Improving Road Safety: Add your own suggestions.

1. The assholic pedestrian signs in the middle of roads.

Two more bit the dust. One on Ridgewood and one on Prospect. Maybe more that I ain't seen yet. That means one or two cars now have unnecessary dents or scratches on them. Multiply that by one or two a month during the last couple of years. Add the cost of replacing them.

But -- I got an idea. I noticed that one occasions when a couple of those signs got rubbed out, they were placed on berms at the intersections. And guess what? They were just as visible and as effective as when they were placed in the middle of the street.

SO - Why not buy several more and place them on berms at locations of crosswalks. Result: More visibility and less damage to cars.

2. Parking on Parker between Prospect and Summit Avenue. Evening events at either or both of the facilities on the corner of Parker and Prospect have resulted in parking on both sides of the street between Parker and Summit. The road is not wide enough to safely accommodate this. Parking should be eliminated on one side or the other of Parker on that one section of the street.

1- Enforcement

2- Enforcement

3- Enforcement 

i doubt the pedestrian signs ran in front of the car, the car would have been driven careless/reckless and hit the sign.

how about more intensive driver training, focus on courteous drivers...

a big issue is a hole drivers will see a potential danger and only blare their horn and not take any defensive action to avoid the possible danger (ie stopping/slowing down).  about a week ago, i was trying to make a left out of a parking lot.  it really is only 1 lane in each direction, but people tend to form 2 lanes well before the intersection.    anyway, the car to my left stopped to let me out, I inched out to get to the point I could see in both directions, barely having my bumper past that car, and another car making a left lane came flying by and just blared his horn.....1st of all, I was safely inching out, 2nd, if he thought I was coming out, the appropriately thing to do is stop to avoid an accident.....its called defensive driving...when you see a hazard, you take action to avoid it.....not just let it happen....if I had actually been proceeding with the turn onto the street, i wouldn't have been able to stop.

Everyone should have to retake the written test every three years, and the road test every 5.  Maybe every two after age 70.  It's not the roads or the signs, it's the people on them.

We need a traffic light at Jefferson and Maplewood. And if you say it can’t be done explain to me why it won’t work when the same scenario exists at Glen and Wyoming. 

From a pedestrian's perspective:

Improve sight lines for drivers and pedestrians.  There are too many high  plantings at corners, making it dangerous for pedestrians crossing in crosswalks while vehicles are making turns.  Enforcing the ordinance limiting the height of plantings at corners would help.

Rethink the location of some crosswalks.  Crosswalks at sharp curves, just below the crest of hills, several feet before the intersection, etc. present sight line challenges for pedestrians and drivers.  Moving or eliminating the worst of these could help.

Install sidewalks on both sides of busy streets such as Valley and Tuscan where pedestrians are forced to walk in the street to get around obstacles.

Eliminate the use of push buttons on traffic lights.  When they don't work, when a pedestrian arrives at the intersection after the interval has started, when traffic has a delayed green and the pedestrian cannot determine if it is safe to cross, this causes an unsafe condition for pedestrians and drivers.

Enforce parking and moving violations.

Remove confusing signage such as the sign at Baker just before the tracks which seems to be encouraging drivers to go the wrong way on a one way street to get to the train station.

Reduce traffic volume by encouraging more of us to walk, especially when going short distances.

Improve mass transit options, such as reinstating bus service on Valley Street.

By the way, if these pedestrian signs are so effective, why don't we see them in other towns?

joan_crystal said:

From a pedestrian's perspective:

Improve sight lines for drivers and pedestrians.  There are too many high  plantings at corners, making it dangerous for pedestrians crossing in crosswalks while vehicles are making turns.  Enforcing the ordinance limiting the height of plantings at corners would help.

Report such plantings to the building department on their website. I reported on and it was cut in about a week.

What is the ordinance on this? Distance from intersection's curve and maximum height?

Another suggestion. There is a cop cooping on the street on several of the Parker side street. No problem with that.

The cop's time would be better spent on Irvington Avenue, say Union or Hudson. That is where real speeding takes place. They can also ticket the occasional rice burner zipping along the avenue.

cuethesun said:

We need a traffic light at Jefferson and Maplewood. And if you say it can’t be done explain to me why it won’t work when the same scenario exists at Glen and Wyoming. 

 Here's an old discussion about this:

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/maplewood-ave-jefferson-intersection

I'm pretty sure the 4 way stop solution has been looked into.  For some reason I thought it had something to do with too little stopping distance by those coming over the hill on Jefferson.

