JACKSON – Township Mayor Michael Reina recently welcomed New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Francis O’Connor and Deputy Commissioner Joseph Bertoni to Jackson where they discussed concerns over municipal traffic.
They also discussed the aging infrastructure around the routes 195 and 537 corridor during this meeting which came about when the mayor met the Commissioner at the NJLM Mayors Convention in May in Atlantic City.
Reina went over his years of concerns and frustrations about the one lane overpass traversing on Route 195. He explained that over the years he has reached out to those in Trenton explaining that the gridlock goes on all year long and not just during the summer months.
He noted whether drivers are visiting Six Flags Great Adventure, going to the Jackson Outlets, or traveling back and forth from work, drivers try to merge into one lane from both sides of Route 537 to get onto and off 195.
Emergency responders and police are negatively impacted when trying to respond to emergency incidents, which include getting to the local hospital. He cited motor vehicle accidents which in heavy traffic loses precious time.
Both O’Connor and Bertoni agreed something needed to be done and also said that they are meeting with Ocean and Monmouth County engineers, Jackson engineers, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA which is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that supports state and local governments in the design, construction, and maintenance of the nation’s highway system) to discuss Route 537 improvements as well as the long standing 195 issues.
This is the result of persistence and not giving up on vital public safety issues, the mayor said as he and Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi left the DOT meeting, which was held on Route 537 just across from Adventure Crossing.
The mayor said Commissioner Sadeghi, who owns Morgan Engineering, is a strong advocate for improving the aging infrastructure was a welcome addition to the meeting. The mayor added that Commissioner O’Conner left him with a feeling that “things will get done and sooner rather than later.”
O’Connor was confirmed as the 20th Commissioner of the NJDOT on June 28, 2024. He was nominated by Governor Phil Murphy in January 2024 and began serving as Acting Commissioner on February 12, 2024.
