What to Know
- A small New Jersey town is closing its streets to nonresidents during rush hour to curtail traffic; the ban begins Monday
- Officials say the town of Leonia sees increased traffic when there's a delay on the nearby George Washington Bridge
- Numerous local streets during the morning and afternoon rush hours will be closed; town residents have received tags to let them travel
A small New Jersey town is closing its streets to nonresidents during rush hour to curtail traffic.
The ban in Leonia takes effect Monday. Violators could face a $200 fine.
Officials say the town sees increased traffic when there's a delay on the nearby George Washington Bridge. Motorists who use GPS systems or travel apps to find shortcuts are directed to use the tiny borough as a cut-through.
Officials say the subsequent congestion causes major traffic for locals and makes it difficult for emergency personnel to travel through the town.
Mayor Judah Zeigler said some streets get three times more traffic than the normal average.
"We get about 4,000 vehicles that travel up the street that’s behind me on their way to the bridge," Zeigler said. "If the bridge is backed up we get about 12 thousand vehicles that go up that street."
Local
Leonia police will close numerous local streets during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Town residents have received yellow tags for their cars that allow them to travel on the shuttered roads.
