FRANK R.

LAUTENBERG
NEWJERSEY

COMMITTEES:

APPROPRIATIONS
tlnitrd ~tatrs ~rnetr
COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND WASHINGTON, DC 20510
TRANSPORTATION

ENVIRONMENT AND
PUBLIC WORKS

May 20,2010

The Hon. Ray LaHood

Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590

RE: Bicycle/Pede~rian access on the new Portal Bridge-New Jersey---

---------------
Dear Secretary LaHood:

I am writing in support of the East Coast Greenway Alliance's request that the U.S.
Department of Transportation (USDOT) guarantees that bicycle and pedestrian access be
included on the Portal Bridge being constructed over the Hackensack River.

This new piece of major infrastructure would provide users with a key connection for a
non-motorized link between New Jersey's two largest cities, Newark and Jersey City. Access to
this bridge will also provide another means for citizens to access the many pathways and
amenities that are to be developed along the Hackensack River. The bridge will be a vital
connection for the East Coast Greenway, which is developing a safe and accessible bicycle and
pedestrian corridor from Maine to Florida.

The decision to include bicycle and pedestrian access along the Portal Bridge will be a
major precedent for the future of "rail with trail" access in the United States. Additionally,
evidence shows bridges with frequent non-motorized users make infrastructure more secure
because the users serve as monitors as well.

Thank you for your consideration of this important request from the East Coast
Greenway Alliance.

Sincerely,

CC: James Weinstein, Executive Director, NJ Transit Corporation

James Simpson, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Transportation

2 RIVERSIDE DRIVE
HART SENATE OFFICE BUilDING, SUITE 324
ONE GATEWAY CENTER, 23RO FLOOR ONE PORT CENTER, SUITE 505
NEWARK, NJ 07102 WASHINGTON, DC 20510 CAMDEN, NJ 08101
(973) 639-8700 FAX: (973) 639-8723 (202) 224-3224 FAX: (202) 228-4054 (856) 338-8922 FAX: (856) 338-8936