Hello everyone, hope you are all enjoying the boardwalk and ocean ,,,,,,,,,,

 

Hello, everyone, hope you are all enjoying the boardwalk and ocean during this slightly warmer weather ,,,,,,,,,, 

Work is continuing making Ocean Boulevard safer for crossing and driving on. This has been one of our S.O.A committee goals for a long time. New repairs and construction have started on Ocean Boulevard at the corner of Brighton Avenue next to the Dunkin Donut. The intersection will be reconfigured and made safer. Also, two new cross walks are going to be added on Ocean Boulevard south of South Bath Avenue with appropriate signage and safety additions to make it safer to get across Ocean Boulevard.

We also have been told that the petition, which we submitted to the city, started at the Anchorage to add a new beach access point was discussed and is not possible at this time. A second petition concerning police presence, traffic control, parking, boardwalk fence jumping and other beach issues and concerns, and animal control, since last summers “pop up” and summer crowds is still being discussed with the city.

Besides the crossing of Ocean Boulevard and it being made safer, another goal of the SOA committee has been to improve the safety for people riding bikes on Ocean Boulevard and Ocean Avenue by the boardwalk. It would be wonderful if you could walk or ride a bike from Brighton Avenue where the south boardwalk starts to the promenade at Seven Presidents Park with no or limited vehicular traffic, especially during high volume traffic during summer months. The two green acre boardwalk parks should be connected, and traffic eliminated or reduced.

There has been good progress made by the cities bike committee, who has gotten the bike study grant, and is still collecting data for the grant. The committee has been collecting data from the public on where to put the bike way routes in Long Branch and new bikeway paths. Meetings have taken place with city, state, and county officials to complete the bike study grant.  At the Arbor Day celebration this Sunday, bikeway representatives will be hosting a table with more information.

The Save Ocean Avenue committee (SOA) also will be hosting a table at the Broadway Arts and Cultural Center with many other groups and organizations. The Save Ocean Avenue Committee was started around 2003 as part of the Long Branch Coalition of Condominium Associations (LBCC) to help preserve and enhance the cities boardwalk oceanfront and beaches. 

At the Arbor Day event there will be a tree giveaway, eco-crafts, native plants, children’s story with the mayor, and representatives from the bikeway committee, etc.    

Stay safe ,,,,,,,,,,

Dennis Sherman 
Chairman Save Ocean Ave Committee  

  

The City of Long Branch is developing a Complete Streets Implementation Plan to improve travel options to all parts of the city - we are trying to contact as many people as possible about their experiences walking, bicycling, taking transit, and driving in Long Branch.

The objective is a safer and more enjoyable commute and/or exercise experience which will be obtained by enhancing the existing bicycle and pedestrian network through improved signage and infrastructure.

The Steering Committee needs your input in order to determine the needs of the residents of the city in order to best achieve the goals of the plan.

Here is a link to the online survey:  

Here is a link to the website - you can read all about the project:

SAVE OCEAN AVENUE COMMIITTEE     
Dec 1, 2021    

Hello everyone ,hope you are all doing well ,,,,,,,,,,,,,winter is almost here ,,,,,,,

I am happy to tell you the city of Long Branch under the direction of Stan Dziuba Public Works/Emergency Management and the new Director of Public Safety Domingos Salidas have listened to our requests and have made additional changes in traffic safety and enhancing the board walk with art, culture and history. The SOA committee has been working on these goals for a long time and also for the completion of a new bikeway from north to south Long Branch which is underway. There are now more traffic safety signs along Ocean Boulevard and Ocean Avenue. There has been more enforcement of traffic violations on the beach front, for dogs and bikes on the boardwalk, illegal parking and people jumping the boardwalk railings. There are again children at play placards in the roadway on Ocean Avenue in the south green acres linear no traffic park for people to use more safely. The shade park, picnic tables and flower garden boxes are being put back up at the West End road way by the bathroom for all to use and enjoy. The Save Ocean Avenue 4 by 8 ft. art, history, and culture boards of Long Branch are being put back up on the beach at the beach access points along the boardwalk to enhance the ocean walk along the boardwalk. The seven presidents 4 by 8 ft. art board portraits are next to the boardwalk by the roadway as you enter the south green acres linear park at Brighton Avenue, at the beginning of the boardwalk ocean walk to enjoy the start of the ocean walk.

