Traffic Sting CBD file photo
Race Track Road the speeding has become a serious problem
On Race Track Road, posted speed is 25 but going east to Rt 17, very often traffic goes over 45 mph and some people go even faster. It’s harder to speed going the other way (coming off 17) because the off ramp has a sharp curve which forces westbound traffic to slow down.
The road is higher up where it joins Franklin Tpk but then dips down lower for next several blocks going east until it again rises up just before Route 17. (it’s lower from Nagle to beyond Banta) That makes it very difficult for anyone going fast to see anything or anyone in the street until they are nearly on top of the hazard.
And there are often hazards- too many people put junk in the streets and also there is a lot of pedestrian use -espec during rush hour times. Often people park on the street too- which on the Ridgewood side is mostly illegal but still happens all the time. Even mail carriers park on the street and then walk to houses (both Rwd and HHK sides). So do most service vans, UPS/Fedex, landscaper trailers etc.
There are also many homes with young kids on both sides, and many ride bikes, scooters etc along here. People walk to/from the Park and Ride, also many use several bus stops along the road.
The speeding has become a serious problem – especially traffic heading east because of the poor sight lines etc noted above.
Enforcement is pretty rare by the Village. HHK does more but still not a lot. When there is any, they generally ticket only those going over 40mph– and they often write a LOT of tickets when they do that.
The road itself is also in poor shape, making all the problems worse.
And since the walks and curbs on the Rwd side are mostly in very poor shape, people cross the street quite often -and again traffic heading east can’t see them from any distance if that happens in the “dip” section.
There’s always been heavy traffic on the street– it is one of the few that allow heavy trucks. But past several years the speeding problem has become much worse – partic vehicles heading east .
It’s a prime candidate for some kind of traffic “calming” as well as for more enforcement. Yet – at least from the Village– that doesn’t happen- despite many having brought this up to the Village for ages (me included). And I’ve never heard of any “advisory committee” etc. doing anything about this problem either – despite the heavy use the street gets. Sadly, it will likely take a bad accident to get anything changed there, I guess.
