From Near-Tragedy to Traffic Safety Win: The Oak Street and West Glen Avenue Story
photo courtesy of the Village of Ridgewood
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The intersection of Oak Street and West Glen Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ, carries a story of both peril and progress. Back on Christmas Eve 2020, a serious two-vehicle crash brought local emergency crews—the Ridgewood Police, Ridgewood Fire Department, and Ridgewood EMS—to the scene.
photo courtesy of Boyd Loving
While one minor injury was reported, the incident had the potential for true tragedy: A Toyota SUV involved in the accident was completely totaled, yet a woman and two small children inside miraculously walked away without a scratch. This near-tragedy highlighted the critical safety issues at the busy junction.
Major Signal Upgrades and the Push for a Full Traffic Light
The frightening 2020 crash, coupled with ongoing community concern, has driven significant safety improvements at the intersection.
Thanks to the Village’s Signal Division, the corner of Oak Street and West Glen Avenue now features updated, larger traffic warning signals. These highly visible signals are designed to better alert drivers, minimizing the risk of future accidents.
The Next Step: Installing a Full Traffic Light
Now, the Village of Ridgewood is engaged in critical discussions with Bergen County to explore installing a full traffic light at this location. A full signal would dramatically enhance safety by fully controlling vehicle flow.
However, adding a new light requires careful planning. Officials are currently evaluating several factors, including the potential for traffic backups that could ripple from the nearby existing traffic signal at Maple Avenue and Glen Avenue. Balancing safety improvements with maintaining efficient traffic flow remains the central challenge.
This ongoing project underscores the commitment of Ridgewood officials to turning past incidents into future safety measures, ensuring that miraculous escapes like the one in 2020 are never necessary again.
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It doesn’t change anything. It’s still a yellow light??
Taking 5 years to fix a dangerous intersection is not something to cheer about. Embarrassing, if you ask me.
What’s been fixed?!? Typical for the Borough of Ridgewood.
Still horribly dangerous. A new version of the same light really doesn’t do anything. Just bigger and brighter. Still dangerous
How about people drive better and safer? Get up earlier, leave earlier to get to work, school, etc.