Lakewood is a thriving community.
Yet, like any place, it’s not perfect.
If you had the power to change one thing in Lakewood to make the town an even better place to live, learn and work, what would it be?
Would you improve traffic flow, enhance community resources, or something else entirely?
Share your thoughts below!
Traffic
right! we need public transportation, buses, subway, or similar along with better sidewalks pedestrian bridges and more spacious street corners to accommodate the majority who are getting pushed to the side by all the mothers with strollers and the big sisters taking their younger brothers out for slush.
lot of the traffic comes from all the extra stops we have to make! think of the lakewood mothers that have 5 kids under the age of 6. every morning they need to do so many drop offs…. in other towns- schools start 2 years earlier, which makes it 4 carpools less a day per family!
my parents were not driving around the whole morning… they sent me to school at age 2 and all siblings went to the same place as their older bros and sis…..
maybe all those who want to send to school at 2 yrs old can move out of town to make space for those who are just looking to live here without demanding changes to the core system.
The politicians
Fix all the messed up roads!!!
Cost of tuition
The government
School bussing should be based on the area and not the school (obviously boys and girls separated). Stagger start and end times for the schools.
Problem is the schools are clustered & not evenly divided throughout the town
this is an excellent idea.
Divide government grants evenly between all the schools…
Stop the building ASAP. Stop hiking the housing prices ASAP
No duplexes or row homes. No Attached homes.
Single family homes are much nicer. Quality of life.
I love all the people but why make it a city lifestyle when it wasn’t that way to begin with.
Privacy and property is nice! So sad that it’s so rare now in Lakewood!
I honestly love Lakewood. It’s unbelievable what the town does for us. The mayor the garbage men by pesach the fire department the night out against crime. Everything is geared for us and I thank you! I think Lakewood is nicely run I think u guys are doing a great job. Traffic is traffic and I know you’re trying your best doing all these projects at quiet seasons.
The town is so considerate of our needs and I thank you!
I just think if there were more single family properties the town would look nicer and not be too over populated.
It’s hard in condos there are so many kids on streets so much garbage bc there are so many densely concentrated people and all the houses look the same with barely any parking. Also lack of privacy bc u have 4-6 families in one house now
That’s my only suggestion.
Try to put an end to townhomes. And give the people a chance to have a quality of life the life we left New York for.
Thank you!
To much traffic. Please stop destroying all the trees and land. We’re not New York. Seniors need bigger breaks on there taxes. Over populated. Let’s all live in peace and Harmony
I would love to have an intricate city bus system within Lakewood, just like in Yerushalayim. One that can be relied upon to take you anywhere anytime.
if I had the power to change one thing.. I would give everybody the ability to drive properly… Life is precious… Drive safely
Realistically speaking if I was Mayer I would make a big push on the safe driving. Drivers focusing on the road, ticketing reckless driving, ticketing non signaling, stop sign etiquette, ticketing phone use, trying to make a traffic light!!!!! …
Lower property taxes!!!!!!!!!!
Stop the overdevelopment which would, in turn, decrease the traffic and minimize the number of car accidents.
Tznius, everything and everybody is all ways paraded to the masses. When we woman go to the store we think we are going to a fashion show.etc.
I wish for an intricate bus system covering all parts of town, like in Yerushalayim.
Ban Accidents chasers
The cul de sacs. They destroyed this town. If I can go back in time and change one thing that’s what it would be. No cul de sacs. Every development should have through traffic
Plant more street trees and take care of them.
Eduating drivers how to share the road, 1 example, when somone is coming out of a side street onto the rt9 don’t come full speed from far away, yield and share the the road.. and many more safety tips for driving here in town
I would love to see all Yidden truly seeing the good in each other. After all, Hashem loves us and sees the good in us. We need to emulate Him.
Affordable housing for everyone
I would change everyone in office!!!
I would change the school acceptance saga🙄🙄🙄
Open up all roads we cannot allow the township to vacate roads. All roads have to be opened like Arlington to Pine as an example, or Towers Street to Albert Avenue.
STOP BUILDING!!!!!!! WE DONT NEED MORE PEOPLE HERE!!!!!!! you stop building it solved a lot of more issues
Mind your own business and stop trying to assure things
Way less gashmiyus. NO “TORAH UGEDULAH” ONLY TORAH and what we need to thrive in it!
