photo courtesy of the Village Manager Keith Kazmark
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the recent pedestrian tragedy on Maple Avenue in front of the Ridgewood Public Library reminds everyone that promoting pedestrian safety in a walkable community like Ridgewood is essential, and it’s great to hear that safety is a top priority. Installing crosswalk signals and encouraging individuals to use the push button signals at key intersections, such as the one at Linwood Avenue. and Fairfield Avenue, is an important step in ensuring the safety of pedestrians.
Here are a few additional tips to enhance pedestrian safety in Ridgewood:
- Always Use Crosswalks: Encourage pedestrians to use designated crosswalks when crossing the street. Crosswalks are marked for safety and are often equipped with signals to alert drivers.
- Obey Traffic Signals: Remind pedestrians to obey traffic signals, wait for the “walk” signal before crossing, and not to cross against a red light.
- Look Both Ways: Teach pedestrians to look left and right before crossing, even if they have the right of way. It’s important to make eye contact with drivers to ensure they see you.
- Avoid Distractions: Encourage pedestrians to put away electronic devices, such as smartphones or headphones, when crossing the street. Distractions can reduce awareness of their surroundings.
- Be Visible: When walking at night or in low-light conditions, remind pedestrians to wear reflective clothing or carry a flashlight to increase visibility.
- Follow Crosswalk Rules: Teach children and adults to follow the rules of crosswalks, including not darting out into traffic and not lingering in the crosswalk after crossing.
- Educate Drivers: Promote awareness among drivers to be alert and cautious in pedestrian-heavy areas. Remind them to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
By taking these safety measures and spreading awareness, Ridgewood can create a safer environment for all its residents and visitors, making the community even more walkable and pedestrian-friendly.
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Its very typical to see pedestrians just entering a crosswalk without looking up and making eye contact with a car. They maybee have the right of way… but becomeing a bowling pin doesnt make the point.
So true. The law was not intended to mean a pedestrian does not still need to look both ways before crossing.
They forget this section of the law…….
“but no pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.”
I’m not sure it says that anywhere, and here’s the actual legalese:
Stop and stay Stopped
MOTORISTS in New Jersey MUST stop for pedestrians in a marked crosswalk. Failure to observe the law may subject you to one or more of the following:
2 POINTS
$200 FINE (plus court costs)
15 DAYS COMMUNITY SERVICE
INSURANCE SURCHARGES
NEW JERSEY STATUTE 39:4-36
Driver to stop for pedestrian:
exceptions, violations. penalties.
A. The driver of a vehicle must stop and stay stopped for a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk, but shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except at crosswalks when the movement of traffic is being regulated by police officers or traffic control signals, or where otherwise prohibited by municipal, county, or State regulation, and except where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided, but no pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.
Whenever any vehicle is stopped to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.
Every pedestrian upon a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
B. A person violating this section shall, upon conviction thereof, pay a fine to be imposed by the court in the amount of $200. The court may also impose a term of community service not to exceed 15 days.
C. Of each fine imposed and collected pursuant to subsection B. of the section, $100 shall be forwarded to the State Treasurer who shall annually deposit the moneys into the “Pedestrian Safety Enforcement and Education Fund” created by section 1 of PL 2005, c 84 (C.39:4-36.2)
PEDESTRIANS MUST obey pedestrian signals and use crosswalks at signalized intersections. Both carry a $54.00 fine for failure to observe the law.
(C.39:4-32 and 33)
But, what’s going on on their phones is so much more important than their lives….
Instagram, Facebook, or some other nonsense?
I used to be a road traffic accident investigator, while I was a cop in Europe. I can tell within a narrow margin what speed a vehicle is going. I regularly witness vehicles traveling at around 50mph between Spring and E Ridgewood along Van Dien, and failing to yield to pedestrians already well within the crosswalks. In NJ there are also unmarked crosswalks, wherever two roads meet, and whereby vehicles are supposed to yield to pedestrians. Only a handful if drivers seem to be aware of these at all.
I also witness quite reckeless speeds, and the ignoring of pedestrians on other streets in Ridgewood.
The situation has become worse since the pandemic, and worse still since the new Police Chief. There are virtually no traffic enforcement duties here, in stark contrast to other towns.
The emphasis in policing here in RW seems to be a. Reactive for accidents, and b. Concentrated as a police presence in the town center.
I have yet to see any RW officer using a radar, or using any form of time tested methods to make the streets safer.
I find it baffling that a Police Department charged with keeping its residents safe is virtually absent from any process besides emergency calls. This points to a complete lack of experience by its leadership in carrying out any duties besides reactive policing.
Until such time as they prioritize proactive, regular presence points in driving hot spots, and education and enforcement. I’m afraid we will experience more deaths and serious injuries in Ridgewood. It should not be lost on residents, but especially the RW Police chief, that this last unnecessary death happened outside of their building, and while several officers were concentrated in Van Neste …
RPD used to sit at the Duck Pond or the old ice cream place across the street early mornings and nab speeders. I have not seen them in years. I think the worst road for speeding in Ridgewood is East Ridgewood Ave between Pleasant and Paramus Road. Everyone is tired of the lights through town or the backed up traffic in Paramus and they just hit it hard in that stretch. I’d go with 45 mph average and so many rear-end accidents for cars turning into Walthery, Pershing or the Duck Pond.
Can confirm. I’m in the area of Ridgewood/Pershing/Somerville and we had two pretty serious accidents over the summer. Lots of speeders on Somerville too
Historically when residents complained about speeders, the PD would post a radar car in the area.
Interestingly many of those ‘snagged’ were nearby residents!
Ive seen the radar cars on monroe, glen, and by the duckpond .
Many towns have put a parked PD car on the road, unoccupied, which accomplishes the goal to slow down the traffic. (they used to do this on glen ave)