Ortley Beach Joins Chorus of Opposition to Route 35 ‘Lane Split’ Plan

Route 35, Ocean County. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

An organization representing Ortley Beach residents has joined a chorus of local residents opposing a proposal that would see Route 35’s current northbound and southbound lanes converted to allow traffic to flow in both directions on each, and mandate “back-in” angled parking in the Lavallette business district.

The Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association published a document this week in opposition to the proposal, which will be the subject of a meeting in Lavallette next week – and now a second meeting the same night in neighboring Ortley Beach.

“These changes will create significant safety threats to our community,” the OBVTA leaders said in a letter to members. “These modifications will increase the risk of traffic accidents and harm pedestrians attempting to cross Route 35 to access the beach, stores and restaurants. Additionally, the proposed changes will create bottleneck traffic situations. They will also increase the likelihood of head-on collisions. These roadways are essential to the wellbeing of our community, visitors and travelers.”

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The plan, which is yet to be finalized by the state Department of Transportation, was floated late last year and announced to the public in January after a team from Trenton surveyed the roadway in the off-season. Lavallette Mayor Walter LaCicero said despite vehement objections from borough officials and its police chief, certain controversial aspects of the plan have survived and are expected to be presented during a meeting that will be held at borough hall in July. LaCicero said the plan emerged after someone at the department determined that there were too many accidents on the roadway.

The plan would include the possibility of making a large portion of the highway through Ortley Beach and Lavallette travel in both directions on both sides of the roadway. Under this proposal, what is now Route 35 North and Route 35 South would both have traffic flowing in each direction – essentially, split lanes with traffic moving north and south on what is now two lanes in a single direction on each fork of the roadway. At some point – which was originally believed to have been Kerr Avenue in Lavallette, but now is thought to be a street farther north in Ocean Beach – the roads would re-align back to a divided highway, maintaining the traditional layout of two lanes flowing in each direction, separated by a city block.

The Ortley Beach downtown business district, Aug. 2019. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The aspect of the plan drawing the most concern from Lavallette is a purported action that would see the re-painting of parking space stripes along Route 35 North in the borough’s business district to face the opposite way of traffic. This would force vehicles to pass the space in which they want to park, place their car in reverse while in the lane of traffic, then back into the space on a diagonal trajectory. LaCicero said such an arrangement in Lavallette would crate “madness” since cars already stack up in bumper-to-bumper fashion during the summer months, which could cause perpetual delays when vehicles must stop while a driver backs in. There are also concerns it could lead not only to road rage incidents, but a high number of accidents when drivers bump other vehicles while awkwardly attempting to pull into the space on an angle from ahead.

“The current configuration of Route 35 serves our community well,” the OBVTA letter said. “It functions efficiently without creating undue risk. We insist that NJDOT consider the real impact on our community before proceeding with this or any significant roadway modifications in this community.”

The letter goes on to state that the the DOT should “shelve this project immediately.”

The OBVTA has begun circulating a petition to oppose the potential changes, which can be signed at this link. The NJDOT has agreed to two meetings next week, both of which will occur July 13, 2026. Both are open to the public. The first will be held at Lavallette borough hall in the council chambers from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The second will be held at the Moose Lodge on Bay Boulevard in Ortley Beach at 6 p.m.