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: Hi Mr. Mayor,
Thank you so much for this forum. As homeowners near the Ridge/New Hampshire intersection, we were so glad to see that improvements were being made to that intersection and gladly put up with the road closures and traffic it entailed.
However, at the job’s completion, we were mystified as to why they decided to do away with the right turning lane going eastbound on Ridge. This allowed cars making a right onto New Hampshire to do so without waiting for the cars that were going straight. I understand that after adding the new lane in the other direction the lanes would not meet up properly, but once they were putting in all that work, why couldn’t they widen this side as well so that they don’t create a new problem while fixing an old one? I hope it’s not too late to still rectify this!
Response from Mayor Coles: Good morning. I was just as glad to see this done. The township had been requesting the turning lane from Ridge onto New Hampshire for several years. The county felt it was important to add the left turning lane from Ridge onto New Hampshire. They felt it was unsafe to have an opposing lane facing the new turning lane and closed off the old lane, leaving the combined turn and through lane. We have asked them to look into the possibility of realigning Ridge to restore the through lane.
Ray
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It doesn’t make any sense.
It must be a mistake.
Mr. Mayor,
I appreciate you answering such questions on any other day, but would you be busy talking about something like this during Sandy??
Driving though this town, there is a complete disconnect between those that have power and those that don’t.
In many parts of Lakewood, people have no clue that others are in the dark for 48 hours.
Why hasn’t there been one Jcpl truck in the Ridge/east 5th/Vintage Circle/east 7th areas in the last 48 hours?
Just 1?!
We are suffering. We will remember this.
Jcpl is working in other towns, but Lakewood can wait.
Agree with the letter writer – we put up with all the construction only to be met with a downgrade. Why wasn’t this properly planned to begin with? There was always room for the cars to maneuver around those making left turns. All that was accomplished was the removal of the ability to make a right on red. It’s very frustrating to see our tax money being used to make things worse for us.
Since this was done New Hampshire does not get backed up.
Reason Being Because there is no turning lane that holds back the traffic Heading north on Ridge. Which allows a Right lane on red with safety. The removal of the right lane heading north will make this intersection much safer and more efficient. I have yet to see the cars heading north backed up longer than 1 light.
Since this change it is much safer to make a left heading south on Ridge as cars are not flying from 2 lanes or turning right when the left has the right of way. I would STRONGLY SUGGEST TO KEEP THE CURRENT SETUP.
If they do put the right turn lane back, they should make a red arrow for when the opposing side has a green arrow.
I am dismayed by the County’s removal the Ridge Ave’s westbound right turning lane. The County may have alleviated the traffic backup problem on New Hampshire Ave in the northbound lanes, and also assisted with a dedicated left-turn lane in the eastbound side of the Ridge/New Hampshire intersection – and that’s certainly appreciated – but their downgrading to only a single lane in the westbound side of Ridge is a new cause for traffic backups which didn’t exist before. An attempt to justify the downgraded design on an inability to align opposing lanes is a poor excuse, because all that’s needed to solve the problem is to move some of the dirt on the southwesterly section of that intersection to allow for a right-turning lane.
I should further add that the situation is going to become even worse due to three new huge school systems opening soon in that general area. One schools has already received approvals. The second school has initiated the approvals process for the first phase of their multi-phased large-scale construction project. Both will be situated directly on Ridge Ave (slightly east of the int.) between Brook Rd and New Hampshire Ave. The third school in the new BMG campus opening soon in the Woodlake area. The many new added vehicles will be using this int. as a critical point of transit and will wreak havoc on the traffic flow. At a minimum, we NEED that extra lane to avoid an otherwise unavoidable nightmare.
Please Please (2x) address the issue and bring back the right-turn lane. Thank you.
I am dismayed by the County’s removal of Ridge Ave’s westbound right turning lane. The County may have alleviated the traffic backup problem on New Hampshire Ave in the northbound lanes, and also assisted with a dedicated left-turn lane in the eastbound side of the Ridge/New Hampshire intersection – and that’s certainly appreciated – but their downgrading to only a single lane in the westbound side of Ridge is a new cause for traffic backups which didn’t exist before.
An attempt to justify the downgraded design on an inability to align opposing lanes is a poor excuse, because all that’s needed to solve the problem is to move some of the dirt on the southwesterly section of that intersection to allow for a right-turning lane.
I should further add that the situation is going to become even worse due to three new huge school systems opening soon in that general area. One school has already received approvals. The second school has initiated the approvals process for the first phase of their multi-phased large-scale construction project. Both will be situated directly on Ridge Ave (slightly east of the int.) between Brook Rd and New Hampshire Ave. The third school is the new BMG campus opening soon in the Woodlake area. The many new added vehicles will be using this int. as a critical point of transit and will wreak havoc on the traffic flow.
At a minimum, we NEED that extra lane to avoid an otherwise unavoidable nightmare. Please Please (2x) address the issue and bring back the right-turn lane. Thank you.
Development is out of control in Lakewood. There will be no relief with traffic if this continues. Everyone should go to meetings and complain about future development. It’s ruining the quality of life for all (not just Lakewood residence but all surrounding towns).
Same with the left turning lane from james onto sunset. Was removed and now one person waiting to turn left backs up james.
Hello Ray, a few of my neighbors and myself would like to know who came up with the “bright” idea to place a light on ever pole a nice quite rural road such as Forest Dr. It is lite up like day light during the evening and is an unnecessary expense to us tax payers especially when the monies can be spent on much needed road repairs through out the town. I would like to rent one of those spot lights and shine it into their house and see how they like it. Also they have added a light which sits on my property 13′-215/16″ off the road, what I mean is that it isn’t even over the road! I would appreciate it that this light be removed from my pole. Thank you