Midland Blvd. traffic circles

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Author Message   Pepper Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 10:49 am:        Why do we need traffic circles? I don't know the cost but it seems that STOP signs like the ones at Maplewood Ave and Jefferson would be more appropiate and less costly to install. As an added measure, how about speed bumps if we don't want people speeding through these streets. These are measures that work in thousands of communities across the country. I think traffic circles are overkill for these intersections.   Njjoseph Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 11:26 am:        How did you hear about traffic circles? I don't think we could even consider one at Maplewood and Jefferson without demolishing a few houses. I like the idea of speed bumps, and one of these days I'll investigate having them in my neighborhood. Although not a busy street like Prospect, I get a lot more traffic than the average street, and they race down it at 35mph or so.   Ashear Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 12:09 pm:        I have been told that for some reason having to do with State law stop signs can't be put up at the two intersections on Midland where traffic circles are planed. Maybe one of the TC members can explain why. I certainly agree something needs to be done. An intersection with no controls on a street as wide as Midland is extremely dangerous.   Pastorofmuppets Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 12:49 pm:        What streets are they planning circles??   Ashear Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 12:53 pm:        I know one is supposed to be at Midland and Highland. I forget where the other is. I have the info at home and will post it later if no one else does.   Tracks Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 1:45 pm:        Speed bumps are illegal on public streets. You can get speed strips, but those are really noisy and very annoying to anyone who lives near them. I sort of like traffic circles. Especially when it snows and the trucks can't make the small turns to plow the snow.   Soda Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 9:57 am:        Wheeeeee!   Hobsonschoice Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 12:14 pm:        I heard Certified is bidding on the construction.   Eb1154 Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 7:19 pm:        Tracks, Speed "bumps" may be illegal but the town has installed two speed "humps" on Pierson Rd (between Valley st and Burnett St.) to help slow traffic. I guess you would have to ask one of those residents if they felt there was a difference. I believe the difference is the width. A bump is a narrow strip and a hump is quite wide. I'm sure that is not the technical defenition but you get the point.   Pepper Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 8:59 pm:        Pastorofmuppets: the other circle is planned for Midland and Norfolk. I believe that the TC has landscape drawings available for public viewing.   Melidere Posted on Sunday, February 11, 2001 - 1:46 am:        i can't imagine why they can't simply put stop signs. There has to be a saturday night live skit in there someplace. i also can't imagine traffic circles at midland/highland. lol look out mem!! our very own circles. Not one but two? wheeee   Margu Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2001 - 3:24 pm:        What a complete waste of tax dollars!! traffic circles, indeed. Just put up some STOP signs (which are very much needed) and put the money into more street lights.   Gerardryan Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2001 - 10:25 pm:        They're not really "traffic circles" like the ones you see on 34 and 35 heading down the shore. (Or even like the one by the S.O. firehouse). They're a class of what is called a "traffic calming" device; in this case, just a little bit of curbing and pavement and plantings in the center of the intersection to force cars to slow down a bit as they get to the intersection. You can't go straight through, you have to slow down a little. This is cheap, aesthetically pleasing, highly desired by the neighborhood association, nicer (and cheaper!) than a traffic light, and more effective than a STOP sign. There are already stop signs on some of those boulevard intersections. Something extra is needed.   Ffof Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 8:31 am:        You can find some of these "calming circles" in the S. Mountain section of Millburn (when you take the shortcut to the ShopWrong - I mean Rite!)   Njjoseph Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 8:31 am:        Midland Blvd. presents it's own set of problems, since the boulevard itself is so wide that you think you're on a main street. However, the side streets connecting to it don't have stop signs, but if you're on Midland, you would expect they do. I'm not sure that slowing down will solve the problems, and my experiences with plantings is that they too often obstruct the view. Living on Elmwood, I'm on Midland once or twice a week, or crossing through it. I take special care, but those that don't live in that area don't know the problems and may not take the care, especially those travelling on Midland. BTW, is something in the works for Elmwood? We have speeders galore, since the street almost directly connects Prospect with Springfield.   Ashear Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 8:58 am:        Jerry I live on Midland and my understanding was that, for some reason, stop signs could not be put up where the circles are going. (My wife was told this by either you or Vic when you were campaigning on Maplewood Ave last fall.) If that is not the case then I definitely think stop signs should be put up. I don't know why you think the circles will be more effective but the circles and a stop sign would have to be better.   