I would see if it’s not against religion to have the men at night be able to wear some type of reflector on their clothing so that they are visible and do not get hit by car.
It is not against religion!! Wake up and wear reflector!
its not against the religion…..
Traffic!!
Get rid of lousy drivers
Public transportation.
Get a gadol to review the comments on the scoop.
Open the cul de sacs.
Arlington, Prospect Heights…
Every new street and development needs to connect 2 existing streets
Stop building
@Getting wripped off
All of your grandparents had Torah Ugdulah- Avrohom , Yitzchok & Yakov Bakol mikol Kol..and all the shevatim.
See Mishnah, Rebbe said ,Chochmoh , Oisher & Gevurah , kulom niskaymu bi.., see Chumash and the Gemaras that discuss it
That doesn’t mean they were focused on gedulah, they weren’t busy all day watching everyone else and thinking of ways to show off and out do the neighbors, what ever they had was betzinah, they hid their food during the hunger.
Contrary to most comments here. I proposed that people in Lakewood accept that the damage was done. It is time to embrace the face that the Lakewood area is a real city and treat it as such. Build a comprehensive public transit system by creating a circular corridor around the ‘city’ with one way roads and bike lanes. Build up near the center and create a walkable city.
Brighten up the corner where you are.
Be considerate of & to all.
🖖🖖
Men should stop blaming the women for all the towns issues. My friend got yelled at yesterday about her tznius. Excuse me! Sinaas chinam at its finest. Mind your own business and change yourself.
SEPERATE HOURS FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE GROCERY STORES!!!!
The question was something that would make the town better, not something that pushes you chumros on others and inconveniencing them. Also your all capital script hurts the eyes.
Cheaters never prosper… iykyk
The Police need to start giving tickets. (Not only on Vine st 🤣🤣🤣) There are people who drive like they’re in a race. Too many people are going through Yellow/Reds and some people don’t seem to know what a stop sign is. I wish they wouldn’t have approved so many houses on top of each other which results to 3-4 cars per house and which has caused insane traffic.
LPD to start enforcing all traffic infractions.
The need to keep up with the “joneses” With regards to everything from houses to clothes to cars to Simchos etc….
A way for parents to track where their kid’s bus is. The amount of time wasted either waiting for a bus that is very late, or worse, will never show up, is something that can definitely be fixed. A busy tracking app or something similar would be great.
I meant to write a ‘bus’ tracking app, not ‘busy’…
Mental health house in every neighborhood
I would make sure women dress tznius. They are the reason that moshiach hasn’t come yet.
Amazing that we still have neviim amongst us, who know the source of our galus. Last I checked it was sinas chinam that put us in this galus.
You’re the reason mashiach isn’t here yet. And your sisters
Lakewood.
enforcing traffic violations. this town is not safe for motorists or pedestrians.
How about separate hours for men and women to:
–eat in restaurants
–sit in doctors’ and dentists’ waiting rooms
–bring children to playgrounds or the lake
–oh, oh… even better yet: separate hours for when men and women can walk publicly in the streets (or if not, we should at least be on opposite sidewalks).
Oh…never mind. Turning into meshuganas is not such a good idea. It’s a slippery slope to hijabs and burqas. Oooh, on second thought…
I think it would be really nice if people were friendly to one another. Smile when you pass someone and say “top of the morning to ya!” Or howdy! Or gut shabbos! This is easier to accomplish than getting rid of traffic and doesn’t cost a penny. Everyone you see is struggling with something. Brighten their day!
I think the biggest problem on our hands is definitely the hangouts (a.k.a. Quick Check 7-Eleven) it’s really turning our town into the new Harlem! The mingling of genders is totally against the Torah ways!!!!!!!! Someone has to do something asap. #STOPTHEMINGLING
I would arrange a van service to deliver take out
to all the yeshivas so the bochurim stop all the dangerous hitchhiking. They can order in food and it will be delivered to their yeshivas
It is a great sakana to see bochurim walking alone on highways and roads and hitchhiking
we see bochurim getting dehydrated
it is not a safe system
The bacureem should be bringing their own food from home. No need to waste floose on buying meals from the outside.
This place is beyond help
Your senses are telling you that and youmay be correct based on what you sense.
But being Jewish is alos about having oter sense than the ones we are limited by.
Being Jewish is about having Emunah in a future that is beyon our ability to percieve at all.
