County Route 501 (New Jersey)

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County Route 501

CR 501 highlighted in red
Route information
Length40.24 mi[2] (64.76 km)
ExistedJanuary 1, 1953[1]–present
NHS
Middlesex County section
Length10.12 mi[2] (16.29 km)
West end CR 529 in South Plainfield
Major intersections
East end NY 440 in Richmond Valley, NY
Hudson / Bergen County section
Length30.12 mi[2] (48.47 km)
South end NY 440 in Elm Park, NY
Major intersections
North end NY 340 in Rockleigh
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountiesMiddlesex, Hudson, Bergen
Highway system
← CR 585→ CR 502

County Route 501 (CR 501) is a county highway in New Jersey in two segments spanning Middlesex, Hudson, and Bergen counties. The southern section runs from South Plainfield to Perth Amboy, the northern section runs from Bayonne to Rockleigh, and the two sections are connected by New York State Route 440 (NY 440) across Staten Island.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation lists CR 501 as a single highway with a length of 53.07 miles (85.41 km), which includes both road sections and the connection along NY 440.

Route description

CR 501 is part of the National Highway System along the entire Middlesex County segment while the northern segment is part of the system south of the north end of the Route 63 concurrency in Palisades Park and north of the south end of the Route 93 concurrency in Palisades Park.[2][3]

Middlesex County

View east at the west end of CR 501 at CR 529 in South Plainfield

County Route 501 is signed east-west in Middlesex County. The western (southern) terminus of County Route 501 is at CR 529 in South Plainfield. From there, the route heads east to Metuchen, where it has a short concurrency with Route 27. It then continues east, crossing the Garden State Parkway between Exits 127 and 129 in Woodbridge, following concurrencies with Route 184 and Route 440 to the southern section's eastern terminus at the Outerbridge Crossing.

Hudson County (John F. Kennedy Boulevard)

The northern section of CR 501 begins in Hudson County, New Jersey and is known as Kennedy Boulevard. It starts at the Route 440/Bayonne Bridge junction in Bayonne, making its way north to Route 63 in North Bergen. The highway crosses Route 139 to the Holland Tunnel and Route 495 to the Lincoln Tunnel.[2]

At its junction with Route 63 in North Bergen, CR 501 begins a concurrency with Route 63 into Bergen County,[2] while Kennedy Boulevard loops around the northern end of the county and heads south through Guttenberg, West New York and Weehawken, where it is known as Boulevard East.

CR 501 northbound on John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Bayonne

Major points on CR 501/Kennedy Boulevard include Marist High School, New Jersey City University, Saint Dominic Academy, Saint Peter's University, Journal Square, Union City High School, North Bergen High School, and four Hudson County parks: Stephen R. Gregg (Bayonne) Park and Mercer Park in Bayonne, Lincoln Park in Jersey City and James J. Braddock (North Hudson) Park in North Bergen.

Immediately northeast of Journal Square, CR 501/Kennedy Boulevard crosses over Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) railroad tracks on an open-spandrel concrete arch bridge completed in 1926. The bridge is a pared-down version of a more ambitious elevated plaza scheme proposed by consulting engineer Abraham Burton Cohen. Cohen's office constructed a model using slot cars to demonstrate traffic flow through the plaza.[4]

The boulevard continues north through Jersey City Heights, passing Dr. Leonard J. Gordon Park. In the area once known as Transfer Station, it enters North Hudson.

CR 501 in Palisades Park as Central Boulevard

Bergen County

In Bergen County, CR 501 leaves its concurrency with Route 63 in Palisades Park, using Central Boulevard to connect to the US 1/9/46 concurrency and Route 93. It is then concurrent with Route 93 until it reaches that route's northern terminus at Route 4 in Englewood. CR 501 continues north from this junction through Rockleigh, crossing the New York State Line and becoming New York State Route 340.

History

In 1808, the Perth Amboy Turnpike was legislated to run from Perth Amboy to Bound Brook. The company struggled to complete their road, having petitioned in 1820 to the state legislature to extend the time to complete the road. They were unsuccessful, as the road was only completed as far as Piscataway.

