By Allison Perrine
RED BANK – The borough council is looking to enhance pedestrian safety near the Red Bank Train Station from Broad Street to Shrewsbury Avenue as part of the Red Bank Station Pedestrian Improvements plan.
At the June 17 meeting, the council unanimously decided to apply for a state Department of Transportation (NJDOT) grant for new sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic calming measures, pedestrian overpass and intersection improvements along the 0.6-mile area. Detectable warning surfaces will be installed, with new striping, markings and more.
The Red Bank Train Station is located in a mixed-use neighborhood with residential and business life surrounding it. It provides commuter rail services along the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor Line, according to the application. It had an average of 1,150 boardings every weekday before the pandemic, which presents safety issues.
In 2018, the borough, transit system and North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority completed a report specific to the Red Bank station, outlining eight suggested improvements that could be done to improve the safety for passengers; two are currently being worked on through a 2019 NJDOT Safe Streets to Transit grant.
One of the areas of concern was Monmouth Street, which is home to borough hall, the police station, Count Basie Center for the Arts and more. There are five schools within a 1-mile radius around this project site, according to the application. It’s also where Lot 1 is located for the train station, with 73 spaces available for commuters “leading to heavy foot traffic” during peak hours. Multiple bus stops are located along Monmouth Street as well.
“Roadway improvements that increase walkability and biking are a high priority for the borough, especially for the roadways used to access the station,” the application says. “Monmouth Street, between Shrewsbury Avenue and Broad Street is especially of concern as it is used heavily by pedestrians.”
About eight years ago, Red Bank completed a streetscape along Monmouth Street, but additional pedestrian safety measures are still required because pedestrians continue to be involved in accidents there, according to the application. That includes a case in which a child was hit by a car at a crosswalk and had to be transported to a trauma center.
“The danger that this intersection poses to those utilizing the station is clear,” it states in the application.
The project is estimated to cost $678,327.50. The borough is asking for that to be covered by the grant, but if NJDOT awards less than the total, the remainder will be funded by the borough. Should the grant be awarded, officials plan to move forward with the project “immediately,” the application states.
Improving pedestrian safety has been a goal for Red Bank officials and residents for several years. In the most recent election in November 2019, the two incumbent council members who ran for reelection – Erik K. Yngstrom and Kathleen A. Horgan – and their opponents, all mentioned wanting to improve pedestrian safety in the borough.
Horgan, a 20-year Red Bank resident, said she was seeking reelection to see current projects through to completion. That included pedestrian safety projects, she said, and cited it as a major issue in the borough. Similarly, Yngstrom named pedestrian and bicyclist safety as a top concern. “I pushed to include pedestrian safety initiatives in our road replacement programs and changed the borough’s policy to install larger traffic control signs,” he told The Two River Times last fall.
The article originally appeared in the July 2 – 8, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
