| Author | Message | ||
     Jeff Alexander Citizen Username: Jalexander Post Number: 1 Registered: 5-2003 |
Every day when I get home from work and try to leave the South Orange train station, I nearly have an accident. No matter what time I get home, when I try to exit the station, I am faced by a wall of traffic heading down South Orange Avenue. These drivers routinely "block the box" - making it difficult, if not impossible, to leave the station. I have called the police department numerous times, requesting that a patrolman be placed at the exit to direct traffic and give tickets to those individuals who insist on "blocking the box", with no success. There are often policemen standing in front of the station or sitting in their cars in the parking lot - why can't they move out to South Orange Avenue? Even without this traffic situation, the parking lot is difficult to exit - there is only one legal exit., the traffic light is EXTREMELY short (even without traffic only 3 cars can leave the station before the light changes), and a lot of cars try to leave at once. I have sat for 10 minutes trying to exit the station watching one or two cars per light trying to squeeze through the wall of traffic. Can someone please help with this? | ||
| patjoyce Citizen Username: Patjoyce Post Number: 5 Registered: 7-2001 |
I know Mark Rosner raised the issue at the BOT meeting last Monday. He suggested the issue be put on the agenda of the public safety committee. You should call John Gross and ask when the next ppublic safety meeting is and make sure the issue is discussed. Patrick | ||
| ril Citizen Username: Ril Post Number: 78 Registered: 6-2001 |
Part of the problem is that the lights along South Orange Ave. are not in proper sync (I've been told this is a county road and the town does not have direct control of the lights, but can't SOMETHING be done?). And the light for exiting the train station lot stays green for only 8 seconds! Maybe the powers that be should consider adding a legal exit at the rear of the lot (instead of entrance-only). And I agree, some police supervision would help immensely. | ||
| peteglider Citizen Username: Peteglider Post Number: 109 Registered: 8-2002 |
I'm one of those people who usually goes out the back entrance. About 6 months ago the police were there -- and waving drivers out that way. Then about a month ago I actually was stopped by a cop for going out that way (no ticket). I'd suggest some improvements to the back entrance to help the traffic. Just think how absurd it will be when SOPAC is there, too! Pete | ||
| bets Citizen Username: Bets Post Number: 313 Registered: 6-2001  |
The traffic at that intersection pales in comparison to what goes on at Ridgewood Road and South Orange Avenue. Because two lanes of traffic are squeezed into one going east, cars regularly block the intersection for the green light for Ridgewood (not to mention angry drivers running the red light because of the nightmarish traffic jams). People turning east onto South Orange Avenue also block northbound traffic on Ridgewood. This happens every rush hour and I can't believe they don't have officers there to enforce the traffic laws. | ||
| Jeff Alexander Citizen Username: Jalexander Post Number: 2 Registered: 5-2003 |
The problem with exiting the back exit (outside of the fact that it is illegal) is that it takes FOREVER to get anywhere.. Either another light has to placed on Ridgewood or South Orange Ave in order to make that work. Something needs to be done. Once SOPAC and the Beifus project are done, can you imagine how much worse this is going to be? As a quick fix, blocking the box needs to be enforced - especially with a 8 second light!! Drivers are both blatant and combative in their disregard for the law - I have had drivers threaten me with violence for honking at them for blocking the box. With all of the people I see blocking the box, the city could reap a small fortune! | ||
| nwyave Citizen Username: Mesh Post Number: 61 Registered: 1-2003 |
I was in the Parking Auth office a couple of months ago and I was told that the entrance on Church St was going to be expanded to an entrance and exit and one spot would thus be taken out. I was told that it would happen in April. Mark are you familiar with this and the status of such change. I definitely think it would be a step in the right direction. The problem would then be at the intersection of Church and SO Ave as well at 3rd St and Ridgewood. | ||
| nwyave Citizen Username: Mesh Post Number: 62 Registered: 1-2003 |
I was in the Parking Auth office a couple of months ago and I was told that the entrance on Church St was going to be expanded to an entrance and exit and one spot would thus be taken out. I was told that it would happen in April. Mark are you familiar with this and the status of such change. I definitely think it would be a step in the right direction. The problem would then be at the intersection of Church and SO Ave as well at 3rd St and Ridgewood. | ||
| Jeff Alexander Citizen Username: Jalexander Post Number: 4 Registered: 5-2003 |
Not to harp, but I timed the light yesterday.. 80 seconds red.. if that 8 second number is true for the green, a 10-1 ratio seems insane during rush hour... Who would be in charge of looking at that, the city or the county? | ||
