By Joshua Burd
Business leaders in downtown Hackensack are marking one year since the return of two-way traffic on Main Street, touting an uptick in activity from residents and visitors alike.
According to Chris Bernardo, a consultant for The Sack Business Alliance special improvement district, the restored traffic pattern “has created a more walkable, more interesting and more traditional downtown area.” That has allowed visitors and residents to “feel a greater sense of identity with Main Street” since the city detailed the change and other physical improvements to the thoroughfare in May 2021, as stakeholders look to prepare detailed data on the impact.
Other enhancements to the corridor have included streamlined parking and beautification of sidewalks and landscaping, which has complemented Hackensack’s vast pipeline of luxury residential projects.
“The biggest factor for retailers is that people need to feel comfortable congregating in a place, and on Main Street, we’re seeing many people spend more of their time there,” said Chris Bernardo, CEO and president of Commercial District Services, which provides management and administrative support to The Sack Business Alliance. “When people feel more connected to a place, they’re less likely to get in the car and drive to a city like Montclair or Hoboken, or go into New York City for the evening. They’re more likely to spend more time and money downtown, exploring, strolling around, checking out what’s available and spending extra dollars.”
Bernardo’s firm has worked closely with cities throughout New Jersey to revitalize downtown areas through attracting new retail and other improvement efforts, according to a news release. As local leaders in Hackensack noted, having two-way traffic makes it easier to do that and, in turn, create a more desirable environment for residents of the Bergen County seat.
“When you have a one-way street, it’s essentially a pass-through and a speedway for vehicular traffic — it doesn’t have the same allure that brings in people who want to stop and explore,” said Danielle Russell, a senior project manager with CDC. “Ever since the two-way Main Street came into play, we have slower traffic and an appealing walkable area that’s much safer for residents.”
The push to restore Main Street’s traffic pattern goes as far back as 1976, less than a year after the change was made from two-way to one-way circulation. The Sack Business Alliance took up the issue in 2004 and ultimately convinced the city council to initiate the change, as the organization and city leaders laid the groundwork for bringing new investment to the downtown.
It comes as Hackensack figures to attract 6,000 new residents over the next three to five years with the addition of 3,500 units, The Sack Business Alliance said. The $1 billion investment into new housing is also expected to be a draw for retailers in the downtown.
The alliance also noted that, during the two-way conversion, all parking spots were changed to pull-in style to eliminate the need for parallel parking, in a move aimed at enhancing the experience for visitors.
“We want to make sure that we’re capitalizing on all the existing off-street parking that exists in the area,” Bernardo said. “It’s not a parking availability issue — it’s proper, well-done parking management that leverages spaces in a way that makes it easy to park, including good signage and directions.”
