New Jersey Suburb Closes Roads to Out-of-Towners

For decades, the borough of Leonia was a popular detour for drivers hoping to avoid gridlock on the New Jersey-side of the George Washington Bridge. But now, non-residents are banned from using most of its roads during rush hours.

According to Leonia Police Chief Tom Rowe, it's all thanks to an influx of traffic from GPS navigation apps like Waze. The town is just a mile west of the bridge, and over the last few years those apps regularly steered thousands of cars a day to the tiny suburb. Rowe said with only 18 officers on the force, Leonia officials had to take extreme measures.

"If we were a department with 100-plus officers, we'd handle it differently, but we don't have those resources," Rowe said.

Leonia residents can apply to get a tag proving their residency. Only tag-holders are allowed to drive on the borough's roads during rush hours.

(Leonia Police Department)

As of Monday, Jan. 22, only drivers with a special tag hanging in their front windshield will be allowed to drive on 60 streets during the morning and afternoon. Out-of-towners who can't prove they have business in the town won't be allowed to drive on those roads from 6 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Rowe said since the new rules were announced in December, he's already seen fewer cars on Leonia's roads.

"The word is out, and I think a lot of people are realizing that it's best to stay on the highway," Rowe said.

For now, drivers passing through Leonia during peak hours are just getting warnings. But in a few weeks, Rowe says police will start handing out $200 fines to anyone without a tag.