WYOMING ROAD - QUESTION ON CROSSWALK & WHAT CAN BE DONE?

All - thanks for any help.  Today, I was walking my child to Jefferson and was at the crosswalk at corner of Wyoming & Durand.  There was no crossing guard today (and her presence has been inconsistent as I have seen her once since school started).  

Crossing the street with 4 other children when the cars finally stop (after awhile), and then a plumbing van blows by the stopped cars in the median and almost takes us all out while standing on his brakes/screeching to a stop before he hits us.  

So, I want to take this issue up with the powers that be, but is Wyoming a county road and therefore should be addressed with them?  Or can I handle this with Maplewood Town Committee?  I am not sure what the answer is, but it's time for something to be addressed as more families moving in with children and crossing Wyoming Road, it's only a matter of time before there will be a fatality and there is zero need to have it.  

Thank you for your help.


Vehicles zooming around cars that actually stopped at a crosswalk is a common problem and is to the most dangerous one.


It's definitely a problem.  The way people drive around here makes me too nervous to even cross Valley with my baby in the stroller which is such a shame since we could easily walk into town.  I don't feel safe crossing at either the Pierson Road crosswalk or at the Tuscan and Valley intersection. For me, it's become a quality of life issue.  

Wasn't there a pedestrian safety summit led by the mayor awhile back?  Did anything come of it?   


Part of what you describe, the intersection itself, is a transportation engineering issue and should be addressed to the town engineer citing the structural or signs and markings changes you would recommend that would make the crossing safer - assuming that is the central problem.  Missing crossing guard at the intersection and moving violations are a police matter and should be addressed to the police department.


Having the same problem further down Wyoming.  Our street has a group of kids who leave around the same time every morning but they cannot rely on the crossing guard to be there.  I thought of contacting the SO/MPL transportation office but not sure they are in charge of the streets that cross Wyoming.  I'll keep looking but if you find out who to call, post here and I will put in a call as well.


Crossing guards are employees of the police department.  If there is a crossing guard assigned to the corner who is repeatedly AWOL, this should be brought to the attention of the Police Department.


Thanks - we are going to investigate and let you know...

kanddy said:

Having the same problem further down Wyoming.  Our street has a group of kids who leave around the same time every morning but they cannot rely on the crossing guard to be there.  I thought of contacting the SO/MPL transportation office but not sure they are in charge of the streets that cross Wyoming.  I'll keep looking but if you find out who to call, post here and I will put in a call as well.



Wyoming is a county road and the crosswalk placement and signage would be handled by them.

However, you can go to the TC meeting and voice your concerns and they will  have someone contact the county to discuss the matter.

I believe the crossing guard on Wyoming is what they call a "rolling" crossing guard.  This person drives the length of Wyoming (in Maplewood) and crosses children when they come upon them.  And this person works for the Maplewood Police Department.  You can call there and ask to speak with the Lt. Or Captain who oversees them. 

I should note that this is how it was run in the past, not sure if anything changed recently. 


They are supposed to put up a light next year at Pierson and Valley, which should help there. I'm also hoping for speed bumps, traffic-calming swerves in the road, a protected bike path -- and a streetcar to downtown South Orange! Also, robot-operated lasers to vaporize rude and careless drivers. 


Pierson and Valley is so close to Tuscan and Valley. That does not make sense.



Moammar said:

They are supposed to put up a light next year at Pierson and Valley, which should help there. I'm also hoping for speed bumps, traffic-calming swerves in the road, a protected bike path -- and a streetcar to downtown South Orange! Also, robot-operated lasers to vaporize rude and careless drivers. 

Well, you’ll get a light. Traffic will be twice as bad as usual on that stretch, but there will be a light.


As a point of reference, Millburn pupils walking to Wyoming School use a well-marked crosswalk on Wyoming at Cypress Street. It is possible to petition the county for a safer crossing. (Millburn also uses paid stationary guards to cross students there and at the Cypress intersections with Ridgewood and Glenn.)



galileo said:

Pierson and Valley is so close to Tuscan and Valley. That does not make sense.

Walking past that almost every morning during MMS drop off, it would be useful to have a light at Valley and Pierson, just o control the traffic going into and out of Golf Island. Valley is a parking lot and people needing to get into and out of Golf Island have a hard time going anywhere.


But that is maybe a half hour twice a day at best. After that, the light will mostly be used be pedestrians crossing Valley, at which point I must again advocate the use of pedestrian controlled traffic lights. Not just buttons that do nothing, proper pedestrian controlled lights. Drivers stop for red lights and little else. 


Crossing guard there likes to play traffic officer without any of the VERY necessary training...

j_r said:

As a point of reference, Millburn pupils walking to Wyoming School use a well-marked crosswalk on Wyoming at Cypress Street. It is possible to petition the county for a safer crossing. (Millburn also uses paid stationary guards to cross students there and at the Cypress intersections with Ridgewood and Glenn.)



Crossing guards receive training and frankly risk their lives every single day. A neighbor who worked elsewhere in the district was struck in the middle of an intersection, in broad daylight, because a driver disregarded her directions. Please just slow down.


I have no problem with stopping for crossing guards - it's when they try to then direct traffic that I take umbrage. Cross the pedestrians and then allow traffic to proceed. They are not trained to direct traffic. 

j_r said:

Crossing guards receive training and frankly risk their lives every single day. A neighbor who worked elsewhere in the district was struck in the middle of an intersection, in broad daylight, because a driver disregarded her directions. Please just slow down.



I think Wyoming gets even worse closer to South Orange Avenue by the school.  At that point, drivers are trying to make the light, and I think (completely an assumption) that their eyes are on the light and not on what's between them and the light.  More signage, and maybe even something in the shoulder (either flag-like or permanent like a raised pavement) could be considered if that sort of thing makes sense to the pros.

And yes I know this is something to take up with the county.  Maybe a big sign with the County Executive's picture on it, he seems to like those.


You may be on to something in your last sentence.

A speed hump across Wyoming a block before South Orange Ave, with signs alerting you to the speed hump with wording such as "Joe D Says slow down, Children Ahead" or "Joe D Says slow down, Save lives"  with his picture on the sign.  Of course you would need to have a press release when the project is done but I think this proposal would be looked at more seriously then just some plain signs.

I like Joe D personally, but he is a press hound. 

South_Mountaineer said:

I think Wyoming gets even worse closer to South Orange Avenue by the school.  At that point, drivers are trying to make the light, and I think (completely an assumption) that their eyes are on the light and not on what's between them and the light.  More signage, and maybe even something in the shoulder (either flag-like or permanent like a raised pavement) could be considered if that sort of thing makes sense to the pros.

And yes I know this is something to take up with the county.  Maybe a big sign with the County Executive's picture on it, he seems to like those.




bets said:

I have no problem with stopping for crossing guards - it's when they try to then direct traffic that I take umbrage. Cross the pedestrians and then allow traffic to proceed. They are not trained to direct traffic. 

Maybe they should be, since there is a shortage of both trained traffic directors and sane drivers. What would you do if a crossing guard signaled to you to stop?




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