OCEAN COUNTY will host an online public information center from 5 to 7 p.m., Aug. 8 to solicit comments from residents, business owners and officials about the Concept Development Study for the Kennedy Boulevard (County Route 6) and County Line Road (County Route 526) Corridor Improvement Project in Lakewood.

The online public information center can be accessed at www.CountyLineandKennedy.com or by dialing in at 877-284-0719 and using conference ID: 452381942#.

A flyer containing a QR code to access the center has also been posted on the Ocean County website at www.co.ocean.nj.us.

"We urge our residents and public officials to visit the web site and access the public information center so they may provide comments to be incorporated in the concept development study," said Ocean County Commissioner John P. Kelly, liaison to the Ocean County Engineering Department. "Lakewood is growing rapidly and there are many road projects that are ongoing to improve safety in the township.

"This is yet another step in the ongoing efforts to make important safety improvements to the roads in and around Lakewood," he said.

The public information center and project implementation are in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and the Federal Highway Administration.

The purpose of the meeting is to inform the public about the existing conditions within the project corridor and solicit input and comment regarding the project's Purpose and Need statement which will later be used to guide the development of conceptual alternatives.

The meeting is being conducted in conformance with federal and state regulations. All members of the public are invited and encouraged to comment on the study.

The project includes Kennedy Boulevard and County Line Road from Laurelwood Avenue to Squankum Road. Both Kennedy Boulevard and County Line Road experience heavy congestion, particularly during the morning and evening peak hours, due to the dense mix of businesses and residences in the project area.

This study will develop alternatives for reducing congestion and improving operations, safety and traffic flow for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

"The primary goal of this local concept development project is to improve congestion and especially enhance safety within the project limits for all roadway users - pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles," Kelly said.

The Local Concept Development Project includes identifying opportunities, deficiencies, and constraints to improving traffic operations and safety, performing data collection and analysis, developing improvement alternatives, evaluating alternatives, and recommending a Preliminary Preferred Alternative (PPA) to advance to design and construction.

Following the public information session, the materials presented will be available at www.CountyLineandKennedy.com for review and public comment for 30 days. Written comments will be accepted through Sept. 8. Comments may be mailed to the Community Involvement Facilitator Anthony Sytko, Stokes Creative Group, 1666 Route 206, Vincentown, N.J. 08088; email to CountyLineandKennedy@gmail.com or fax to 732-506-5182.