Borough Engineer Ken Job said that tree removal for phases five and six began on Jan. 21. In the past for the other phases of the streetscape, Job said the trees were removed because they are problematic with size and roots. They will be replaced with trees that are suited for city environment.
The continuation of Hamilton to Division avenues will conform to the rest of the Boulevard where streetscape work has already started. Work will include replacement of sidewalks, decorative brick pavers, new lighting, benches and the replacement with trees to match the other streetscape streets. There will also be a crosswalk with a red brick type material that is more durable.
The majority of the work for streetscape phases one and two for Jefferson Avenue and Washington Place was completed in 2009 and 2010. The council is still waiting for PSE&G to remove the foundation of the cobra lights before the phases can be seen as completed. The cobra lights on the Boulevard were replaced with decorative lighting.
The majority of the funding for the entire streetscape project has been coming from grants from the Department of Transportation.
