Reader asks How do I get my own private street? The next question is why is this street closed? Next these people will want gates put up on both ends.
“Citizens Safety Advisory Committee sided with a contingent of Clinton Avenue residents, who told officials that the sidewalks weren’t needed or wanted”
As a West-Side resident, I wanted sidewalks on this street. Paying over $500k for bike lanes that now produces traffic and blocked intersections, but they can not install sidewalks?
These residents pay for landscapers for snow removal, so they would not have to perform any manual labor.
Another example of the council using “safety” as an excuse for one project but not for the next.
The Citizens Safety Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Village Council on issues concerning pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety on all roads, parks and open space in Ridgewood and promotes awareness of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety in order to improve the safe travel of all people in Ridgewood.
OK, so that is the official charge to this committee. How in the hell does letting children walk with cars on Clinton Avenue fit with these guidelines? Answer……..it fits if a member of the Committee is a Clinton Avenue resident. Mr. Fuhrman should be ashamed of himself, this is blatantly wrong.
§ 265-17
Closing of certain streets.
[Amended 6-12-2013 by Ord. No. 3383]
No person shall operate a vehicle on those streets or parts of streets as described in Schedule XIV (Village Code § 265-64), attached to and made a part of this chapter, during the times of the days indicated in said schedule unless he is a resident of the said street needing access to his home or can demonstrate or document a need to access a residence on the streets or parts of streets as described.
Translation – Anyone can drive on Clinton Avenue at any time so long as he/she has a business or personal reason to be at an address on the street. So even drivers who are not aware that groups of children walk down the middle of the street going to and from school are welcome to drive on the street.
“Police records show there have never been any traffic incidents along Clinton Avenue.”
Erroneous statement. Police records do indeed indicate that there have been reported traffic incidents (aka crashes) along Clinton Avenue, just not any involving pedestrians (thank goodness).
“Citizens Safety Advisory Committee sided with a contingent of Clinton Avenue residents” What credentials do they have on traffic or safety? They only thing the bitch about is speeding.
Yes the piece of the puzzle is votes and future donation to the campaign.
A resident of Clinton Avenue who is a member of the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee (Robert Fuhrman) reportedly did NOT recuse himself from either the Committee’s discussion or vote regarding this matter.
Legal, yes.
Ethical, that’s entirely debatable.
More votes for the Mayor and his Amigos .
Will the Village of Ridgewood put a bike lane on Clinton Avenue or is that to ugly for them?
Walkways
Annually, around 4,500 pedestrians are killed in traffic crashes with motor vehicles in the United States.1 Pedestrians killed while “walking along the roadway” account for almost 8 percent of these deaths.2 Many of these tragedies are preventable. Providing walkways separated from the travel lanes could help to prevent up to 88 percent of these “walking along roadway crashes.”3
Walkways can be created either by providing stabilized or paved surfaces separated from the roadway, or by widening paved shoulders. These treatments can not only improve the safety of pedestrians, but also make pedestrian trips more viable.
Benefits of Sidewalks
Sidewalks separated from the roadway are the preferred accommodation for pedestrians. Sidewalks provide many benefits including safety, mobility, and healthier communities.
In addition to reducing walking along roadway crashes, sidewalks reduce other pedestrian crashes. Roadways without sidewalks are more than twice as likely to have pedestrian crashes as sites with sidewalks on both sides of the street.4
Incomplete streets put people at risk
Streets without safe places to walk, cross, catch a bus, or bicycle put people at risk. Over 5,000 pedestrians and bicyclists died on U.S. roads in 2008, and more than 120,000 were injured. Pedestrian crashes are more than twice as likely to occur in places without sidewalks; streets with sidewalks on both sides have the fewest crashes. While the absolute numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians killed has been in decline for the decade, experts attribute this in part to a decline in the total number of people bicycling and walking.
Check out Resolution 11-135 and who approved it. I believe our mayor second it. Lets see how he voted he just has to see which way the wind is blowing first
“The council largely agreed last week that taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be spent adding sidewalks ” But its ok to spend taxpayers dollars to repave a road that no taxpayer can ride on unless the are invited or have business there . If these people want a private road then they should pay for the repaving.
Isn’t it typically the home owner who pays for sidewalks?
So maybe the three amigos get votes from the few residents on Clinton, but they sure have lost my vote based on this. The decision is not final yet. The vote will be at the next meeting. Maybe the wind will change direction between now and then and a little sanity will blow into their brains.
Mayor and council have no backbone they are all hypocrites. If someone on this street does get hurt i hope they sue the village big time.
That is a road used for elementary school access. It is not some country road to nowhere.
I remember when residents on a ten house dead end street were forced to install ssidewalks.
Can we compare the two scenarios? How does the council justify this? Was there any council comment?
As has been mentioned before, a member of the safety committee is a resident of Clinton. He was/is vociferous in opposition to the sidewalk on the street. Only Clinton residents were present at the meeting and it is not obvious if any residents of surrounding streets even knew the issue was being discussed. The other committee members probably just don’t want to ruffle this guys feathers so voted to not install sidewalks.
Sorry folks……. Someone has to be hurt and or killed b4 any action will b taken. Par for the course.
The biggest question is not whether the Council is wrong….we know they are wrong on this.
More to the point….what are the residents of Clinton thinking???? Do they honestly feel comfortable letting their children be at risk as they walk on the street? What kind of parent would go for such a thing. I would be screaming for sidewalks if I lived on that street. What about when they walk their dogs? When they go jogging? When guests come to visit and have to walk along the street to get to their homes? What the heck is the matter with the residents of Clinton?
Safety first.
The Ridge School Home & School Association supports the “no sidewalks” vote? What are they thinking?