| patjoyce Citizen Username: Patjoyce Post Number: 6 Registered: 7-2001 |
The village engineer and director of Parking Authority have met with NJ Transit and have discussed creating an exit lane onto Church Street. I believe that a contractor has been designated to do the work, now its a matter of making sure NJT follows through. As to the light at the exit onto SO Ave. The county controls the timing of those lights. I've been told that a power outage threw off the timing. Our engineer has spoken to the county and they tell us they will be out to re-set the timing. Patrick Joyce | ||
| ril Citizen Username: Ril Post Number: 80 Registered: 6-2001 |
Patjoyce, Any idea when this will happen? It's still 8 seconds to exit the lot. And it's not just that light that's out of sync--they all need to be adjusted. And does anyone know what's going on along South Orange Ave. up toward (and past) the police station and Grove Park? Crews have been tearing up the grass areas near the curb all along the Aveneus for a few days now. Can't tell from the trucks if this is electric, cable, water or what. Signs simply say "Emergency. No Parking." Jackhammers at 7 am. sigh. | ||
| Edwin R. Matthews Citizen Username: Edwinrmatthews Post Number: 24 Registered: 3-2003 |
They are putting new wiring in for the lighting changes which will follow. | ||
| ril Citizen Username: Ril Post Number: 81 Registered: 6-2001 |
Thanks, Mr. MAtthews. Can you tell us what those changes are? We live right on South Orange Ave.; am I going to be blinded by halogen lights? | ||
| Edwin R. Matthews Citizen Username: Edwinrmatthews Post Number: 26 Registered: 3-2003 |
I think they will be like the lamp posts in the Village on South orange Avenue (Between Rite Aid and Ridgewood road and on Valley Street) But to be sure call the engineers office 973-378-7715 ext 7706 or email Sal Renda at srenda@southorange.org He knows for sure. | ||
| mrosner Citizen Username: Mrosner Post Number: 405 Registered: 4-2002 |
As Patrick Joyce mentioned earlier, I raised the issue to be put on the public safety agenda. One of the main concerns I had was not having an exit on Church street too. We are also going to deal with some of the related issues to see if we can get some changes made to improve the situation including the traffic light on Trenchard Place and the synchronization of the lights on S. Orange Ave. | ||
| Jeff Alexander Citizen Username: Jalexander Post Number: 5 Registered: 5-2003 |
I'm glad that some people are looking at this, but it sounds like a lot of the proposals are things that will take a good deal of time and we have a very real/dangerous problem now. Mark my words.. there will be an accident some day - the drivers on South Orange Avenue are simply too aggressive when blocking the box and even going through red lights (I see that at least once a week!) Can someone please have a policeman direct traffic on South Orange Avenue for the 2 hours or so a day when the problem exists? That would take care of the blocking the box and the light timing problems. | ||
| swato Citizen Username: Swato Post Number: 72 Registered: 5-2001  |
I agree Jeff. South Orange ave and Prospect is also a major problem during the am & pm rush hours. Motorist driving east and west on the avenue block the box on just about every light. I go around Grove park to avoid that mess. | ||
| ril Citizen Username: Ril Post Number: 82 Registered: 6-2001 |
The traffic lights are still out of sync. It's been months. The light to exit the NJT lot is still a bit under 8 seconds. It took us 4 changes of the light to get out last evening, and there was only one car in front of me--cars on SO Ave. repeatedly blocked the box. Can anyone say WHEN this timing problem will be fixed? Who needs to be contacted to makie this happen? (and how 'bout making "right turn on red" legal at that exit?) | ||
| Jeff Alexander Citizen Username: Jalexander Post Number: 6 Registered: 5-2003 |
I'm really disappointed and disillusioned with the lack of response here. A problem was identified by many people and a simple interim solution was proposed (a policeman directing traffic for two or so hours a day). Nobody has responded to this proposed solution. Is anybody (elected officials) reading these boards who can help? | ||
| mrosner Citizen Username: Mrosner Post Number: 428 Registered: 4-2002 |
Jeff: Actually, Patrick Joyce and myself posted responses. If we had the resources to place an officer at every corner where there are traffic problems we would do so. However, the budget and the size of the police force does not allow for that. We have made numerous requests to the county to change the traffic light to allow more than 8 seconds and to synchronize the timing to help traffic flow better. The next public safety meeting is on 7/7/2003 at 7:30P.m. and I will have this put on that agenda to be discussed again. The meeting is open to the public and the police director will be there so he can respond as to what he suggests we do to improve the problem both short-term and long-term. I hope you can make it to the meeting to discuss so that we can have a solution in place by September when the traffic problems will intensify again (usually not too bad in July and August). |