Stay safe ,,,,,,,,,,

Dennis Sherman 
Chairman Save Ocean Ave Committee  

Some New Birds Visted Long Branch This Fall:

Above is a group of Sanderlings - an Arctic nesting species that sometimes winters in NJ and below (with the crazy hairdos) are Royal Terns.

Hello everyone, Hope you’re all doing well ,,,,,,

The beginning of May is right around the corner. I am happy to tell you that after much back and forth with the city of Long Branch to try and get more safety signs on the roadways earlier, that the city is planning to put out the pedestrian safety sandwich boards crossing signs on Ocean Boulevard and Ocean Avenue at the crosswalks as of May 1,2021.  Thanks to those of you who have written and asked the city and SOA/LBCC, for safety to be improved as quickly as possible. Ocean Boulevard can be made safer with these signs all year round and not just the summer season, like Sea Bright. Especially with visitors increasing to Long Branch daily because of the covid crisis. Many of our city residents and visitors and families cross the Boulevard, or ride bikes all year round to walk the boardwalk and it dangerous crossing two lanes of traffic going at very fast in both lanes.

A second goal of the SOA and LBCC committee, responding to all your questions and requests, is to help get a safe new bike way that runs from Lake Takanasssee to Monmouth Beach connecting the already traffic free north and south linear green acre parks along the ocean front on Ocean Avenue, where cars and traffic, currently are not allowed. It is safe to use the two green acre parks without fear of being hit by a car. We have spent much time and effort with the city of Long Branch and the engineering department of Monmouth County to try and get more safety for Ocean Boulevard and a new safe bikeway. There is no soft shoulder for bikes from Pavilion Avenue in front of Pier Village north. Many letters and discussions have happened from me and SOA/LBCC to try and make this happen. Last year the idea of a new bike way was finally put into the city’s master plan and a meeting held with the city to try and get bike grants and funding. No funding for bike grants was put in. The County also put in a multimillion-dollar grant to fix all of Ocean Boulevard and the traffic intersection at Brighton Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. A separate bike audit of the city for a new bikeway was completed by the city’s Green Committee and Environmental Committee and the results given to the mayor with specific recommendations. All this happen last year.

A whole year has passed. To date I have been told by the county engineer that the study grant was not accepted to make new improvement's to Ocean Boulevard. I am not aware after much discussion of any new further action being taken on moving ahead with implementing a new bikeway, or any new plans to improve pedestrian and traffic safety on Ocean Boulevard and Ocean Avenue south of Brighton Avenue.

We are in a new time at the city of Long Branch, with many visitors coming to Long Branch year-round, and with new condominium buildings opening up along the ocean front by the railway station and next to Seven Presidents Park, and there will be even more congestion. This will result in more people, more cars, more traffic all along the oceanfront and north and south of Pier Village ,not only in the summer, but year-round. What new plans are there to improve the safety of Ocean Boulevard and Ocean Avenue and when will the the new bike way be  started. Last summer the crowds forced beaches to be closed and Ocean Boulevard was clogged up with traffic especially at Brighton Avenue. What is going to change this year and how quickly will it happen?  What are the cities priorities to quickly deal with these problems?

The city has zoom council meetings every other week and the mayor and city council are very accessible and open to phone calls and e mails, and ideas and complaints. Write or call the mayor    jpallone@longbranch.org   Your voice counts and unless the city makes the safety of Ocean Avenue and Ocean Boulevard and a new safe bikeway a higher priority, nothing more will happen.

I urge all of you who care, to call into the city council meeting tonight Wednesday at 7:30 PM and help ask these questions. The numbers to call for  council meeting are 1-929-205-6099,1-312-626-6799,1-253-215-8782, then enter meeting ID  814-3875-1701 followed by the pound # sign.   The city council meets are every other week at 7:30 PM.  Call them. write, speak to the mayor and council and ask questions if you care about these issues and   more safety. Traffic is increasing with every new day of warmer weather

Your voice counts only if you use it.  We ask you to help communicate these issues to the city if you care. 


Dennis Sherman 
Chairman Save Ocean Ave Committee