COVID Vaccines, Road Work: What To Expect In Berkeley In 2021

BERKELEY, NJ — As we put 2020 behind us, and look forward to what is hopefully a better new year, Patch is sharing a few storylines to follow into 2021.

Improved Roads In Berkeley

Mayor Amato announced plans to repave parts of Route 9 and Butler Boulevard in the spring of 2021.

The road work is funded by a Municipal Aid grant the township received earlier this month for infrastructure improvements. Mayor Amato said the road work was initially scheduled in 2017, but the project lost its footing without a sufficient source of funding.

The area of Route 9 from Jones Avenue to Beachwood Borough and the entire length of Butler Boulevard will be repaved. Drainage and milling will be repaired and replaced from Bayview Avenue to Butler Beach.

Police Policy

Changes are coming to all police departments in 2021, and that includes Berkeley police as the Garden State has made sweeping changes to the use-of-force policies.

New Jersey hadn't updated its statewide use-of-force policies for law enforcement in more than 20 years. But the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May added new urgency to reform the guidelines.

COVID-19 Vaccines are here

Expect COVID-19 vaccines in Berkeley soon, including at your local ShopRite or doctor's office. New Jersey is currently putting together a plan on who will get the vaccine and when.

The state aims to vaccinate 70 percent of the population by the first six months of the year. There will be more than 200 community COVID vaccine sites across New Jersey; 134 of those sites will be getting the vaccine this week, State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli announced Monday.

There will be 21 county sites, plus the six vaccine "mega-sites," which are:

• Atlantic County: Atlantic City Convention Center
• Bergen County: Racetrack at Meadowlands, East Rutherford
• Burlington County: Moorestown Mall
• Gloucester County: Rowan College of South Jersey, Sewell
• Middlesex County: New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, Edison
• Morris County: Rockaway Townsquare Mall

Currently, the state is vaccinating those in group 1A , which includes healthcare workers and long-term care residents and staff.

Business Bounceback

A retail apocalypse that was already hitting New Jersey hard accelerated in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

And as the pandemic dragged on, many were forced to close their doors entirely – even as Gov. Phil Murphy restarted the economy following the March shutdowns – while other businesses were able to weather the storm.

This coming year will be a time to support local businesses who survived as they look to recover from the nightmare that was 2020 and to lend a hand to any newcomers looking to stake a claim in the community.

Click here to get Patch email notifications or get breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app, download here. Follow Berkeley Patch on Facebook.

Have a news tip? Email kimberlee.bongard@patch.com.