Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
New Jersey

New Jersey’s Response to Suicide Attempt: Close Bridge to Pedestrians

fss

Without access to the Route 35 Victory Bridge, the path between Perth Amboy and Sayreville gets a whole lot longer. Via WalkBikeJersey/Google Maps

Today’s featured post from the Streetsblog Network is a case study in overreaction and unintended consequences.

John Boyle at WalkBikeJersey reports that after a suicide attempt on the Route 35 Victory Bridge, officials in New Jersey want to sever this important walking and biking link entirely:

On September 20th the body of 16 year old Giancarlo Taveras was recovered from the Raritan River after he jumped off the Route 35 Victory Bridge. The death of the teenager drew an outpouring of grief from the Perth Amboy community. As a result the annual suicide awareness walk over the bridge included more than 500 participants on September 28th. Then on September 29th a 19 year old miraculously survived his suicide attempt with a broken leg. That chain of events along, with pressure from the mayor of Perth Amboy finally spurred NJDOT to do something about the issue. Their solution — set up barricades and close the bridge to bicyclists and pedestrians. Along with a vague promise to put up a fence for the walkway at some point in the future.

The bridge closure severs the only pedestrian and bicycle access between Perth Amboy and Sayreville. A 2 mile bike ride over the bridge is now a 23 mile detour via New Brunswick and a pedestrian’s only option is to use the infrequent bus service that crosses the bridge.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Using examples from the Netherlands, A View from the Cycle Path explains why the “there’s no room for bike lanes” argument doesn’t hold up. The Dallas Morning News’ Transportation Blog has good news: The toll road that regional transportation officials justified with absurd traffic projections will probably be shelved. And Urban Cincy reports that Denver is trying to tackle the food desert problem with healthy corner stores.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Running Out of Time

Our chance to avoid catastrophic climate change continues to slip away without urgent action.

January 15, 2025

‘A Big Deal’: Buttigieg’s Final Grants Give Hundreds of Millions To Sustainable Transportation

Secretary Pete's parting gift to America includes big money for bikeways, highways-to-boulevards projects, and more.

January 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Psyched About Bikes

NACTO's new Urban Bikeway Design Guide tackles the politics of bike lanes in addition to the engineering challenges.

January 14, 2025

Video: Why We Need a Global Freeway Fighters’ Network

A terrible project in Berlin shows the need for a global network to support local freeway fighters everywhere.

January 14, 2025
See all posts