Time for a Traffic Light?: Washington & Warren St.
After many close calls of vehicle accidents, and for the safety of the students, I wonder if it is time to install a light on the corner of Washington & Warren Street.
Due to the redistricting, more vehicles from the hospital side of town are heading straight up Washington St. towards Hatchery Hill for pick up. This is a difficult intersection to navigate, with all of the departing school traffic, kids, and crossing guards. On the return trip, those same vehicles are making left hand turns onto Warren. Since crossing guards are not able to direct vehicles making left-hand turns, this is bottle-necking traffic at the Center St. intersection.
Having dropping my kids off at school for many years, it seems like there have been far more close calls and drivers losing patience. More drivers are looking for a brief lapse in traffic to turn and may not be watching for the crossing guards or kids.
D's 4I'd put one at Washington & Grand first. But I feel like a light going in at either spot is kind of unlikely in the near term. Restrictions on turns are a more likely option.
Part of the problem is also that our high school has only a single entrance/exit. All traffic is funneled to the same street. After students, staff, and parents leave the high school, they only have the option to make the left onto Madison off of Warren or proceed to the intersection of Warren and Washington.
I mentioned on another thread about this, that they could make a road leading out next to the entrance to the fish hatchery and that way those heading out towards Grand would have their own direct exit that way. It would also make evacuation much more easy (if it was needed).
Phil D. Isn’t there a crossing guard at that intersection in the morning and afternoon when school is in session? One was there when my kids were in high school and she kept the traffic flowing well along with assisting students crossing the intersection.
plc There has always been a crossing guard at the intersection. The crossing guard there for many years (up until about two years ago) used to stop traffic to cross students. She would then direct cars turning left to turn prior to directly traffic on Warren. This kept traffic moving on Washington.
It is my understanding that crossing guards are not supposed to direct traffic, although many did up until recently. It is very difficult to make that left with the magnitude of traffic now at the intersection.
Not to hijack this thread, but a light at the intersection of Newburgh Road and Schooley's Mountain Road would be a good idea too. I work on Newburgh, but hardly ever try to make a left onto Schooley's because it's so dangerous. I needed to go that way yesterday and nearly get creamed by an SUV doing like 60mph down the hill.
Rob Durana A 24x7 light is not a good solution for a problem that happens twice a day for an hour. If drivers are ignoring kids crossing and the guards, then they're going to ignore a light too. A light at Main & Grand sure doesn't solve crossing the street from Man Skirt to Pit Stop.
Directing traffic is understandably the police jurisdiction. If you want to solve the inattentive drivers, occasionally have an officer there. A few tickets will change a lot.
GC 
GreyHawk It's not a good idea until some gets hit and then it becomes a woulda, coulda, shoulda!
By the way, because lately it's become quite obvious to me, the "School Zone" on Washington extends all the way to PAST Warren, almost to Little Street!
I see people go by the school, then suddenly speed up just past it, barreling down the rest of Washington towards Warren. As GC mentions, having a cop there giving out tickets or at the very least initial warnings would go a long way to fixing the issue. Of course having the electronic sign that they recently had on Willow Grove coming downhill from the 5 Points may help too. I've stopped for a number of frustrated pedestrians who couldn't get a break at the intersection of Willow Grove and Maple due to the amount of traffic and people racing downhill there.
3wbdwnj By the way. My post above doesn't quite sound the way I meant to say it. I realized that the "School Zone" extended that far.
I was trying to bring it to the attention of others that it was obvious that people either didn't know or didn't care that it extended that far. In editing it earlier I somehow left that line out. Read Phil, read...
The previous crossing guard that was there for many years did an outstanding job, she was a pro. She directed all traffic, kept the kids safe and traffic flowing smoothly up Warren and onto Washington, in all four directions. That also kept the flow from the HS to Madison moving. She spent 45 minutes standing in the center of the intersection and directed everything in every direction in an organized fashion. I don't remember ever having a problem with either traffic backing up so badly or pedestrian safety. I notice that this new guard stands on the sidewalk next to the office building and only comes into the street when there is a buildup of kids needing to cross and doesn't wave on which line of traffic should go first, second, etc, after the kids cross.
As a resident of Warren St. for 28 years I have noticed a BIG difference in the traffic flow and aggravation factor among drivers the last 2 years, but especially this year. It's total bedlam on Warren, Madison, Washington and Grand like I've never seen before.
