| Author | Message | ||
     lseltzer Citizen Username: Lseltzer Post Number: 2026 Registered: 5-2001 |
Also make sure to contact your state senator and assemblyperson. Our Senator (I think he's all of Maplewood's Senator) Donald Payne, is the president of the state Senate, so he's got some clout. | ||
| Barbara Citizen Username: Blh Post Number: 195 Registered: 5-2001 |
Richard Codey is our Senator in the NJ Senate, and is indeed the Senate President. Our assembly representatives are John McKeon and Mims Hackett, who have offices in South Orange. Donald Payne is our Representative in the US House of Representatives. (It gets confusing since his brother is in State government. In fact, there's a Payne family legacy of government service.) | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2266 Registered: 9-2001 |
Larry and Barbara, Thank you for all this helpful information. It looks like we have our work cut out for us... | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2327 Registered: 5-2001 |
If the town could impose a toll of $1 per vehicle/trip for buses deadheading along Boyden Avenue, it could be a real revenue generator. Taking the above quote of 1,000 bus trips a week, (52,000 bus trips a year), that would amount to an additional $52,000. per year for the town coffers. When you consider the added wear and tear to Boyden Avenue resulting from the unnecessary (from Maplewood's perspective) NJT bus traffic and the high cost of road repairs needed to keep Boyden Avenue passable as a result of the damage done by the heavy traffic, this charge seems minimal. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 2328 Registered: 5-2001 |
Here are a few more suggestions of ways to discourage NJT from using Boyden Avenue as the route of choice for their dead heading buses: 1. Establish an after school drop in center for Maplewood teens in the concession building at the Maplewood Pool. All of those teens walking down the middle of Boyden Avenue during the peak afternoon rush hour should dissuade the buses from competing with the kids for travel lanes. 2. Extend the Maplewood Beatification Program to Boyden Avenue by building a series of bump outs at key spots to slow down traffic. Even if the buses weren't dissuaded by the bump outs, they would have to find alternate routes during periods of construction when Boyden Avenue would be closed to through trafic. 3. Build the new police station directly on Boyden Avenue. The avenue is wide enough to provide for a relatively deep lot. Police vehicles could be dispatched out either end of their property. Not only wouldn't the buses be able to traverse Boyden Avenue but the town would have a Police Station near the Irvington Border with not loss of commercial ratables. 4. Hold a series of block parties during days and times when bus traffic is at its heaviest. Alternate blocks so that several of these events are held. Select blocks which would be least convenient to circumnavigate. Kill the "five minute advantage" often enough and NJT might be pursuaded to switch to a more appropriate route. 5. Designate Boyden Avenue as an official town parade route. Schedule parades along its length in celebration of every event for which the town declares an official day or week. Hold the parades during peak times for dead heading buses. 6. Close off a section of Boyden Avenue for use as a dog run. Make the facility available during early morning and afternoon/evening hours when the demand is greatest. | ||
| Martha Ransom Citizen Username: Virginiagirl Post Number: 3 Registered: 9-2003 |
Hello neighbors This is Martha again, Sharon and I both are scheduled to appear in municipal court tomorrow Jan.5th at 5:15 pm. It would surely be nice to see a few encouraging faces there. I'm not sure what to expect will happen tomorrow. I have not spoken to Sharon in the last few days but I expect I will before we make our appearance. I have not as yet obtained a lawyer. I will see how things transpire to ascertain if one will be needed. But HOLY COW I never thought my calling would be as an activist !!! I'll let you all know how it goes..btw...should counsel be required...any in town ESQS available to come on board? Martha Ransom | ||
| ken (the other one) Citizen Username: Ken Post Number: 152 Registered: 5-2001  |
Tonight will probably be an arraignment--where you appear before the judge, the charges are read, the penalties (jail time, fines, community service) are explained, and you can enter your plea. The actual case will be heard at a later date. (with your attorney, if you so chose) Call the court to confirm. Ken There's nothing like being on the bottom of the Ocean! | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2268 Registered: 9-2001 |
Thank you Joan, some very interesting ideas. You have inspired me to come up with #7 on your list... First, close off the west bound turning lane on Springfield Avenue that allows the traffic to turn right on to Boyden Avenue. Second, put no right hand turn signs on the east bound side of Irvington Avenue, stopping traffic from turning right down Boyden Avenue. These two small changes would not only stop the buses from using Boyden Avenue in both directions, but would also greatly reduce tens of thousands of other vehicles from using Boyden as a short cut. The hardship on local residents would be minimal compared to the great reduction in traffic and all the additional safety to everyone concerned. Martha, we're calling around to see what can be done and we'll see you there tonight before the hearing... | ||
| DrFalomar Citizen Username: Drfalomar Post Number: 115 Registered: 7-2003 |
ajc, if you close off one passage, another will open. where do you see the traffic going? how would you work around these restrictions? | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2269 Registered: 9-2001 |