CR 501 (JFK Boulevard) southbound at Bergen Avenue in Jersey City

Prior to being renamed in honor of John F. Kennedy in the 1960s, the John F. Kennedy Boulevard was known as Hudson Boulevard. While there was discussion of building a county long road as early as the 1870s,[5] parts of Hudson County Boulevard were officially opened in 1896.[5][6][7] By 1913 it was completed, and considered to be fine for "motoring",[8] and included the road's eastern section, Boulevard East, into which Kennedy Boulevard forks at 91st Street. (The fork that continues north merges with Bergen Boulevard.[9]) Taken as a single road, the circuitous route of west and east sections of the entire boulevard runs from the southern tip of the county at Bergen Point to its northern border with Bergen County and south again to the Hoboken city line.[10]

The Boulevard was named the fifth most dangerous road for pedestrians in New Jersey, and the most dangerous road in Hudson County for pedestrians in a February 2011 report by the non-profit Tri-State Transportation Campaign. The road was the location of six pedestrian fatalities between 2007 and 2009, which account for a little more than a fifth of Hudson County's 29 pedestrian deaths in the three-year period.[11] In November 2017 county officials launched a safety campaign for Kennedy Boulevard's five most dangerous intersections, based on accident data:[9]

  • 25th Street in Bayonne
  • Lexington Avenue in Jersey City
  • 36th Street in Union City
  • 51st Street in West New York
  • 91st Street in North Bergen

County officials had expressed interest in building a pedestrian bridge that crosses Kennedy Boulevard at 32nd Street, at the Union City-North Bergen border since at least.[12] The two cities contracted a company to build the bridge for just over $4 million in November 2010.[13] Construction plans began in May 2011, and field work began later that August.[14]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[2]kmDestinationsNotes
MiddlesexSouth Plainfield0.000.00 CR 529 (Stelton Road)Western terminus of Middlesex County segment
Edison2.033.27
 I-287 north		Exit 3 on I-287; access to northbound I-287 and from southbound I-287
Metuchen3.365.41
 Route 27 north (Middlesex Avenue) – Rahway		Western terminus of concurrency with Route 27
3.615.81
 Route 27 south (Lake Avenue) – Highland Park		Eastern terminus of concurrency with Route 27
3.816.13 CR 531 (Main Street)
Edison4.687.53
 US 1 to N.J. Turnpike – Newark, New Brunswick		Interchange
5.709.17
 CR 514 (Woodbridge Avenue) to N.J. Turnpike
6.2310.03
 CR 616 east (New Brunswick Avenue)		Western terminus of CR 616
Woodbridge Township6.9911.25 Route 184Western terminus of Route 184
7.1011.43


 G.S. Parkway north to N.J. Turnpike / I-95		Exit 129 on Garden State Parkway
7.3311.80 US 9 – Rahway, South AmboyInterchange
Perth Amboy7.7412.46 CR 655 (Florida Grove Road)
8.2213.23


 Route 184 east to Route 35 / Amboy Avenue (CR 653)		Eastern terminus of concurrency with Route 184
Western terminus of freeway section






 Route 440 south to US 9 south / G.S. Parkway south / N.J. Turnpike		Western terminus of concurrency with Route 440
8.3813.49
 Route 35 south		Westbound exit only
8.6513.92Amboy Avenue (CR 653)Northbound exit is via Route 440 exit
9.2314.85State Street (CR 611) / High Street – Perth AmboyNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Arthur Kill9.4515.21Outerbridge Crossing (toll plaza on Staten Island)
10.1216.29
 NY 440 north – Staten Island		Eastern terminus of Middlesex County segment; continuation into New York at the river's center
Connection made via NY 440 (12.73 miles or 20.49 kilometers)
Kill van Kull22.8536.77
 NY 440 south – Staten Island		Southern terminus of Hudson/Bergen County segment; continuation from New York at river's center
23.2437.40Bayonne Bridge (toll plaza on Staten Island)
HudsonBayonne23.7138.16Avenue ASouthbound exit and entrance
23.7338.19

