Hung without care? Some say tunnel decor is an eyesore
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) - Some commuters who use the Holland Tunnel from New Jersey into New York City think the agency that operates it needs better editing - or a remedial design class.
Wreaths have adorned the entrance to the heavily used tunnel around the holidays for decades. But this year's configuration is causing a kerfuffle because of where the wreaths are placed.
The wreaths cover the letters "O'' and "U'' on the entrance sign and a tree-shaped decoration covers the letter "N'' in "Holland." That's an affront to the senses, according signers of an online petition to have the wreaths moved. They say the tree-shaped decoration would more rightly fit atop the letter "A."
Some have gone so far as to claim the configuration can trigger reactions among people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
More than a million people use the tunnel each month to get into downtown Manhattan, according to statistics compiled by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the tunnel's operator.
In a lighthearted notice sent Wednesday and styled to mimic the poem that begins "'Twas the night before Christmas," the Port Authority said it is conducting its own public poll. Participants have until Sunday to select one of four options.
The Port Authority is addressing the issue at its monthly board meeting Thursday.