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Ridgewood NJ, in an effort to insure pedestrian safety in Ridgewood’s Central Business District the Ridgewood Citizens Safety Advisory Committee proposed putting up 12 banners on light poles that are equipped with banner sleeves in the central business district as part of the Be Street Smart NJ.
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Street Smart NJ is a public education campaign coordinated by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority that aims to raise awareness of pedestrian and motorist laws and change the behaviors that lead to pedestrian and cyclist crashes and fatalities.
Ridgewood adopted a complete streets resolution in 2011, which states:
WHEREAS, the Village Council supports this “Complete Streets” initiative and wishes to reinforce its commitment to creating a comprehensive, integrated, connected street network that safely accommodates all road users of all abilities and disabilities and for all trips; and, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by The Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey, that all public street projects undertaken by the Village shall be designed and constructed as “Complete Streets” whenever it is feasible to do so in order to safely accommodate travel by pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit, and motorized vehicles and their passengers, with special priority given to bicyclist and pedestrian safety subject to the following conditions: 1. Pedestrian and bicycle facilities shall not be required where they are prohibited by law. 2. Public transit facilities shall not be required on streets not serving as transit routes and the desirability of transit facilities will be determined on a project specific basis.
Pedestrian safety banners
CSAC is proposing to put up 12 banners on light poles that are equipped with banner sleeves in the CBD. Banners are 20” x 30” – examples can be found on the Be Street Smart NJ website here. They will be printed locally and the cost is approximately $30. They can be customized with local business logos at additional cost. If businesses would like to sponsor a banner, please reach out to Anastasia. Council would have to adopt a resolution to go forward. CSAC will be presenting at an upcoming meeting.
They can put up banners all over the place but will really enforce safety is slowing down the roads. The way to do that is to give out speeding tickets, driving while using cell phone tickets, and tickets to pedestrians for crossing in the middle of the block. That is the only way. It is anarchy on our streets. I walk my dog and see cars speeding up and down N Monroe during the times when kids are walking and biking to the schools. Why don’t they ticket cars once in a while to enforce the speed limits, especially near the schools? Other towns do it. Every time I drive on Franklin in Waldwick, there is a ticket being issued, same with road in Waldwick near Superdome Sports. Once you see enough speed patrols, you automatically slow down. I attended safety meetings for a few years and never quite got the question answered why Ridgewood police don’t ticket speeders. Drivers in our town need a change in behavior which will come about by increasing the ticketing.
Remember years ago on Franklin, the had red flags in a pot to use when crossing the street? They were gone in a monthm
Well put Anon2
How about signs that say don’t walk out btw 2 parked cars and/or for your safety, pls use the Crosswalks
There are several reason why this town has become so dangerous for pedestrians, but until the cops stop sitting around across from Raymond’s (and chatting with those hard working traffic enforcement folks) and actually pull people over then nothing will change. The corner of Maple and Broad is a nightmare for cars and walkers. I am shocked there are not more accidents there
This is one of the stupidest ideas that RW has ever had.
It will do nothing except make Ridgewood look like $hit
“and tickets to pedestrians for crossing in the middle of the block.”
In many situations, like the business district streets in Richwood, you can cross in the middle of the block where there is no marked crosswalk.
HOWEVER, you are expected to cross at a 90 degree angle, AND you do not have the right of way over vehicular traffic.
I did not know that about crossing between cars in the business district. I see what you did with ‘Richwood’, clever!
As the driver looks up to read the banner they do not see the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
Perhaps all vehicles should be banned completely from the CBD, nothing is more important than keeping pedestrians safe. NYC has done this in several locations, and it has been successful.
Yeah.
Let’s make Ridgewood just like NYC.
Just wait a bit…………………..
the website link doesn’t show examples of so called ‘banners” or banner sleeves. What do the light pole 20 inch x 30 inch “banners” look like ? hang like a flag ? or like a sign?
“Perhaps all vehicles should be banned completely from the CBD,” Councilman Paul V must be posting on this blog.
Hey, maybe they could post “Slow down” on that huge neon billboard that is going to be built at the entrance to town?
Or perhaps the police could start enforcing the speed limit. We need the cash anyway.
An officer once told me if he had to give out tickets all day for people speeding thru town, he’d never get anything done! Unbelievable!
The cops should give out more ticket until they get to you. Then you would probably post ” Those cop have nothing to do all day but give out tickets” After all you a Tax Payer.