Traffic expert discusses impact from proposed housing developments in Ridgewood
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16, 2012, 5:18 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood’s traffic profile for the Central Business District (CBD) is a nightmare, but at least one expert believes that two multi-family housing developments, if constructed, might fix some of the problems.
The Planning Board continued the joint application hearings for the Dayton and Chestnut Village, separate housing proposals that together have the potential to plant nearly 160 new dwellings into downtown Ridgewood. The developers for each are seeking zoning changes to permit multi-family housing in their respective locations.
If approved, the Dayton will be built on South Broad Street. Chestnut Village is slated for construction at a vacant lot on Chestnut Street.
On Wednesday, board members heard the first portion of a much-awaited report that detailed the developments’ impact on existing traffic conditions.
Retained by the village to conduct a traffic study, John Jahr of Maser Consulting identified a laundry list of traffic sore spots and areas of concern in the CBD, but his focus was set on the Franklin Avenue corridor.
The scope of the study should have included the entire village. There are too many cars and not enough road and a plan is needed to manage the inevitable growth.
Agree with 1 — imagine if 400 apartments are added to downtown — with each unit owning 1 car, that’s a lot more traffic.