The City of Pleasantville announced today that it has been awarded a $1.5 million grant for the planned Pedestrian Bridge over the Atlantic City Expressway thanks to Sen. Cory Booker’s consistent advocacy.
“This bridge is designed to provide a safe pedestrian/bicycle connection between the neighborhoods and the Pleasantville High School and Middle School. Forcing students walk on Route 9 is very dangerous," Mayor Judy Ward said in a release.
The city has been working closely with the South Jersey Transportation Authority on funding for this project.
“Pleasantville was cut in half in 1969 when the Atlantic City Expressway was built," Booker said. "This bridge will reconnect the city providing safe access for students as well as the general public.”
Pleasantville High School and Middle School are located near the intersection of two of the region’s most heavily trafficked roadways, which makes the schools difficult to access on foot or by bike. Students walking and biking to school must spend considerable time along busy roadways to get to and from school. The pedestrian bridge will allow students from southern Pleasantville to have a dedicated pathway across the Atlantic City Expressway and encourage safer passage across Route 9. The bridge will follow along Mill Road. Approximately 67% of Pleasantville’s school-age population lives south of the expressway.
In 1997, the Feasibility Study of Pedestrian Bridge and Access Ramps at Exit 5 of the Atlantic City Expressway was completed. The feasibility study examined the potential impact of a new exit ramp and pedestrian bridge as part of larger improvements to circulation in Pleasantville in the vicinity of Route 9. The study found that the pedestrian bridge would “reduce the possibility of pedestrian related accidents, by redirecting students from some of the at-grade crossings in the vicinity of this interchange.” The ramps were built without the pedestrian bridge.
The total project cost is estimated to be $8.5 million. The city recently applied for a federal grant to fund the remaining cost of this project. The grant applications were prepared by grant consultant Jim Rutala of Rutala Associates of Linwood.
The SJTA will oversee the construction of the proposed pedestrian bridge and ensure the maintenance of the bridge for its useful life.
