Dear TLS,
I am writing to urge Lakewood Township, Ocean County, and the State of New Jersey to take meaningful action to address the growing problem of dangerous speeding on our local streets.
Recently, I was nearly struck by a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed in a residential area. It was a close call that could have ended in tragedy — and one that could have been prevented with better traffic-calming infrastructure.
Speed bumps and traffic circles are proven tools that force drivers to slow down in places where people live, walk, and cross the street. Unlike signs or enforcement campaigns that are often ignored, physical road designs change driver behavior automatically. A driver cannot race through a traffic circle or over a speed bump without reducing speed.
These measures are especially important in Lakewood, where residential streets, schools, shuls, and playgrounds sit close together and foot traffic is constant. Children, seniors, and pedestrians should not be placed at risk because a handful of reckless drivers treat our roads like racetracks.
Traffic calming is also an efficient form of enforcement. It reduces the need for constant police presence while still delivering real safety benefits. When roads are designed to slow vehicles, compliance becomes automatic rather than optional.
Lakewood, the County, and the State should work together to identify high-risk areas and begin installing speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and traffic circles as soon as possible. These are practical, cost-effective solutions that save lives.
No one should have to experience the fear of nearly being hit by a speeding car – or actually being hit – just to realize how serious this problem has become. It is time to redesign our streets with safety in mind.
Sincerely,
A Lakewood resident
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I thought that’s what the pot holes were for
SAY NO TO SPEED BUMPS!!!
Whatever you want to do, don’t use speed bumps! They are so annoying, it reminds you of driving in New York with all the potholes, it damages your car’s suspension, and doesn’t do any good for Hatzolah calls or other emergency service calls. I’m writing in protest, because no one should listen to you and install more speed bumps, with all due respect. I love you as a Jew, but I totally disagree with speed bumps. I hope you understand.
Agree, speed bumps have been proven to severly ruin vehicle suspension and hinders first responders ability to respond in a timely fashion. so if you want, you can take responsibility when hatzalah is responding where seconds count. till it’s your block ch’vm
I find traffic circles to be confusing and dangerous.
Great idea, but not happening. You need room for traffic circles; where exactly are you putting it?
And who would fund it?
If one places speed bumps along their street- it will be removed by the township
Which is why he wants the township to do it… genius
The township removes it based on data that people often drive recklessly between the speed bumps.
Might I humbly submit that if the police would enforce the current traffic laws there might be a drop in the number of accidents in Lakewood, and the surrounding towns. As was mentioned many times by the elected officials in DC – NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
No one in Lakewood, even knows how to manage a 4 way stops.Sign , and you want them to have traffic circles ? There will be accidents every single day
Agreed
traffic circles are easier to handle then four way stop signs, which is why they are standard in europe and israel
It’s not a speed issue, the issue is peoples complete disregard for traffic laws.
Suddenly turning out into your lane, scooting through even after the green arrow ends, double teaming 4 way stops, using the wrong lane to cut the turn line at an intersection, riding the brakes T9 texting while driving or not using signals Etc.
Traffic circles would be an absolute disaster, do you think for one second people would yield!? People would be just zooming in at every chance forcing you to jam the brakes. Additionally the goal isn’t to slow down traffic the goal is to make traffic run efficiently. The rules we have are in place for a reason, it’s to make traffic run efficiently, when you have to constantly cover your brakes because you see someone inching towards making a turn into your lane it’s not efficient, when your protected left turn time is being taken up by people ignoring the traffic signals that’s not efficient. All those none efficiencies add up and suddenly it takes an hour to drive 2 miles up the 9 adding speed bumps or traffic circles would make it take longer.
I’ve driven across the US and from top to bottom, I’ve driven in every single state, and over a dozen different countries. Nothing comes close to Lakewood and it’s the complete lack of respect and adherence to traffic laws that make it this way.
Agree. It’s a lack of respect. We’ve turned into Lakewood Ihr Harotzchim.
Have you ever driven in War, West Virginia? I believe it is similar to driving in Lakewood.
Why davka T9 texting? Full keyboard texting is ok? If anything, T9 is better; you press fewer buttons to write your text.
We need more traffic police to do their job and ticket speeding and dangerous driving and we need police to ticket illegal parking all around town including shopping centers. Police do you job and let make different. Keep out community safe. Police are hardly out there m. JCP&L put more lights on our roadway and including Route 9 , Route 70 , Route 88 and CountyLine these are majority dangerous for pedestrians to cross.
Enforcement of traffic laws would accomplish the same thing with no additional costs.
No additional cost? You need to pay the police who are doing the enforcing.
But still well worth the money.
Man would I love to see traffic circles in Lakewood. I’d bring a chair, sit on the corner (not too close) and watch the entertainment.
now sure what part of Lakewood you live in, but on my block there is no option to speed, the real issue is the traffic thanks to the irresponsible development
Please no speed bumps or circles!!! People just hae to be more courteous on the road and less self centered.
Not sure if anyone remembers, the township installed a traffic circle at Albert and oak. It turned out to be a disaster. The township quickly removed it after several months. Why would they work at other intersections around town?