Here's another thread:

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/accident-at-jefferson-and-maplewood-ave?

I always thought that a section of cobblestones on Jefferson eastbound would serve to calm traffic coming towards the Maplewood Ave. intersection.

jamie said:

cuethesun said:

We need a traffic light at Jefferson and Maplewood. And if you say it can’t be done explain to me why it won’t work when the same scenario exists at Glen and Wyoming. 

 Here's an old discussion about this:

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/maplewood-ave-jefferson-intersection

I'm pretty sure the 4 way stop solution has been looked into.  For some reason I thought it had something to do with too little stopping distance by those coming over the hill on Jefferson.

Here's another thread:

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/accident-at-jefferson-and-maplewood-ave?

 I had heard the same thing too, probably on MOL somewhere, and when you take a close look at the intersection, that's probably true. All you need is a couple of cars stopped at a light in the east bound direction to have a dangerous situation for cars coming over the hill.

drummerboy said:

jamie said:

cuethesun said:

We need a traffic light at Jefferson and Maplewood. And if you say it can’t be done explain to me why it won’t work when the same scenario exists at Glen and Wyoming. 

 Here's an old discussion about this:

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/maplewood-ave-jefferson-intersection

I'm pretty sure the 4 way stop solution has been looked into.  For some reason I thought it had something to do with too little stopping distance by those coming over the hill on Jefferson.

Here's another thread:

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/accident-at-jefferson-and-maplewood-ave?

 I had heard the same thing too, probably on MOL somewhere, and when you take a close look at the intersection, that's probably true. All you need is a couple of cars stopped at a light in the east bound direction to have a dangerous situation for cars coming over the hill.

 But why is this not an issue with cars on Wyoming travelling over the NJT bridge and coming to a stop at the light at Glen? That grade looks even steeper than Jefferson. 

Maybe the distance from the top of the hill to the intersection is longer at Glen/Wyoming than at Jefferson/Maplewood?  But I agree, why couldn't they put one of the "[RED] Signal Ahead" signs like they have on that NJT bridge, maybe near Jefferson/Woodland or Kendal or Brookside?  Then people would be forewarned if they were going to have to stop.  Oh, but that would require the drivers to PAY ATTENTION.  Never mind.

Asdfh

In SO, add a left turn signal on Irvington at Prospect (turning south onto Prospect). There’s already a left turn lane, but at rush hour there is a high volume of traffic coming the other way in Irvington, often with no break and with some drivers going through yellows and reds.

As a result, many people try to turn left as soon as the light turns green, slowing the cross traffic and often putting pedestrians in danger. I refuse to turn left as soon as a light changes because it is simply not safe and endangers pedestrians. I’ve had cars behind me at that intersection cut left when I simply pulled into the intersection to wait my turn. I cannot figure out why there’s not a short left signal here.

Cops ticketing drivers who don’t yield for pedestrians (obviously), plus ticketing for turning left after left-turn green arrow is done (in SO, turning left onto Valley St. from SO Ave. is an egregious example of this).

Cops warning/ticketing pedestrians for crossing busy streets outside of the crosswalk. A lot of idiots cross from DD to Ashley when there are crosswalks like 30 feet to either side.

Cops warning/ticketing pedestrians for crossing at busy intersections before the walk sign. (Like at aforementioned Valley St/SO Ave intersection, people often do this , which screws the drivers who have the left arrow, who then have to wait til green arrow ends to go,  which then screws the drivers going straight and pedestrians properly waiting for the walk sign).

People need to slow down!!! Where are you going in such a hurry? Will you be so very late if you drive at least somewhere reasonably close to the speed limit and not 20-25 MPH over it? This bothers me both as a driver (because those drivers ride my bumper when I am only doing 8 over the speed limit) and as a pedestrian (because I may have thought it was safe to cross but didn't know that driver was going 45 in a 25). Take a Xanax, people!

Smedley said:

Cops ticketing drivers who don’t yield for pedestrians (obviously), plus ticketing for turning left after left-turn green arrow is done (in SO, turning left onto Valley St. from SO Ave. is an egregious example of this).

If I am reading this correctly you are mistaken about the rules.  A green left turn arrow gives the driver a protected left turn.  When it goes out, if the main signal is still green the driver can still legally turn left, if oncoming traffic and pedestrian traffic allows for it.  You only have to stop if there is a red light or a red arrow.

They need to replace the signs with a cop.  The first time you get caught speeding in one of those zones they give you a warning.  The second time, they give you a ticket.  The third time, they shoot you in the knee cap.  