We need to Hope for the future!
According to the RMB”N the yidden in Mitzrayim were Rehsaim Gedolim!
But they merited to leave Mitzrayim because behaved as Jews in the following sense:
They had EMUNAH in that the reality will change!
After 80+ years of a holocaust type existance in mitzrayim the yidden that merited to leave still identified with believing that the reality will change!
When where what?
How? By Hashem!!!
WHEN WEHRE WHAT???
No Clue!!!
To the point that Moshe Rabbeinu with his greatest of minds said “they will not believe me” but what happened? Jews Believed inspite of what moshe saw!
How? Because being a jew is even bigger than what Moshe Rabbeinu A”H can assess.
You are bigger than Moshe Rabbeinu can ever fathom!
Moshe Rabbeinu A”H can try his hardest and he will never know you fully!
And that is how we left Mitzrayim!!!
Asid!!! Future!!! JEWISH!!!
Establish a city council with districts and elect our mayor.
1: Pass a law for License plate readers for school buses 🚸 to catch people illegally passing them. Minimum 5 years in jail for that garbage. Absolutely disgusting for drivers who don’t care about safety, especially in this case children.
2: Fix all of the potholes. Every. Last. One.
3: Re-read #2. FIX ALL OF THE STINKING POTHOLES!!!
4: Expand the 9.
5: Remove all “No Turn on Red” signs. They waste everyone’s time.
6: Review #2… FIX THE POTHOLES!!! THIS ISN’T NEW YORK!
7: Allow us to pump our own gas IF WE SO CHOOSE. I understand there’s many people who enjoy having someone else pump your gas ⛽. But keep in mind NJ is the only state that does this. Allow drivers from out of state to pump their own gas if they want to.
8: 🫠 Fix the potholes!
9: Most roads should be expanded to at minimum 2 lanes to reduce traffic.
10: SAY NO TO POTHOLES!
#5- the reason why places have no turn on red like by 4th street is because people are trying to cross the street by those traffic lights.
Make more places with no turn on red such as by Prospect and RT9 where it is almost impossible for a person to cross that street safely.
BMG should be able to pay 100k per year so anyone who wants can go back to Kollel. It will fix most of the town’s problems by having the zechus of tens of thousands of full time Lomdei Torah.
1. Teach adults and children alike some manners, like how awkward it is to stare at people. Also to mind your oh business and focus on yourself only, not on others.
2. Teach people the idea of living in calmness by not rushing all the time and leaving last minute to where they need to go. Teach the idea of preparing ahead and leaving your place early. Always add an extra 10 minutes needed on the road, and I’m sure our roads will be much safer. I think hasty and dangerous road decisions are made from a place of desperation.
3. Lower the costs of food and living by the business not needing to be so lavish to attract the customer. Not everyone is capable of meeting up those high standards.
4. For schools to stop being more political that you’ll find in congress.
5. Stop talking in shuls and making kiddushim that are fancier than weddings. Again, your next door neighbor is struggling desperately to keep up to those high standards.
6. (moderated)
It’s true that most accidents are from desperation, but please be dan lekaf zechus. Most working parents today simply don’t have 10 extra minutes in their day to leave earlier. Our schedules are being squeezed even tighter than our budgets.
I wish we could live life at a calmer pace. I do my best to drive safely and carefully, though.
How about more frequent garbage pickup?!?! It’s almost unheard of to have your garbage picked up once a week!
It’s the 9 days. Can we end this discussion here please? Although this may have been a cute idea to ask, ultimately, it is lending to people focusing on a negative of Lakewood and communicating it in a public forum, which is quite dangerous under the prohibitions of lashon hara. Let’s not share negative about Lakewood or elsewhere, and let’s just be grateful to have a news forum that can keep us informed without exposing us to the news we don’t need to hear about.
THANK YOU!
Schools for all. No child left out
I know there is alot of different problems which all affect us, but one of the biggest problems is the traffic, especially in certain areas, for example Pine street, Rt 9, prospect etc. I don’t know if there are plans to expand these roads or fix/change the traffic patterns, but they should be a priority instead of adding more lights on cedarbridge.
sidewalks
Public transit. Not on a schedule though. It should be like in every major city, where you can stand at a bus stop any time between 6AM and 1AM and the bus just comes!
The Scoop running “stories” that make people so irritated that hundreds of people comment. Meantime, the “positive” stories have 3 comments or sometimes none.
