State Gives Long Branch $740K To Finish Westwood Ave. Work

LONG BRANCH, NJ — This week, the city of Long Branch received $774,000 from Gov. Phil Murphy's administration as part of Murphy's "Safe Streets to Transit" grants. This is money from the Murphy administration to enhance public transit facilities, such as trains and bus stations, across the state.

In Long Branch, this $774,000 will go to continue existing roadwork that is taking place on Westwood Avenue. This specific $744,000 will fund the remaining portion of Westwood Avenue from Jeffrey Street to Chelsea Avenue.

The city has been doing street, sidewalk and landscape improvements on Westwood Ave. and West Ave. north of the Long Branch train station. The improvements mirror those completed on Third Ave. south of the railroad station in the last two years.

The scope of the work includes the restoration of deteriorating concrete sidewalks and curbs, plus safety improvements such as updating curb ramps so people in wheelchairs can get on the sidewalks. This also includes resetting existing stormwater runoff, pavement resurfacing and painting of new stripes on crosswalks.

“The Long Branch railroad station has been resurfaced and repainted with improved lighting," Long Branch Mayor John Pallone previously said. "A tunnel is planned to tie the two sections of the train station together that are currently separated by train tracks. The buses that stop on Third Ave will be brought into the train station parking lot with a new bus platform and waiting area for passengers during inclement weather."

Monmouth Medical Center has also agreed to donate buildings and land diagonally across from the train station on Third Ave. for a new Health and Technology Center as well as a new Long Branch municipal court. However, one of those buildings that will be donated by Monmouth Medical Center is the Long Branch Ronald McDonald House, and the many families who use it say they are not happy at all it will be closing to build the city's new Health/Technology Center.

Long Branch plans to administer vaccines from and do future COVID testing out of its new Health and Technology Center.

City Takeover Of Long Branch Ronald McDonald House Upsets Families (Oct. 5, 2022)