DEATH IN THE CROSSWALK: Oakland Child Killed by Car Spotlights NJ’s Pedestrian Safety Crisis—Why Local Officials Are Fighting the County
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
OAKLAND, NJ – A devastating accident in July that claimed the life of 4-year-old Jalen Gomez and injured his family at the intersection of Oak Street and Ramapo Valley Road has intensified a critical debate over pedestrian safety standards in Bergen County. The tragedy has thrown a harsh spotlight on the bureaucratic and funding obstacles municipalities face when trying to upgrade dangerous crosswalks.
While the driver involved received summonses for careless driving and failure to yield, the incident has raised pointed questions for Bergen County, which controls key road features like crosswalk striping and traffic signals on major routes like Ramapo Valley Road (US Route 202).
Downgraded Crosswalks and Life-Saving Technology
Oakland officials are now pushing the County to implement immediate safety improvements, including the Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI)—a traffic signal feature that gives pedestrians a crucial head start to enter the crosswalk before vehicles get a green light. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates LPIs can reduce pedestrian-vehicle crashes by 13%.
A major point of contention is the crosswalk striping at the crash site. Oakland officials confirmed the County had previously changed the striping from a highly visible ladder pattern to less visible parallel lines during a recent paving project.
- The County’s Response: A spokesman for Bergen County initially claimed the intersection had “ladder crosswalk striping” and met all compliance standards, but later omitted the detail after being pressed by reporters, refusing to explain the change or why a more visible safety feature was removed at an intersection with a history of crashes.
Local Officials: “We Have to Be the Pain in the Necks”
Oakland’s leaders admit they are often beholden to county and state approvals and funding to enact substantial safety upgrades, forcing them into a constant advocacy role.
“We have to be the advocate to do things within the jurisdiction and we have to be the pain in the necks, so to speak,” said John Yakimik, a project manager providing engineering services for Oakland.
The need for action is dire: State data shows that over the last 15 years, the 0.6-mile downtown stretch of Ramapo Valley Road has seen over 600 crashes, resulting in three fatalities and nearly 50 serious or minor injuries. With approximately 29,000 vehicles driving this segment daily, local advocates argue the infrastructure is a “recipe for disaster.”
The Statewide Crisis and Funding Cuts
The issues plaguing Oakland are “emblematic” of problems across New Jersey, which was recently cited as having the most dangerous roads for pedestrians in the nation.
Despite this crisis and Governor Phil Murphy’s pledge to prioritize safety, state funding for pedestrian and cyclist grant programs has decreased for three consecutive years. Oakland’s own grant application for nearly $1 million in safety improvements in 2020—deemed to be in “desperate need”—was denied by the NJ DOT.
As Oakland gets busier with new housing developments, resident and pastor Nathan Busker summarized the core problem: “It comes down to money, but it also comes down to priorities.” Safety advocates argue that the road design prioritizes vehicle speed over pedestrian life.
Oakland is moving ahead with incremental local funding for new sidewalks, lighting, and traffic-calming measures, but with a decade-old federal safety grant still pending a construction date until 2026, the progress is slow and piecemeal.
Join the new Saddle River Valley, Ramapo and Pascack Valley Communities Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1931704860512551/
#news #follow #media #trending #viral #newsupdate #currentaffairs #BergenCountyNews #NJBreakingNews #NJHeadlines #NJTopStories
That is one busy road