"All-white" Bridge in New Jersey, where taxes are collected from a State population that is more than 30% non-white, and in 10 years a $250 million is spent building two bridges for 8 private beach clubs, 600 metered parking spaces, 1/2 mile of public access beaches, and more than 95% wealthy and white residents.
For those who don’t recall Alaska’s Bridge to Nowhere, and then Senator McCain’s call to stop the funding, the $140 million replacement bridge is not only similar, but may be egregious.
From a fiscal perspective, spending over $400,000 for every year round residence in Sea Bright is even worse than Alaska’s bridge to nowhere.
From a social perspective, this stretch of beach is getting Federal funds to pursue a direction of “all white” policies in New Jersey. The communities of Sea Bright, Rumson and Middletown have less than 4% non-white residents.
Access to the 8 private beach clubs discriminate against families of color as the median annual membership to these private beach clubs is over $20,000.
Access to the public beaches are priced against low income and State residents of color, as well. The cost of parking a car for the day is $24. The cost for a beach pass is $24 for a family of 4. The State only provides a single bus for mass transit every 90 minutes between the NJT train and the beach on Saturdays, only. If a beach goer misses the 6pm bus to Red Bank and NJT train on Saturday, it is $30 to taxi to the train station.
If a low income family does not have a car, they are prevented from going to the Sea Bright public beaches as there is no public mass transit on Sunday.
Sea Bright in Monmouth County, NJ has the influence in New Jersey at the Governor's level, to solicit Federal funds in the hundreds of millions for wealthy, white residents. It's where retailers sell beach merchandise found on the shelves of a dollar store a few miles away, and resell for 5 times the price... well beyond the affordability scale of low and medium income families.
So why are Sen. Booker and Gov. Murphy spending $140 million on a bridge for a community that is comprised largely of multi million dollar homes that are more than 98% white owned, 8 private beach clubs whose membership is less than 3% non-white, and 600 municipal parking spots that are not affordable to lower income families and families of color ?
In addition, the $140 million bridge to nowhere is not fully functional when it rains. Especially when the daily rain fall is 1.6 inches, or greater, in Rumson.
At 1.6 inches of rain, in front of the “all-white” Seabright Tennis Club, the depth of the flooded water was between 6-8 inches between the hours of 10pm and midnight.
1.6 inches of rain, or more, occurs 10-14 times per year.
That means that 10 - 12 times per year, at minimum, the road is flooded and prevents passage of cars one quarter mile from the $140 million bridge project.
I want to remind those who are State and Federal legislative representatives:
- This is $140 million for a 3 mile long municipality
- comprised of 8 private beach clubs and 600 paid municipal parking spots
- There is a 10 year old, 4 lane wide bridge that provides evacuation adequate for the 400 vehicles registered in Sea Bright year round
- The two communities, and Middletown the home of the Governor, are less that 4 % non-white
- This is a Federally funded bridge to nowhere, because when it rains, no one can use the bridge safely
From the “all-white” Sea Bright Tennis Club where the flood waters originate to the almost “all-white” beach communities of Sea Bright and Rumson, to the almost “all-white” beach clubs of Sea Bright, the State of New Jersey and the Federal Department of Transportation find justification for two bridges just 2 miles apart, each costing well over $100 million each… for “all-white”.
Visit www.rumsonseabright.com