Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop was among those denouncing the proposed $10.7 billion expansion of the New Jersey Turnpike at a protest Tuesday evening. Fulop, a candidate for governor, criticized the state as being inconsistent in allowing the project while suing New York over congestion pricing.
“The number one issue that they cited in the lawsuit against New York was air pollution, increased traffic and the impact it would have on the communities,” Fulop said. “And it begs the question that when you have roads and more cars projected to come through urban areas, diverse communities like Jersey City, why does the same standard not apply?”
Fulop spoke with protesters outside the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center Tuesday, where the New Jersey Turnpike Authority hosted a public information session about the project.
The Turnpike Authority has insisted that the project, which will widen parts of an eight-mile stretch of turnpike, will not lead to significant environmental harm.
“The ports are expanding. Jersey City and Bayonne are thriving and growing, and this program will support that local and state economy in order to provide regional mobility. And we honestly believe this is this is the right thing to do for the public, for the region, and number one is always safety,” said Lisa Navarro, supervising engineer of highway design for the Turnpike Authority.
