Ridgewood council to vote on changes to Garber Square road project
JUNE 5, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014, 3:37 PM
BY BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
Ridgewood Council members this week offered their preliminary support of recommended changes to the controversial Garber Square improvement project, and their decision will be official when they vote on a village resolution June 11.
Resident protest and input over the past three weeks prompted municipal officials to revisit the plans, which call for the installation of a bicycle lane in each direction of Garber Square from the train underpass to West Ridgewood Avenue. To accommodate the bike lanes, a majority of Garber Square was reduced to one motor vehicle lane for each direction of traffic.
Though the village will continue that portion of the project, officials have agreed to reduce the width of the median separating easterly and westerly traffic from 8 feet to 4 feet. A smaller median gives the village “flexibility” in the event engineering officials opt to reinstate the second traffic lane and eliminate the bike path, according to Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld.
“It’s a fallback if congestion that is untreatable does occur,” Sonenfeld said at Wednesday’s council work session. “We’re not trying to cause congestion, but we’re trying to slow down traffic.”
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-council-to-vote-on-changes-to-garber-square-road-project-1.1030107#sthash.6B8TyDIm.dpuf
Slow down traffic? What does that mean? Traffic will be at a standstill because there will be one lane in each direction. Ok so the median is narrowed by four feet: does that mean emergency vehicles will use the bike lane? Yikes, what a boondoggle.
If it ain’t broke; don’t fix it!
But it will look so pretty! And we. Have a grant to make it so pretty! If it goes back to 2 lanes, we’ll have to give the grant back. Not holding my breath.
Very calm traffic will lead to road rage.
Roberta brought up at the meeting information from the police about the accidents in that area, which I forget off the top of my head. The numbers included calls for police, but wonder the intensity of those accidents. Are they mostly side mirror being taking off which I consider minor accident or major? While the number is helpful to know, I think the type of accidents/calls around that area is vital and how it compares to other parts of the town.
…most importantly it will cure global warming
How typical of how this town operates. Approve something when nobody is looking then hope nobody notices when the project starts.
Its going to cost to go back.
Of all the projects people might have failed to notice, this was at the top of the list of NO WAY.
Traffic jams = idling = pollution