 Route 440 north to N.J. Turnpike – Jersey City		Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 440
Northern terminus of freeway section
27.1243.65abbr= West 63rd Street to Route 440
Jersey City29.3747.27
 Communipaw Avenue (CR 612) to N.J. Turnpike
31.1150.07 US 1-9 (Tonnele Circle)One-way ramp to Tonnele Circle
31.1550.13
 Route 139 east – Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel		Western terminus of the upper level of Route 139
North Bergen34.0354.77
 Route 495 to N.J. Turnpike – Lincoln Tunnel		Interchange
Union City34.35–
34.39		55.28–
55.35
 CR 505 north (37th/38th Streets)		Southern terminus of CR 505
North Bergen37.2159.88 Route 63Southern terminus of Route 63
BergenFort Lee39.1362.97 Route 5 – Ridgefield, EdgewaterInterchange via local roads
Palisades Park39.6263.76
 Route 63 north / Central Avenue east – George Washington Bridge		Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 63
39.9064.21 US 1-9 / US 46Interchange via 5th and 6th Streets
40.5265.21
 Route 93 south (Grand Avenue) – Ridgefield, Fairview		Southern terminus of concurrency with Route 93
Englewood42.7868.85 Route 4 – New York, PatersonInterchange
42.8668.98
 Route 93 / CR 501 south (Van Nostrand Avenue)		Northern terminus of Route 93; one-way pair begins
43.8670.59 CR 505 (Palisades Avenue) – Teaneck, Bergenfield
45.0572.50
 CR 501 south (Hudson Avenue)		Northern terminus of one-way pair
Closter49.6179.84
 Old Closter Dock Road (CR 502) to US 9W – Westwood, Alpine
Rockleigh53.0785.41
 NY 340 north – Sparkill		Northern terminus of Hudson/Bergen County segment; continuation into New York
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ "State Ready to Push Traffic Off Major Roads in Air Raid". The Sunday Times. New Brunswick, New Jersey. March 15, 1953. pp. 1, 39. Retrieved January 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h New Jersey County Route 501 Straight Line Diagram from the New Jersey Department of Transportation
  3. ^ a b National Highway System: New Jersey (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. September 30, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  4. ^ Cohen, A. Burton. "Hudson County Boulevard Bridge Plaza." Purdue Engineering Review 21, No. 4 (May 1926): 3-6, 22.
  5. ^ a b "The Hudson Boulevard: The Old and New Commissions—The Opposition, The Proposed Route". The New York Times. August 12, 1873. p. 8. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  6. ^ "Jersey City's Bicycle Parade: It Was Held Yesterday on the Hudson Boulevard and Was a Big Thing". The New York Times. August 30, 1896. p. 6. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  7. ^ "Opening the Boulevard: Wheelmen Parade Along Hudson County's New Driveway". The New York Times. November 29, 1895. p. 10. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  8. ^ "Short Runs Near Town Pleasant Now". The New York Times. March 23, 1913. Part Nine, p. 9. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  9. ^ a b Hannigton, Dia (November 12, 2017). "Hit-and-run deaths on Kennedy Blvd. spur action", The Union City Reporter. pp 1 and 6.
  10. ^ "Preserve the Palisades: Cyclists to work for this purpose and the Hudson County Boulevard". The New York Times. November 11, 1895. p. 8. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  11. ^ "Kennedy Boulevard named fifth most dangerous road in New Jersey for pedestrians" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. The Hudson Reporter. March 21, 2011
  12. ^ Hague, Jim (August 19, 2011). "Pedestrian bridge set for North Bergen-Union City? County officials receive grant that will check feasibility of overpass" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. The Hudson Reporter.
  13. ^ "BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS COUNTY OF HUDSON: CAUCUS AGENDA". HudsonCountyNJ.com. November 22, 2010.
  14. ^ Pope, Gennarose (March 25, 2012). "Bridge of troubled Kennedy Boulevard". The Union City Reporter. pp. 1 and 12.

External links

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