I guess (from reading this thread) that crossing guards aren't supposed to direct traffic like she did, but it sure worked well. Maybe instead of a crossing guard there, a cop would be better for that 45 minutes so he can keep it all flowing smoothly again.
Not a fan of the traffic light suggestion...
Laurel Someone will need to be killed first before they put a light. This was the case in Roxbury as the town became larger and larger. Hillside and Righter light was formed due to child being struck and killed. Sad but true.
Hackettstown is pretty amazing, small town goes through years of growth yet the infrastructure doesn't change. Roads aren't expanded, schools are vintage for sure. Yet the taxes sky rocket. Mismanaged and corrupt no doubt. Just magnified due to the small size of the town. Can't hide the blemishes so easy.
Sam yea i don't see the need to add a traffic light at an intersection that is only busy for 2 30min periods 180 days a year.
Jim L Another idea would be crossing guards at the intersections of Madison and Grand and Washington and Grand. It gets all bottle-necked and nobody can get across Grand, people block the intersection and it's a general nightmare. Monday I witnessed a guy freak out and stayed on his horn, screaming at a lady in an SUV who was sitting dead center in the intersection, blocking traffic turning into or out of Madison. It's almost like people forgot how to drive...
Laurel, you're exactly right! The previous crossing guard was absolutely outstanding!
In addition to directing the first car to make a left, thus allowing traffic to flow, she also didn't mind making a child or two wait a few seconds to cross. The kids seemed to like her and she seemed to enjoy her job!
I totally understand if the crossing guards are not supposed to direct traffic, so if not a light, maybe a police officer?
It's pretty silly if crossing guards aren't allowed to direct traffic (though because of litigation I could understand it I guess). But when a crossing guard stops traffic for kids to cross, they are inherently directing traffic..
And yes, crossing guards should be OK with (and allowed to) make kids wait a bit before crossing to keep traffic flowing better. Stopping traffic more often causes it to move slower and back up more!
The other day a car full of young girls was so fixated on turning left that she disregarded the crossing guard and nearly hit kids in the crosswalk. All the crossing guard could do was shake his head. This was once. That crossing guard probably sees close calls frequently. The traffic is dangerous turning off of warren. Parents and teens trying to cross town. They need to change the traffic pattern somehow. This needs to be addressed by the BOE. It's for the children's safety. I would be so disappointed if they waited for a child to die before intervening. It's about the safety of our children. Period. Get off the BOE if you're not gonna be proactive and advocate for the children. You cant sit back and watch these close calls and pretend itll be fine. Yes at the very least get an officer. It's too much and too dangerous for a crossing guard. We pay the cops enough so let's go!
Concerned mom I think NJ--like most other states--needs a new employees title/type: a licensed traffic director. Not a trained police officer--that would be a waste. Doesn't necessarily even have to be a government employee. Basically, someone who has completed a certain amount of training in traffic laws and directing traffic and obtains a license. Give them a certain distinct uniform, like a bright-green vest or something, and make it a law that they have to be obeyed when directing traffic, just as if a police officer was doing it. If that person witnesses a traffic violation, he/she can file a complaint, much like a typical traffic ticket, and/or contact police about the incident.
Such Traffic Directors could work intersections at school times, or during peak rush-hour times (remember when there was one at the bottom of Schooley's Mountain in the mornings?), or during special events (like a local parade festival or a school graduation ceremony). They could also work at construction areas, so that police officers aren't wasted there. (Remember when they were putting in the light in front of Target, and there was a police officer there, all day, every day?) They could be hired for big events, like football games and concerts at the Meadowlands. They could even be used for temporary emergencies (such as when power outages knock out traffic lights).
Great temp or part-time job for retirees, or parents when kids are in school. Make the roads safer and more convenient, and reduce insurance costs, all for much less than paying police officers to do it.
But, that's just my two copper disks with portraits of Abraham Lincoln. . . .
JerseyWolf Ban left turns from Madison onto warren from 7-9am. Put the light up at Washington and have it blink yellow during non school hours.
Having an unsafe situation at any point during the year, no matter for how many hours should be looked at and addressed if possible.
No matter what the Great Gazzoo deems necessary or unnecessary.
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