the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Woodcliff Lake NJ, a growing debate over traffic issues at Exit 171 off the Garden State Parkway has sparked tension between local mayors in Bergen County. Drivers like Lauri Murray, who lives on Clairmont Drive in Woodcliff Lake, are frustrated with the current traffic flow. Murray, who has lived in the area for over 25 years, finds it inconvenient to navigate her way home after exiting the Parkway.
“My house is right across the street from the exit, so I have to go up the block, find somewhere to make the U-turn, and come back around,” she explained.
At present, drivers exiting the Parkway at Exit 171 can only make a left onto Glen Road, which has prompted the creation of a petition led by Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali. He proposes a solution: redesigning the exit so that one lane allows for left turns while the other permits right turns. According to Ghassali, this change would alleviate congestion, especially as Montvale continues to grow and nearby Exit 172 closes for road work.
“We’ve noticed heavy traffic coming in off the Parkway, avoiding 171, but heading to us and then turning back to Woodcliff Lake,” Ghassali said. “Washington Township and other nearby towns are dealing with the same issue, with drivers using Exit 168 and rerouting.”
However, Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo opposes the proposed changes, stating that Montvale has no jurisdiction over Exit 171, which falls within Woodcliff Lake. Rendo emphasized that any modifications require unanimous consent from local officials, and for now, Woodcliff Lake’s leadership is firmly against altering the traffic pattern.
“We have an agreement with Bergen County and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority that says we need unanimous consent to make changes, and right now, we are unanimous in not opening it up,” Rendo said.
While some residents, like Murray, support the idea of easing traffic with a right-turn option, others are concerned it won’t solve the problem. Kurt Cieszo, a Woodcliff Lake resident, believes the proposed changes could actually make things worse.
“It’s a bad situation. Making a right-hand turn is not going to solve it. The traffic is going to get worse, and it’s going to overwhelm the S turns and all the country roads,” Cieszo argued.
Mayor Rendo echoed concerns about preserving the town’s character, stating, “People move to Woodcliff Lake for the beauty of it, not for the convenience of easy access to a highway. Our roads and neighboring streets weren’t built to absorb that kind of traffic.”
Despite the disagreement, Mayor Ghassali plans to meet with Bergen County officials and the Turnpike Commission to discuss possible solutions. As the debate unfolds, local residents and commuters will be watching closely to see how their daily routes might be impacted.
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Rendo is wrong communities need to work together he is not! Hundreds of people are and have been dealing with this hardship for a very long time. Carlos needs to get with reality!
Of course Woodcliff Lake wants to maintain the left turn only but there is no concern for the amount of traffic that exits at 165 and 168. Why shouldn’t towns be cooperating to lessen the burden on just Paramus and Washington Twp? Why can’t 168 adopt a left turn only scenario and create additional chaos? Or better yet, initiate a toll at 168 to discourage exit of cars that will continue to Woodcliff Lake? Our administration should see this disaster as a top priority and look for a common agreement .
Well Lauri maybe you shouldn’t have bought a house ON A FRECKIN HIGHWAY
So now the taxpayers need to shell out bc someone is inconveniece????
Sorry WCL. The right hand turn will be returning.