RED BANK – The first steps have been taken to bring about changes for pedestrian safety in the borough.
Mayor Pasquale Menna and the Borough Council passed two resolutions at the March 11 council meeting, keeping the promise the mayor made to a task force on the issue assembled by The Two River Times the week before.
The governing body approved a resolution that requests the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have its engineering department undertake a study to adjust the traffic signal light timing at the Broad Street/West Front Street intersection.
As suggested by Menna at the editorial board meeting March 6, the resolution requests county officials investigate having that signal operate on an “all red phase” allowing pedestrians to proceed before vehicles can move forward, for what has been a particularly troublesome light and intersection.
A second resolution requests the state Department of Transportation designate state Highway 35 as a “safe corridor” through the borough.
Sen. Jennifer Beck agreed at the editorial board meeting that calibrating the signals would help and has offered her support of any initiative requested of the DOT, including lowering the speed on Route 35 through Red Bank.
“These are steps in the right direction,” Menna said this week.
According to Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, Resolution 15-69 will likely come up for consideration at the March 26 freeholder meeting in Freehold. The freeholders will only entertain changes to traffic lights when formally presented by municipal officials, Arnone said.
The county engineer’s study would likely take from six to eight weeks, according to the freeholder.
Should state DOT officials support the local resolution, the highway, which runs from Maple Avenue and Riverside Avenue connecting the highway from Shrewsbury to Middletown, would have the speed limit reduced and traffic violation fines and penalties increased, according to information provided by the borough.
The Broad Street and West Front Street intersection has been an issue of concern for many years, as the light permits pedestrians to cross, while also allowing vehicular traffic to continue, often putting them in conflict and in danger. In the past, vehicles have struck pedestrians in that crosswalk.
Police Sgt. Beau Broadley, supervisor of the department’s Traffic Safety Division, said officers for the month of February—the most recent data available—issued three summonses to drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians. For the same period police wrote 17 violations for the use of handheld wireless devises, “which is all part of our campaign to keep everyone safe,” Broadley said.
The March 6 meeting involved various community stakeholders, such as the mayor, police chief, Arnone, Meridian Hospital Regional President Timothy Hogan and others to discuss the issue of pedestrian safety and ways to improve it for the community with busy traffic thoroughfares, visitors for the various attractions and residents who regularly walk and cross those thoroughfares.
The next meeting of the task force will be held April 17 and will address assessing progress, discuss Shrewsbury Avenue and cut-through streets as well as the progress of lowering the speed limit on Route 35 through Red Bank.
The Two River Times will be writing weekly stories tracking progress, or lack of it, on this issue. The paper will expand beyond Red Bank to the entire Two River Areas once the issues are resolved in the borough.
By John Burton
John Burton can be reached at jburton@tworivertimes.com or 732-219-5788.
Editors Note: The Two River Times would like to hear from you about this ongoing conversation concerning safety in the Two River Area. Please contact Jody Calendar at jcalendar@tworivertimes.com or post comments on our website (www.tworivertimes.com) with comments and suggestions.