OK, good thought... Lets see, the buses and traffic going east on Irvington Avenue would now have to go to Parker before they could turn right. My guess is the buses would now find it easier and faster to continue on to Florence or Sanford to go to Springfield Avenue. Local traffic would either turn right before reaching Boyden, or on Parker. As for Springfield Avenue traffic turning right on Boyden, the buses would now have to head east rather than west as they had in the past. Local traffic again would use Elmwood or go up to Tuscan. The thousands of cars going to Ivy Hill and South Orange would use Irvington Avenue, or maybe even South Orange Avenue. I’ll admit that the new traffic patterns would be interesting to observe. They way I see it now, the only people affected would be mostly non-residents of Maplewood, who use Boyden as a cut through... Again, the benefits to residents throughout the area, and all who use the pool would be considerable. This would also free up the long wait crossing Springfield Avenue coming south on Boyden. The buses that no longer would be able to use this route would not only reduce the wait at that light, but go a long way in adding safety for all the children at Seth Boyden School trying to cross the Avenue there as well. I see this all the way around as a win win for all residents, and our town as well... Please tell us how do you see this recommended change Doctor? | ||
| lseltzer Citizen Username: Lseltzer Post Number: 2028 Registered: 5-2001 |
Art, You speak of Boyden as if it were a small neighborhood street. It's fairly major as things go in Maplewood. It's the only significant north-south street through Maplewood east of Prospect. Block people off those turns and they'll use local streets to get around the blockage. Why is it better for people (even non-Maplewoodians) to be using Elmwood rather than Boyden? | ||
| tom Citizen Username: Tom Post Number: 1716 Registered: 5-2001 |
Boyden IS a small neighborhood street, but one that's being forced into a role as a major thoroughfare. Its narrow two lanes don't allow even for parking spaces. Art's hope, I think, is that for buses it will just be too much of a headache to make all those extra turns and they'll stick to the routes they're supposed to be on. For locals, we'll be redistributed among the various local streets. I already skip Boyden/Springfield altogether when I'm going to 78, which is the nice thing about being a local, you find the backroads and shortcuts. Art, contratulations on another big idea. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 1936 Registered: 5-2001 |
Art- With all due respect, I think increasing traffic on Elmwood is an AWFUL idea. Since the renovations on SA, we have a huge increase of people tearing down Essex, cutting over to Elmwood & turning west to Prospect. It used to take me 3 minutes to drive to the train station at 7:30 in the morning. Now, I sometimes sit at the Elmwood/Prospect stop sign for 3 minutes waiting to turn. There are currently 10 children age 5 and under in this small Elmwood/Essex area. There are probably several more who are between 6-14; skateboard, rollerblade, bike riding ages. Essex is a small side street. You want to increase traffic in this area? You've got to be kidding...... I think that Forest (which connects with Essex at the park)should be turned into a one-way street, going west only. That would eliminate the local traffic avoiding Springfield. | ||
| ashear Citizen Username: Ashear Post Number: 892 Registered: 5-2001 |
This raises a larger question. Where exactly are the buses going to go instead of Boyden? Won't they just be on in someone else's street? | ||
| jfburch Citizen Username: Jfburch Post Number: 1203 Registered: 6-2001 |
1) There are nearby streets better equipped to handle bus traffic--wider, some less residential. 2) Ideally, buses would use a variety of nearby routes to get buses into service so that no street (let alone one with no bus service) has hundreds of buses day blasting by people's homes. Even a suburban route with frequent service doesn't have hundreds of buses a day and 20-30 an hour during rush hour. 3) At our meeting with NJ Transit, they were surprisingly amnesiac about actual costs, but finally admitted that the extra 1/2 mile and 5 minutes might only cost about 30 grand a year (though they pushed some incredibly vague "or more" ceiling). The quality of life and efficiency costs have to be paid--by someone (s). We are arguing that residents of Boyden Avenue (and Maplewood, for street maintenance) are paying way too much. Other streets and other communities and NJ transit should be paying some of those costs too. | ||
| DrFalomar Citizen Username: Drfalomar Post Number: 117 Registered: 7-2003 |
Regarding quality of life costs, how much cheaper are home prices on Boyden than homes on adjacent streets, which might be accounted for by the greater traffic? | ||
| tom Citizen Username: Tom Post Number: 1720 Registered: 5-2001 |
Definitely plays a role. I must admit that I would have no trouble with my equity increasing were we to succeed in reducing the traffic. | ||
| Tom Reingold the prissy-pants Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 1629 Registered: 1-2003  |
Didn't someone point out that buyers and potential buyers don't notice the bus traffic? In that case, the prices would not reflect the problem. In other words, home price is supposed to reflect quality of life, but in this case, maybe it doesn't. Tom Reingold There is nothing | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2274 Registered: 9-2001 |
Greentree, My suggestion would not increase traffic by even one more car on Elmwood Avenue west of Boyden. The same goes for any people who would now tear down Essex, cutting over to Elmwood & turning west to Prospect. They would stay on Oakland, not go over Essex... I also have to sit at the Elmwood and Prospect stop sign waiting to turn. This is because of the traffic on Prospect, not Elmwood. Listen, I would not want to increase traffic in your area, and wouldn't, no kidding...... Mostly only local residents use Essex at the park. Making it a one-way street there would be a very bad idea, especially for any local residents who avoid the tie up at Boyden and Springfield caused by buses and out of town people. Asher, no, as I see it, they will now have to go on streets they belong... | ||
| jfburch Citizen Username: Jfburch Post Number: 1204 Registered: 6-2001 |
Judging from my refi appraisals, it depends on the assessor. My most recent didn't address type of street specifically and used 3 side street homes as comparables. A prior one (I don't have handy right now) did note traffic level (as light or moderate, I can't remember which) on the street and IIR it took about 10k off comparable side street homes. But, that is accounting for the difference between a small avenue and a side street--not hundreds of out of service buses--which makes for quite heavy and loud traffic. Except between Springfield and Elmwood (where it's only partly residential--condominiums), Boyden is a very narrow, residential street, not a commercial thoroughfare, or even a mixed use, heavy traffic avenue. It is not an appropriate route for hundreds of out of service buses. |
