U-Turns on Lenox & Maplewood Ave - Tickets

With the Post Office and increased activity on this end of Maplewood Ave, is it time for the police to start ticketing the folks who make u-turns on the street?   You can easily make a u-turn through the parking lot.

I only do it if no one is there, so no one is inconvenienced.. 

I have seen more people pull a few feet into the parking lot and back out, blocking traffic . 

yes better to use the parking lot but their would be more incentive to do this if they fixed the massive potholes in that lot.  Who is responsible for that lot?

But isn't the parking lot one way the other way? Not so easy to make U-turns. 

there is an entrance at the end just past Lenox where you can enter and exit just a few yards away

The west end of the parking lot is one way in the correct direction for easy turnarounds if you are driving west on Maplewood Ave. -- left into far end of lot, right out of the exit. And yes, I sprained my foot in that lot two weeks ago.

Is there a sign that reads "No U-Turn" at that location?

U-turns aren't legal anywhere.

I was told in high school drivers ed, as was my friend from a  neighboring town (in a different area of Jersey) that all u-turns were illegal in NJ...This was in the 80s......

but there are references on legal U Turns..something about u turns are illegal when there is a no U-Turn sign....and an implication that they are otherwise legal...

i remember the teacher clearly stating that only K-turns were allowed in NJ...it seemed so odd it was a major topic of discussion among my peers....one time I was making a right turn from a stop sign...and the person on the main road looked like he was making a left onto the side street I was on..but made a U-Turn and almost hit me...

I've tried researching it more and can't find anything about all u-turns being illegal in NJ...at least not now.

mod said:

yes better to use the parking lot but their would be more incentive to do this if they fixed the massive potholes in that lot.  Who is responsible for that lot?

That's exactly why I don't use the lot.  Fix the lot and I'm happy to use it (though I won't hang a u-ey now if there's traffic anyway, just head up Lenox and make a k-turn).

U-turns ARE legal in NJ only except when there's a sign or a sight obstruction within 500feet of the vehicle.  Neither would seem to apply here anyway.

Given that there are two bends in the road (the Baker Street intersection and just beyond the dance academy) I would say that there are sight obstructions well within 500 feet of Lenox.

The police, if so inclined, could make a ton of money for the Town if they enforced the 15 mph speed limit, no U-Turns, and no left turns into angled parking spaces just along Maplewood Ave

You can get a ticket for "cutting through" the lot, if the officer thinks that you were avoiding the stop sign.

Driving on private property to avoid a traffic signal or sign is a motor vehicle
violation. (N.J.S.A.39:4-66.2) http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/Licenses/Driver%20Manual/Chapter_4.pdf

Also, the municipality would not be getting the revenue. These are state violations and the money would go to the state, with the municipality picking up the tab for court costs. Only local violations (e.g., parking) go to the local municipality.

Which stop sign are you referring to?  If someone makes that turn through the parking lot, they aren't avoiding any stop signs.

yahooyahoo said:

Which stop sign are you referring to?  If someone makes that turn through the parking lot, they aren't avoiding any stop signs.

You're right. I was thinking the entrance was before Maplewood Avenue.

Amused said:

Given that there are two bends in the road (the Baker Street intersection and just beyond the dance academy) I would say that there are sight obstructions well within 500 feet of Lenox.

The police, if so inclined, could make a ton of money for the Town if they enforced the 15 mph speed limit, no U-Turns, and no left turns into angled parking spaces just along Maplewood Ave

not to mention parking in a crosswalk, or too close to a crosswalk

ml1 said:

not to mention parking in a crosswalk, or too close to a crosswalk

Or failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. 

tom said:

U-turns aren't legal anywhere.

I guess my point is that people still make them all over town including left turns into parking spots on Maplewood Ave. u-turns are legal if there are no obstructions for 500' and it's not posted otherwise

The simple fact is that there are many poor drivers in Maplewood. They oblivious to street signage and/or ignorant of traffic regulations.

the newly painted parking lines in front of PO really confuse the heck out of some drivers.  There is a space for a paralell car, and some angled spots.  the need for the paralel spot (I think) is to have a good site line to Lenox.  but people see the paralell painted line, and they pull up at an angle, but then they don't pull to the curb- they stop at the line!  Then their big ass car sticks out WaaaaaY into the street.  Why are people so dumb???

who they should ticket are the people holding up traffic so they can wait for a parking space to open up.  

I think it's less about being dumb than it is about being over-the-top entitled.  

This student driver thanks you all for explaining the rules of the road and offering such helpful hints.

joan_crystal said:

This student driver thanks you all for explaining the rules of the road and offering such helpful hints.

Poor Joan, you're in for a real adventure!  Good luck there.

If you cross a yellow line to make a U-turn, that will get you a ticket. So no U-turns on Baker by library and on Maplewood Avenue in town.

sunnybrook said:

I think it's less about being dumb than it is about being over-the-top entitled.  

So, so much of this now. I was trying to walk across Maplewood Ave from the Words side of the street across towards Arturos. Someone was parked (and yes, it was a big, black SUV) right next to the crosswalk, blocking the pedestrian sight line, so I had to step out into the street to see (Yes, a car was coming right upon me). Driver was in the car with the hazard lights on....oh, I'll only be a minute. 

i HATE when people are parked in the cross walk.  Up at Kings as well.  It's laziness and selfishness.

It is also thoughtlessness.  There are those in our community who are mobility challenged and need to use the curb cuts at the crosswalks to cross the street safely.  Line of site issues are a huge issue with those large SUVs, even when they are legally parked in one of the head in spaces near the crosswalk.  

this AM out front of Able Baker all the diagonal spots are taken (of course) so there's a line of three cars parallel to the curb against the diagonal cars blatantly blocking the road all with their blinkers on.  That's not what blinkers are for, by the way, people.  

God forbid someone has to walk a whole block or two to get to their destination.