By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE City commissioners will be sharing information and soliciting feedback next week regarding their plan to implement a road diet on Atlantic Avenue.
The city will be presenting information about the design, benefits, and traffic impacts of the proposed changes on Atlantic Avenue during two public information sessions being held 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15 and 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16.
The proposed Atlantic Avenue reconfiguration plan would reduce the existing four-lane roadway to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes and a center striped median with left turn lanes, city engineer Ed Dennis of Remington & Vernick said.
The reconfiguration plan would span the entire length of Atlantic Avenue from the city's border with Longport, which already has two lanes with a center turn lane, to Ventnor.
The project will be funded in part with a $273,642 grant from the NJ Department of Transportation. The total estimated cost for project is approximately $400,000.
Benefits of a road diet include crash reduction, reduced vehicle speed, improved mobility, and enhanced safety for all road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists, Dennis said.
To encourage participation, the city is sending postcards with information about the meetings to all property owners. It will also place a robocall to all those registered with the city's call notification system.
The city is very interested in receiving public feedback to help guide the decision making process for this important project, Dennis said.
The city is considering two timelines to get the project out to bid, the contract awarded and construction completed in either late spring or early fall 2021. The work would take two weeks to complete.
A link to access the meeting will be posted on the city's website, www.margate-nj.com.
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