Paramus NJ, The borough will soon install its first-ever bike lanes, aimed at improving safety for cyclists using the busy Midland Avenue thoroughfare. The bike lanes will run from Paramus Road to Country Club Road on Midland Avenue. Striped lanes will be added on both the eastbound and westbound sides of the road. The stretch of Midland Avenue,which has a speed limit of 35 mph, is home to the public library, Midland Elementary School, the municipal swimming pool and an access road to Bergen Community College.
The federal-aid SRTS program provides federal-aid highway funds to State Departments of Transportation. The main objectives of the program are:
to enable and encourage children in grades K-8, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school;
to make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; and,
to facilitate the planning, development and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.
“reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution”
equals anti motor vehicle
equals Bike Lanes
equals “Traffic calming” (aka traffic jams, aka traffic frustration so you take alternate route or better yet use public transportation
equals Behavior modification
.
all of these grants are driven by the agenda to implement the Agenda 21 “utopian vision” – no cars, pack and stack housing (their term) walk to home, work, market, entertainment. (like living in retirement communities (or high cost mental institutions).
the utopian vision drives the grant – the “named benefit” (in this case safe passage to school) is just the MEANS to implement their goals.
Reader Gives a brief history of this money-pit debacle.
A brief history of this money-pit debacle.
1. The new Village manager, with the backing of her lefty base, thought it would be the right thing to do, to instal traffic-calming measures on a stretch of road that was badly in need to repair. No public discussion was invited.
2. A contractor was awarded the project and there does not appear to have been language in the contract regarding completion time.
3. Work starts and the public quickly learn of this major change to the Village’s one and only traffic link between the two sides of town. Outrage is the result and work is stopped.
4. Work eventually resumes, whereby much of the original work has to be put back the way it was and the project basically starts again.
5. The Village Manager issues a public statement regarding her displeasure at the length of time the project is taking, and talks of finding a new contractor.
Is it any wonder people don’t want the Government managing their health?
Readers Question the wisdom of reducing traffic lanes at Garber Square
Would be interested in knowing how much additional funds were needed to make Wilsey and Garber Squares into one lanes vs. repaving existing setup. Not completely sure what they are trying to achieve at this location with the narrow roadways — is speeding/pedestrian safety a major issue around that stretch?
Starting Wednesday, May 7th, paving construction work will begin on the West Side at Wilsey and Garber Squares from Godwin Avenue to under the train trestle on Franklin Avenue. Expect traffic congestion in this area for the next 3 months during construction. To avoid delays, we suggest the use of alternate streets to get across the train tracks – Ackerman Avenue or W. Glen Avenue.