Mem Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 11:26 am:        meli - I've decided I like "Traffic Circles!" Last week, on my way to my new anxiety/nerve disorder physician (a recent condition bought on by the reval, as well as the effort to keep up with all the reval threads here) I got trapped in the South Orange "Traffic Circle" for four days! Now that might sound like an irritating and annoying inconvenience, and not nearly as pleasant as sitting in a line of cars on Maplewood Ave. in the Village while that someone in the comfy SUV uphead takes a catnap, but I ended up losing 20 pounds! Just in time for Mexico. For those of you who don't want to lose weight, I recommend keeping your car stocked with enough freeze dried food to last several days if you travel anywhere near the S. O. "Traffic Circle". Car adapted Porto Potties are also recommended, I regret not investing in one for my experience. Wheeee!   Njjoseph Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 11:32 am:        What DID you do for a bio break, Mem? Never mind, I don't really want to know. ;-\   Tracks Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 12:05 pm:        The problem is not the traffic circles, it is the drivers. On Sloane street in S. Orange by the circle, people stop to wait for parking spaces or to pick someone up at the train station without any regard for the cars behind them. I think the mini circles would be a help on Midland Blvd. I would doubt that anybody would come to a complete stop with stop signs, since it seems most people just slow down at stop signs.   Greenetree Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 4:17 pm:        I think that the whole area around Elmwood/Midland needs traffic resolutions. Essex Road has become a favorite pass-through for people avoiding the lights on Springfield. There are children on this formerly quiet block who are constantly endangered by people speeding around the curves & screeching onto Elmwood as if they are practicing for a NASCAR event. It also seems highly probable that most of these drivers do not live in town, but are using the small residential side streets as a cut-through. When I first moved onto Elmwood Ave. 4 years ago, there was always a police officer speed trapping somewhere between Lancaster and Essex. Now, I rarely see them, or they only stay for half an hour. With the taxes we pay, we should have enough cops to get a reputation: 'don't speed in Maplewood- you will be caught and fined'.   Nakaille Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2001 - 4:48 pm:        Greenetree- I know what you mean. We have the same problem on Woodside with folks avoiding Parker. The whole street is just 3 short blocks between Orchard and Franklin Terrace but you'd think it was a major thoroughfare! Also, no stop signs on some of the side streets so folks just come barreling out of nowhere. Lots of kids on the street, partly because it leads directly to Milo Borden Park. My 4 year old is not allowed outside without one of her parents yet but I am terrified of when that time comes. The 4 year old twins of our neighbors are allowed out on their own and often play into the street with their remote control cars, etc. They're little guys and I sometimes fear for their lives. And don't get me started on how people (avoiding Boyden Ave) speed up and down Orchard while kids and dogwalkers are trying to cross to and from the park! Can we all try to slow down? I actually motion to drivers to slow down - a lot of good that does! Bacata   Tom Posted on Friday, February 16, 2001 - 11:29 am:        Just put up the stop signs. If the state doesn't like 'em, let them come and take them out. Maybe we can handcuff ourselves to them?   Dmm Posted on Friday, February 16, 2001 - 1:01 pm:        Being someone who lives on Midland- ANYTHING would be an improvement! It's like living on race track. But whatever gets put in- it MUST be ENFORCED! Ever watch what some people's definition of a stop is? I see way too many jerks roll right through the existing signs.   Andyem Posted on Tuesday, February 20, 2001 - 12:48 pm:        I have to say that I am happy with whatever they decide to put at every intersection on Midland Blvd. I live on Norfolk and was the victim of a car going across Richmond (Parker to Elmwood) without stopping or slowing down at all. The car (an old chevy I think) hit the tail end of my Chrysler Minivan and put me into a spin which landed me on the median halfway down the block. That should tell you how fast this women was going. The most disturbing part of it all is that the driver lives on Parker Ave and also had a child in the car. Thank goodness I had just dropped my 2 children off at home. My advise to everyone driving in this neighborhood is to ALWAYS use caution. Nobody knows who has the right of way on these streets so its best to be the one to stop. I learned my lesson the hard way.   Kss Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2001 - 7:47 am:        The question is, will anything ever happen? A couple of years ago, I was at a safety committee meeting where this issue about Midland came up. It is now I think about 2 years later and still nothing.   Bobk Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2001 - 8:29 am:        My suggestion would be, at least in the short term to buy some stop signs and install them on the cross streets. Is this to simple? We use to live off Midland and had more than one near miss during our eight years in the neighborhood.