RED BANK – Real strides have been made and more are in the future to make roads safer in the Two River area for pedestrians and cyclists.
“We’ve gotten a lot of work done. We’ve gotten a lot accomplished,” said Jody Calendar, executive editor/co-publisher of The Two River Times about what has been achieved since last winter. And the reason that has been achieved, “is because we’re working together,” Calendar said.
Calendar made her comments as The Two River Times on Monday evening conducted a public for um for its “Crossroads” initiative looking at ways to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety in surrounding communities. The session, conducted at Red Bank Catholic High School, 112 Broad St., began by updating the public about its advances. Senator Jennifer Beck (R-11), and a representative from the office of Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R-13), offered which steps they’ve been able to advance involving state roads and legislation protecting children; Mayors Benjamin Lucarelli, Dina Long and John Ekdahl of Fair Haven, Sea Bright and Rumson, respectively, discussed how they have worked with the county and state to establish cyclists lanes; and Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone and county engineers spoke about their collaboration with local and state officials and what they have all accomplished. Red Bank Police Chief Darren McConnell was on the dais, and Middletown Deputy Chief Stephen Dollinger in the audience, to update law enforcement’s and the borough’s future plans, as well as explaining what’s legal and what’s not for cyclists and pedestrians.
Students and teachers from RBC participated, joining the initiative as a stakeholder, showing a student-produced video, “Power to the Pedestrian,” highlighting pedestrian safety measures taken by the high school, in addition to educating St. James elementary students.
to the Pedestrian, which focused on crossing streets safely.
And, of course, there was the input of the public, for whom the evening was designed, giving them the chance to offer their comments and questions to officials and many took advantage of the opportunity and have been promised action.
On the state level, Beck told of the state Department of Transportation’s plans to repave a lengthy portion of state Highway 35, going from Ocean Township on the southern end, to the southern border of Middletown, just
before Coopers Bridge on Red Bank’s northern border. “That’s an opportunity for us in Red Bank,” Beck observed, as state transportation officials are “going to revisit a number of intersections that are a problem.”
Those problematic intersections include the corner of Maple Avenue and West Front Street, an area that has a number of senior citizen residential facilities in the area and has been “a crisis” since Beck’s time on the Red Bank Borough Council in the early 2000s, she said.
Plans are in the works for Beck, Kyrillos and Red Bank officials to meet with state transportation representatives on Sept. 30 to discuss the situation, according to Beck.
Kyrillos has continued to push his sponsored Drew’s Law, passed by the Senate and now undergoing an inexplicable lengthy review by the Assembly, that would give municipalities the ability to control speed limits in schools and public parks, said Tony Perry, director of legislative affairs for Kyrillos. That bill was named for Drew Keough Cerrata, an 11-year-old Keansburg boy who was killed when struck by a vehicle while he was running from a playground.
In Sea Bright, because of “tremendous local advocacy for safety” among local officials and the public, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) will be striping and signing Ocean Avenue/Highway 36 for bicycle lanes. That will be done as the DOT repaves the roadway this fall, according to Long.
“We’re very excited for what that means for our community,” she added.
That plan complements the one worked out with county freeholders and Rumson and Fair Haven to have striped bike routes running along portions of Rumson and Ridge roads, bringing to the Sea Bright border. This helps in a large part to create the continuing bike route long advocated by Lucarelli and Ekdahl through much of the area.
In Red Bank, street cyclist stencils, called “sharrows” by traffic officials, have been put on roadways, including Chestnut Street and Peters Place and others, indicating a shared roadway.
The borough’s roads combined with on-street parking are too narrow for designated bike lanes. About 3⁄4 of those roadways to be stenciled have been done, with the work leading up to Harding Road/Ridge Road, connecting to the continuing bike path in Fair Haven, said McConnell.
Red Bank has also hired special police officers who will be dedicated for traffic enforcement, McConnell added.
It’s a big county, Arnone pointed out, with 650 square miles and 1,000 miles of county-controlled roadway. “We’re looking at the mayors for input,” for help on programs, the freeholder said.
Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna, who was initially delayed by a prior commitment chose to remain in the public section, declining to join the panel, which he had always been a part. He took a combative stance, expressing his frustration dealing with state officials when trying to bring about roadway and traffic changes. “We got to have a way to move it faster,” he insisted, explaining state officials move at a glacial pace, subjecting local residents to dangerous roadways while they consider alternatives.
Menna said “I’m a great proponent of four-way stops” and they have worked on Red Bank’s Bridge Avenue and other locations. However, the municipality has to have state approval or assume legal liability, for what Menna said is an effective traffic calming method.
“There has got to be a way legislatively to move faster to get a stop sign,” he said. Sen. Beck responded she and Red Bank have always been cooperative partners and things were moving forward and noted the Sept. 30 DOT meeting.
From the public, Red Bank west side resident Ben Forest queried about Shrewsbury Avenue. That is a heavily traveled, county controlled roadway that residents and businesses have long complained about the seemingly lack of enforcement. Menna pointed out that Shrewsbury Avenue has higher traffic counts than east side’s Broad Street.
There have been some measures taken recently, including construction and new lighting at the Shrewsbury/Drs. James Parker Boulevard intersection and redoing of some striped crosswalks. But Arnone acknowledged, “That’s on us,” to be responsible and more aggressive addressing issues with county roads.
Red Bank resident Beth Hanratty, as a frequent pedestrian, wondered why there couldn’t be more traffic lights at intersections that include a pedestrian-only provision — providing a time for pedestrians to cross when they wouldn’t come into conflict with vehicles. According to McConnell and county engineer Daria Jakimowska, it becomes a matter of keeping traffic moving efficiently as much as issues of pedestrian safety. “It’s all a balancing act,” said McConnell. He also referenced studies that show delayed drivers become frustrated and are more apt to drive dangerously.
Red Bank has one traffic signal with that provision, at the Broad and Monmouth streets intersection, McConnell said.
Hudson Avenue residents Sean Fagan and William Hartigan asked about their street and speeding traffic, to which police have in the past responded with traffic counts and radar patrols.
Diana, who didn’t give her last name, an Asbury Park resident, who described herself as both a motorist and cyclist, wondered about bike lanes and trash and brush collections.
“It’s going to be an evolving process,” Lucarelli said.
For Rumson, Ekdahl said, when the bike lanes become established later this fall, those roads “become a No. 1 priority” for Public Works employees to clear them.
Perry said in conclusion the evening was beneficial because “One of the most crucial parts of our job is for people to come to us to make us aware.”
“I think what’s wonderful about this is,” Calendar said at the end of the evening, “everyone is truly working together, the public is being heard and issues are being addressed.”