More tolerance for the non-scholastic boys and girls in the school system.
I would change the sinas chinom.
so many comments that have nothing to do with Lakewood , schools ,busing, how people dress, etc what is a Lakewood concern is that affects everyone no matter what religion, ethnicity, race, or creed is the overbuilding and infrastructure issues to handle the increase in population . having lived here for more years than you can imagine,those two issues have had a negative impact on all who live here
Stop looking at what there is to fix and focus on all the bracha we have.
Stop looking at what there is to change and focus on all the bracha we have!
There are currently 82! 82! comments on this article!!!
When sometimes on what we would say are way more serious world events there is not even one commment!!!
What this says is that this question of Lakewood and change and our growth and developmment in this wonderful Ir Hatorah as great as it is is what Hashem would want and wants us to focus on!!!!
Lakewod bar yesrushalyim and Eretz Hakodesh itself is the Greatest place on earth objectivly because it is an Ir Hatorah.
But deep down in our hearts we seek change and rightfully so; but we are JEWS we are not MISHPACHOS haadama. no we are Jews and thus the change we seek needs to come VIA the Torah Hakdosha with the guidence of the rishonim.
Therfore I would suggest approaching each and every parsha with this great seeking with this great question in the back of our mind “How can we change in Lakewood & how would we change Lakewood???”
What can Lakewood offer us on the one hand and also equally on the other hand WHAT CAN WE DO FOR LAKEWOOD?
front and center of all thisis not just a question of TRUTH which is primal to Lakewood IR Hatorah but also front and center is “How can we BELONG in Lakewood???”
Belonging is funamental to being a Jew; but it has been a lost phenomena due to its being besmirtched and coopted by elements that sought and seek to only belong and C”v ignore Truth.
No! We need to belong and we need Torah to be built on top of that belonging!!!
Not C”v Belong and then not ask the pivatal question of “WHERE???” as Yirmiyahu Hanavi warns us the trap of belonging can cause.
But just because the sweeter than honey of belonging can trap a person to settle for JUST belonging does not justify abandoning BELONGING altogether!?
Especially since the Truth , the Torah needs Belonging to flourish and to properly be by us.
It works as follows:
1) Belong 2) get a role in that Belonging 3) now you have a Kli ready for as much truth that that role could handle. 4) Repeat cycle and change and grow.
Downtown Lakewood should have sky scraper, roof top restaurants, hotels etc
The media should say the truth
Don’t keep on taking it off, il pay you more
Me too , il also pay you more
We should all work together as a Jewish nation to bring Moshiach finally.
Thank you to the Scoop for these forums.
If you think about it, it all boils down to population & demographics. The traffic, the conveyor-belt education, the too-busy-to-talk-to-your-own-neighbor syndrome, attending weddings and levayos like emotionless robots, always tired, no way to express personality, no measuring stick for success, etc. etc…… so what can we do about it?
WE CAN SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY OUR CHILDREN, OUR FAMILIES, OUR LEARNING, OUR DAY, OUR JOBS, AND HELP IT BECOME THE SAME FOR SOMEONE ELSE! [Some people have done this by separating their life from their phone, entirely or partially, and relearning how to focus on their learning and other important items in their day].
Should be like NYC. Older kids and older grades should get bus passes for a public transportation system. The board of ed money allocated for bussing should go to the bus passes. Obviously public transportation has be fleshed out a lot more… but this would got very far in supporting the financials around that. If a route cannot be made within a reasonable distance of a student… those students would need bussing similar to today.
Judgmental
Everyone judges everyone before even getting to know them if the guy is wearing a blue shirt in shul or no hat and jacket he is automatically not a good person
We need sholom in Lakewood hands down
Stop complaining and be grateful. So much gone right here! BH so happy to have grass and from amenities everywhere! Thank you lakewood for such a great life!
Frum*
Stop building houses and rebuild the roads. Maybe find better ways to change the traffic pattern
Stop the people asking for money and cigarettes and loitering
Lakewood bus station needs to stop this from anyone who is not taking the bus
Make it more diverse by ethnicity and religion
Perhaps we need to change ourselves first. Wishing an easy & meaningful taaneet to all.
Am I the only one that’s gets irritated by all the litter everywhere? This place looks like an open garbage dump. Create a “Let’s clean up this town” day!