Communities work together to make life better and that’s just what’s happening with the collaborative pedestrian and safety project, Crossroads, The Two River Times’ initiative to make the streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians. It’s a making a difference. There will be more crosswalks at dangerous intersections along Riverside Drive near the Atrium senior complex as well as major safety improvements at dangerous intersections throughout Red Bank.
In addition, the intersections of Maple Avenue with Chestnut Street and Reckless Place, where pedestrians walk to the NJ Transit train station and Red Bank Catholic High School frequently cross are being improved.
Also, the intersections where Monmouth Street and White Street intersect with Route 35 will be improved when brick pavers are replaced. Thanks to the county, the borough was one of six municipalities statewide chosen for an important grant that will evaluate pedestrian safety and the borough will be part of a campaign that joins advertising, public awareness and law enforcement initiatives in helping change the behaviors of drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. The county has also implemented improvements to county roads that run through the borough, including Newman Springs Road, Front Street, Shrewsbury Avenue and Broad Street to improve safety conditions. Modifications are being made to the intersections of Newman Springs Road and Shrewsbury Avenue as well as safety improvements near Hance Avenue and Newman Springs, where a pedestrian was killed earlier this year. Mild speed humps have been installed along several streets on the Westside to slow traffic on cut-through streets where drivers try to avoid the congested Shrewsbury Avenue.
The paper, which organized the project, joined with stakeholders including the towns of Red Bank, Fair Haven, Middletown and Sea Bright, Monmouth County Freeholders, Senators Jennifer Beck and Joseph Kyrillos, Newport Capital Group, Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank Catholic and several local safety cyclist and pedestrian groups.
As with any collaborative effort, there are disagreements about what is needed and what is not. Red Bank feels the state’s proposed formal crosswalk needs further enhancements including improved lights, flashing lights and road striping to protect pedestrians from drivers who tend to speed around the corner from West Front onto Riverside. Shrewsbury Avenue needs more crosswalks, there can be no doubt. And of course, there is more to be done throughout the borough. Rumson, Fair Haven and Sea Bright are installing cyclist lanes and that’s progressing nicely.
The state must aggressively look to Middletown’s portion of Route 35 and install more and safer crosswalks. The bottom line is motorists, pedestrians and cyclists alike all must obey the law. It’s not OK for any of the above to be checking their cellphone while in motion. It’s not OK for motorists not to stop at crosswalks when a pedestrian is in one. That’s the law and it’s meant to protect the public. And it’s not OK for cyclists to dart out between cars and try to cross the street where no crosswalk exists. It’s a collective responsibility.
That said, a great deal of progress has been made since this initiative began and it will continue. The towns of Red Bank, Fair Haven, Rumson, Middletown and Sea Bright have taken their role seriously. So has the county and state. It will just take a little patience and discussion to come to a compromise that will ultimately make our streets safer. That’s what a community does.
Crossroads Coverage in The Two River Times
- Major Safety Improvements in Red Bank
- Thank You For Crossroads Forum
- Crossroads Forum Moves Problems Toward Solutions
- Pedestrian Safety Forum Monday
- Cyclist Hit In Sea Bright
- Yes Another Pedestrian Close Call in Red Bank
- Penalties Must Be Stiffer For Leaving Scene and Inattentive Driving
- Bike Paths Are Rolling Forward
- Progress In Pedestrian/Cyclist Safety
- Pedestrian Dies Following Accident
- 78-year-old Pedestrian Struck on Broad Street in Red Bank
- Red Bank Streets Feared by Residents, Motorists
- Broad Street Pedestrian Accident Prompts Intensive Investigation
- Bicycle Lanes at Standstill As Two River Mayors and County Fail to Agree
