by: M. Murphy. A drive through downtown Lakewood can turn hazardous for pedestrians and drivers alike when people park illegally at intersections. “Corner hugging” orparking a vehicle close to an intersection restricts the view of others trying to cross safely in the busy downtown business community. State law mandates safe parking distances from intersections and requires that all vehicles be parked 50 feet from a stop sign on all four corners and 25 feet from a known crosswalk, painted or not.
Lakewood Police Sergeant Frank Work, Traffic and Safety Division said, “People do not realize that when they park too close to these restricted areas, they obstruct the view and make a dangerous situation for others on the roadway.” He added that there are also some areas in town where parking has been eliminated for up to 100 feet from the intersections because of crash histories at the sites. These areas are marked with signs that reflect the restrictions. “For instance, 6th and Forest, and at the hill crest in town, parking distances were increased because of the amount of accidents that occurred at these locations. We know it may seem inconvenient for some, but it is important that it is safe for everyone traveling in our community,” added Sgt. Work.
The fines for improper parking range from $54.00 to $60.00. The fines are in place to discourage people from parking illegally and causing accidents that could have been avoided by simply following the state law. If an accident happens as a result of an illegally parked car, the vehicle’s driver could have some civil liability in a lawsuit because they were a factor in causing the crash.
Crash histories play a key role in how traffic is enforced thoughout the town. Lakewood ranks high in the state in the amount of pedistrian fatalities and motor vehicle accidents. The Police Department’s enforcement of the state laws help ensure the safety of Lakewood Township’s roadways for its’ residents.
LPD, when you drive through Hearthstone please take note of all the cars that are parked illegal then. Give tickets, make them pay the fines, this might and I say might, stop the practice of parking too close to an intersection.
Duhhhhhhh
Please remember to leave the room school buses must make these turns. Tday very tight squeeze by Long Beach and Laguna at the shul. thanks
Not everyone can sense how far 50 feet is.
It would help if they paint the curb yellow 50 feet from every stop sign.
Stop using my name, folks! That’s NOT what common sense says. I say that you might not know what 50 feet is, exactly, but you certainly know that when you corner hug, you are NOT 50 feet away and that when you are blocking my driveway, you are illegally and dangerously parked. It doesn’t take more than a little seichel and a conscience to park in a way that is considerate to all. Wake up and smell the coffee (it’s in the cop’s car with the doughnut) and stop being too lazy to walk a block or two when you are shopping/ going to shul/ going anywhere.
This should be a campaign rather than the seatbelt campaign, also rather than the pedestrian campaign (both of which I support). There are certain spots in town where it is IMPOSSIBLE to turn left or even right without inching into the intersection creating an extremely dangerous situation. This is a result of people parking too close to corners . . .
I’m glad that all the Lakewood gang and drug problems, along with the daily home burglaries epidemic, have been resolved. Now we can focus on the more important things– issuing driving and parking tickets.
I was in an accident in Lakewood over 10 years ago because people parked to the corner (the other driver said he could not see and that was the reason he jumped the stop sign). Till today I have back problems.
keep doing it at lanes mill and alvorado and i’ll keep calling the cops. that includes parking in the yellow curb zone across the street!!!!!
I live in a development where every corner always has a car parked right next to it! It leads to very dangerous driving conditions, not to mention the fact that all the crosswalks have a car blocking the edge of the sidewalk. Children have a hard time crossing the street and school bus stops, which are very often at the corners, become a dangerous place. Please lets be considerate of the other people around us!
Driving through any part of Lakewood is hazardous. When are people going to learn to obey the law,didn’t they get drivers manuals when applying for a driving permit?
I wish the PD had the option to impound vehicles parked illegally. Drive up Clifton and cars are parked under the stop signs on the side streets, and up to the corner on Clifton. Most other areas of town also. Then there are those that park in front of driveways, mailboxes, cover hydrants with a garbage can, etc. Go to the printer and get more ticket books and pens and write, write, write.
i always slow down to 15-20 mph when i get to intersections in case there are pedestrians in the cross walk
It’s about time that someone else noticed the parking and driving issues. Maybe people should have to do community service with “multi colored vests ” and have their names published will cure this problem. Of course that would only apply to citizens of Lakewood who are residents. Everyone else would have to pay a fine or go to jail. A little public embarrassment could go a long way . . .