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After two years of urging the state’s Department of Transportation [DOT] not to implement a Main Street slimming measure, city officials announced Monday night that the proposed road diet is off.

The traffic-calming measure is said to reduce congestion and make roadways safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

In the case of the state-owned Main Street, plans were to reduce its four lanes to two thereby adding a bicycle travel lane and a bi-directional turn lane.

City officials have opposed the plan, citing the need to take into consideration the influx of traffic during the summer tourist months, vehicular traffic around transit buses and purveyor truck deliveries to businesses along the roadway, as well as limited travel alternatives during the winter snow storm events.

During Monday night’s City Council Workshop meeting, Mayor John Moor announced the battle had been won – the DOT accepted the city’s resolution to accept the state’s plans in part but to reject the road’s narrowing via lane restriping.

“We convinced them,” Moor said. “To me this is my finest victory just because I go up and down Main Street and there is no way that could be one lane in each direction.”

Moor said the increase of development and recent influx of businesses has led to a rise in visitors. Beach revenue alone went up to close to $500,000 with close to an additional 100,000 people visiting Asbury Park this summer season, he said.

The DOT will move forward with other initiatives within the originally proposed Road Diet plan.

According to an Oct. 14 letter by Assistant Commissioner John Case, the DOT will install curb extension at Bangs, Summerfield, Asbury, Third, Fifth, Sunset and Sixth avenues, where pedestrian accident rates are higher.

A proposed dedicated bike lane will be replaced by ‘sharrows’ – a striped lane that  includes a bicycle symbol and two white chevrons to remind motorists bicyclists are permitted to use the full lane.

All traffic signals will be upgraded and there will be installations of ADA-compliant equipment, accessibility curbs and sidewalks.

Another win for the city was the agreed need for damaged sidewalks to be repaired to their full width.

As far as the city’s want to provide more trees along its Main Street thoroughfare, the Department requested a conceptual plan.

And, the existing emergency response pre-emption system at Route 71 and Asbury Avenue will be replaced.

“This wasn’t about John Moor being against the state, we got the opinion of police, fire, and our public safety officials,” Moor said. “Thank you state of New Jersey for looking at the facts and reconsidering.”

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