The following is an ‘Ask The Mayor’ question submitted to TLS, and the Mayor’s response. Email your questions for the Mayor to [email protected].
Question:
Dear mayor,
Thank you for all your hard work that you do for this city day and night.
I once heard that there were plans to make Kennedy Blvd. continue behind the Wawa on Squankum, so that there can be another way to get through that part of town for Brookhill and Village Park residents. Can those plans be considered once again? It’s a very looked over area since everyone is busy with Route 9, but this can drastically reduce County Line Road traffic and improve drivers coming from Raintree and Brick Township.
Thank you.
Response from Mayor Coles:
Hi Simon,
We looked into this recently. Conrail which has full authority over the train tracks refused to allow a crossing so close to the one on County Line Rd.
Ray
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What happened to eminent domain? The government has a right to expropriate private property for public use. If they have a right to take away the land, I am sure they are allowed to build a road over the train tracks.
H B: you took the words out of my mouth! Additionally, why can’t they treat it as one big crossing?
it is not sensible that because of the train that comes to Lakewood only once a week we should suffer from traffic problems every day of the week.
I’m sure it can be resolved with Conrail there must be some other property owners that are not keen to the idea of opening up Kennedy Blvd.
Unbelievable. I agree with comment #1 and #2.
The township isn’t bound by conrail.
Maybe we can get contact info to lobby to Conway to allow this for the benefit of the greater public ?
I would prefer to see the township utilize the vacant land along East Kennedy Blvd, between Twin Oaks and Somerset to create aesthetically beautiful and useful public space such as a park for local residence, with shaded benches and other amenities.
Would also love to see bike lanes through town and see Rabbis and others in leadership positions riding bikes to serve as role models for all.
Build an overpass over the tracks. Then buses also won’t need to slow down.
why not build a crossing over the tracks?
Takes 3 years for a traffic light. 6 years to get roads replaved. And you think they’re gonna make a bridge over tracks!! Your dreaming
Why can’t they go the other way down Kennedy till Kent Road where there are no train tracks
It’s interesting how many suggestions are made to place a moratorium on construction in Lakewood to preserve a bit of the town character and then suggestions arise similar to this one which run diametrically counter to preservation of quality of life
Running a busy street rhrough the area would successfuly destroy multiple neighborhoods for the sake of getting some people a minute faster to their part of town.
I don’t see a good rationale for the proposal.
To Moshe,
Everyone agrees that we should not be over crowding by building etc… However in this particular case , because we did allow all the building around that area it has created a major hazard on county line rd, e. g. NORTH APPLE AND COUNTY LINE ARE WAITING FOR A DISASTER WHICH I DON’T WANT TO SAY. as well county line rd has become a parking lot as there is no way in and out of town except 7th and county line. This is essential. There are over 2000 cars buses that are going on county line and would be able to avoid that area if this street would be open. And btw they could also make a few swings and slides and call it a park or improve brook rd park amd everyone will be happy. Most people value their time and safety and this will take care of all those problems
Why is this an all or nothing proposition? If Conrail is the problem, do not go over the tracks, there is an advantage of finishing another portion of Kennedy for the local Brookhill/Villas/Summerset/Renee/Champlain traffic, which will remove some traffic from County Line. Going over the tracks can be revisited at a later date.
Lakewood bought the land over 40 years ago from Squankum Rd. all the way to the Brick border for a bypass. There was never a word about Conrail not allowing the crossing. It’s too late because of all the building that has gone on.