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:
Thank you for responding to some of the questions posed to you. Who is responsible for having the lights at rt 9 and Kennedy changed to left hand turns prior to green lights allowing traffic to continue straight. During high traffic times turning on to rt 9 allows only one or two cars to proceed and others try to squeeze through making this intersection very dangerous.
Response from Mayor Coles:
Hello
These lights are controlled by the State Department of Transportation. We have made many requests, sent formal resolutions & offered to pay for the lights, yet we have not been given permission to install them. I will make sure we raise the issue with them again.
Thanks
Ray
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Question:
Dear Mr. Mayor,
Thank you for your great work!
Recently, the streetlights have been off on Ave of the States. Last night, I was driving and I saw a family of deer on the side of the road. I believe that if the light had been on, they would not have ventured out of the forest. Is there any way you can make sure the lights are on every night? We need to prevent accidents!
Thank you very much for your consideration of all our questions!
Response from Mayor Coles:
The underground cable which controls these lights was accidentally cut during some construction. We are waiting for JCP&L to make the necessary repairs to get them all up an running.
Ray
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Question:
Honorable Mayor,
I would like to start off thanking you for everything that you have done and continue to do for our community. We are really lucky to have you as our mayor.
The intersection of cross street Route 9 / River Avenue and Chestnut Street has a traffic light that has an extremely short green light when coming east on Cross towards Route 9. It allows about 5 to six cars to go through. The opposite direction, chestnut westbound towards route 9 is a little bit better but still could use some more time for the green light.
I understand that you might not be able to help out with this since Route 9 is a county Road but I am sure that they will listen to you more then if I would contact them. If there is anything that you could do to help out the situation at that intersection it would be greatly appreciated by many.
The good part is that it can be enhanced without costing any money since all it needs is reprogramming the times of the lights.
Thank you.
Response from Mayor Coles:
I know that is a very frustrating intersection to navigate. I will ask our manager to contact the state & county again to see of we can get the timing of the lights adjusted.
Ray
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Question:
Thank you mayor for this forum.
I have lived in Lakewood for the past 27 years and back when I was a kid we had the street sweepers come out at least once a month. I can not remember the last time I saw them though. does the township not own those trucks anymore? Is there a reason it was stopped?
Also,
I leave in Lakewood’s South/ far west border with Jackson. I pass the intersection of Hope Chapel Rd and West County Line numerous times a day. I find that people coming south on hope chapel rd and turning right onto county line (heading East bound) they tend to turn into the second (middle) lane as opposed to the closest lane to them. besides that this is illegal, I have seen MANY close calls with vehicles Heading North on Hope Chapel turning left onto county line road- turning legally into the left lane! how can markings on the road or maybe a sign clearly stating the laws clearly be added in.
Law quoted below from Drivers Manual
RIGHT TURNS (N.J.S.A. 39:4-123) To make a safe right turn, a motorist should approach the intersection as far to the right as possible, keeping near to the curb or parked vehicles. The motorist should not swing outward or into another lane while making the right turn. He/ she should drive up to the turn as far to the right as possible, keeping close to the right curb or parked vehicles at the curb. This vehicle positioning prior to a right turn reduces the chance of another vehicle being in the space on the right as the motorist makes the turn. He/she should not swing into the wrong lane while making the turn.
LEFT TURNS (N.J.S.A. 39:4-123) Left turns, two vehicles: When two vehicles meet at an intersection and both have signaled to turn left, extra caution must be applied. When safe, each motorist should turn to the left of the center of the intersection. Left turn from a one-way road on to a one-way road: Approaching the turn in the left lane, the motorist should turn into the left lane of the road he/she is entering. Left turn from a two-way road onto a two-way road: Approach the turn as close as possible to the line nearest to the center of the road. When turning, the vehicle should not cross lane markings. The motorist should keep to the right of the center line of the road that the vehicle is entering.
Thank you again for this forum and looking forward to your response.
Response from Mayor Coles:
We still have the trucks but one of them has had some mechanical issues, which I believe have been repaired. I will ask out Public Works Manager to get me the schedule of when the sweepers come through & ask the Scoop to post it.
I have had a number of close class at that & other intersections around town, Many of these lanes are marked properly, it is just that the driver is not paying attention or may not know enough to turn into the proper lane. I will talk with traffic & safety to see If there are any street markings or signs we can put up. We may also ask for some enforcement, beginning with education & warnings to try & make folks aware of their responsibility to drive safely & courteously.
Thanks
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Question:
Hi Thank you for this wonderful Forum. It gives many residents a way to get a message straight to the man in charge.
My question is as follows,
Can North lake drive be made in to a two way street between forest and rt.9?
by being a one way it causes two problems:
1- The cars turning right on rt-9 typically block the intersection and caused slow downs.
2- If you are coming from north lake you need to swing up forest and back around.
Thank you
Response from Mayor Coles:
Hi Eli
I am going to have to punt on this one & refer it to Traffic & Safety. I will also forward it to out traffic engineers at Mazer Consulting.
Ray
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