I am sooooooo sick of bassholes speeding past the park at the end of the street.  The fact that they haven't killed a kid yet is a miracle in and of itself.

FilmCarp said:

Smedley said:

Cops ticketing drivers who don’t yield for pedestrians (obviously), plus ticketing for turning left after left-turn green arrow is done (in SO, turning left onto Valley St. from SO Ave. is an egregious example of this).

If I am reading this correctly you are mistaken about the rules.  A green left turn arrow gives the driver a protected left turn.  When it goes out, if the main signal is still green the driver can still legally turn left, if oncoming traffic and pedestrian traffic allows for it.  You only have to stop if there is a red light or a red arrow.

 Yes I meant cars turning left that no longer have the green arrow but still go and cut off pedestrians and oncoming traffic who have the right of way once the left green arrow ends.

I've seen more close calls since the stop for pedestrian plan. I stop, guy behind be blares his horn.

I stop, guy behind me makes left turn crossing path of pedestrian,  I stop, pedestrian doesn't look for traffic coming the other way....I stop, no other traffic, pedestrians stand there and wait for me to proceed...

Crosswalk to cross Jefferson, at the Walton/Woodland intersection.

Rumble strip across the road at top of hill just east of that spot.

Technically, it's not Maplewood and South Orange, but there needs to be a left turn signal for those trying to turn left onto Springfield from Valley.  I've seen some very close calls.  

joan_crystal said:

From a pedestrian's perspective:

Eliminate the use of push buttons on traffic lights.  When they don't work, when a pedestrian arrives at the intersection after the interval has started, when traffic has a delayed green and the pedestrian cannot determine if it is safe to cross, this causes an unsafe condition for pedestrians and drivers.

 I'm intrigued by this suggestion, joan_crystal. What is wrong with push buttons on traffic lights for pedestrians? (Apart from the fact that they either rarely seem to do anything or it's not often obvious which traffic light it's for.)

High shrubs/hedges at corners obscure the driver's view at too many locations in our towns. You shouldn't have to pull out into the street you wish to turn into (especially if you are making a left turn) just to see if there is a car approaching. I love leafy, beautiful shrubs as much as anyone, but they can be a hazard.

I’m not sure what the problem is with the yield signs in crosswalks. If people are hitting the signs isn’t that an indication of someone not paying enough attention or not fully in control of the vehicle? The biggest problems with vehicle safety are probably driving at too high speed, and not being attentive enough to the road. The fact that people still think the flashing lights, strobing stop signs, painted indicators on the road, and signs a few hundred yards before the Jefferson/Maplewood intersection aren’t sufficient means the problem is more about driver inattention than it is road design. 

I’m not sure what can be done about that aside from a massive education campaign like there was to raise awareness about drinking and driving. We can try to engineer our way out of car crashes, but if people are going to speed and ignore their surroundings there are still going to be crashes. 

One problem with the yield signs in crosswalks is that there is zero reflective surface on the sides (it's just the thin part of the sign). That makes it pretty much invisible as one comes to the intersection from the side. I hit one that I was well aware existed, but didn't see as I approached it from a cross-street at night.

They need to have reflectors on the sides.

cody said:

High shrubs/hedges at corners obscure the driver's view at too many locations in our towns. You shouldn't have to pull out into the street you wish to turn into (especially if you are making a left turn) just to see if there is a car approaching. I love leafy, beautiful shrubs as much as anyone, but they can be a hazard.

 Truth!

ridski said:

 I'm intrigued by this suggestion, joan_crystal. What is wrong with push buttons on traffic lights for pedestrians? (Apart from the fact that they either rarely seem to do anything or it's not often obvious which traffic light it's for.)

1. The push buttons tend to break (nothing happens when you push the button) and remain broken, in some cases for years.

2. Due to the location of the traffic lights to which they are affixed, the push buttons are often unreachable when snow/ice is on the ground.  They may also be blocked by caution tape or other barrier when wok is being done at that intersection.

3.  When the push buttons do work, they only work at the start of the interval.  This poses a particularly dangerous situation at an intersection such as Baker and Valley.  Looking north, the pedestrian who arrives at the intersection after the cross traffic has been stopped sees a red light governing the  north/ south traffic and assumes it is safe to cross even though they are seeing a red light in front of them.  However, due to the delayed green, south moving traffic may start to move before the pedestrian is fully across the street.  This causes a dangerous situation.

Far better to remove the push buttons and time the lights so that pedestrians have a dedicated interval during which they can cross the street more safely.