streetscapes, safer traffic flow and bike lanes on Central Avenue – is “looking like a 2027 project,” Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz told Shorebeat.
The ambitious project was first discussed in 2022, when the borough’s Central Avenue Improvement Plan was part of a $2.9 million aid package made available to Seaside Heights to fund a number of initiatives to spur development and restore aging buildings and infrastructure in town. Central Avenue has been a priority for borough officials for years, however funding for a comprehensive redesign of the roadway has faced financial hurdles, as well as bureaucratic entanglements. While the borough would manage improvements, the road remains a county thoroughfare, and the grant funding originates at the federal level.
“It’s a complicated process because it involves federal money,” said Vaz. “We had to hire a consultant that was approved by [New Jersey] DOT, which we did, and then we needed to get the county to sign off on the concept. That went back and forth for many months, and they signed off on it about two months ago.”
Many aspects of the plan are included in a 2023 report authored by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. The 43-page document details suggestions to improve the Central Avenue corridor, including building bike lanes, reducing driving lanes and adding “road diet” measures to calm traffic, and improving sight lines and limiting the distance pedestrians must walk to cross the roadway.
“A road diet, sidewalk improvements, bicycle infrastructure, and high-quality pedestrian amenities could greatly improve the walkability and bikeability of the area while encouraging more people to walk and bicycle along the corridor,” the report said.
Images from a report on the redesign of Central Avenue in Seaside Heights. (Credit: NJTPA)
For example, eliminating unmarked crosswalks, uneven pavement and a smattering of differently-design driveway ramps and curb cuts would improve safety from the get-go, before aesthetic improvements are even accounted-for. The study found that Central Avenue has 11 intersections along its main corridor, three of which are signalized, but many of which do not have crosswalks. The service roads that run alongside Central in either direction are prone to change from street-to-street, another decades-old design that engineers recommend should be made uniform.
“The area was observed to be free of litter, graffiti, and other quality-of-life concerns that could discourage walking or bicycling,” the report found. “However, the area would benefit from pedestrian- oriented lighting and streetscaping efforts, especially those that create a buffer between pedestrians and moving vehicles.”
Improvements could include stenciling the road’s 25 m.p.h. speed limit on the pavement, creating a 7-foot bicycle lane, and removing the four-lane setup from the corridor. The four-lane setup, the report found, would be replaced with one lane running in each direction, with the excess space used to create the bike lane and dedicated left turn lanes rather than having left-turning traffic block one of the two through-lanes. The turning lane would be separated from the main lanes by an 8-foot median to keep traffic from bunching up. In some cases, the service roads on either side of Central would be closed to through traffic, directing motorists to the main road in order to avoid collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians or bicycles.
Images from a report on the redesign of Central Avenue in Seaside Heights. (Credit: NJTPA)
Images from a report on the redesign of Central Avenue in Seaside Heights. (Credit: NJTPA)
Vaz said now that the county has signed off on the borough’s long-term plan, a new engineering consultant will be tasked with bringing the project into compliance with the federal government.
“The next phase is for them to design the project,” said Vaz. “They have to do an environmental review, prepare the bid specs, and meet a number of other requirements.”
Vaz said the breadth and detail of regulations that must be adhered-to make the project a complicated one, but one the borough still finds necessary not only to improve the aesthetic appearance of Central Avenue as the borough is redeveloped, but to make the town more bicycle-friendly and safer for visitors who may be unfamiliar with some of the unique traffic patterns on the roadway.
After speaking informally with other municipal leaders who headed similar projects and grants, Vaz said the current trajectory suggests the work would likely begin in 2027.
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