As the Township considers opening up Vine Street from Pine Street Street to Cedarbridge Avenue to alleviate MLK traffic, some Vine Street area residents grouped together to form an online petition asking the Township to move ahead with their plans.
The following is the contents of the petition:
To Whom It May Concern:
As residents of the MLK, Pine, Pine River, Pine River Estates, Arlington Estates, Forest Park, Marc Drive, and surrounding areas, we would like to raise the concerns regarding the traffic conditions impacting our neighborhoods.
Currently, the only direct route from Cedarbridge Ave. to Pine St. is through MLK Drive with Route 9 as an alternative route to get across town. Considering the tremendous volume of traffic at the intersection of Pine St. and MLK Dr. and the intersection of Pine Street and Route 9 , specifically at peak traffic hours (8:30-9:30 AM, 1:30-2:30 PM, 3:30-4:30 PM), we find ourselves spending a great deal of time caught in
traffic.
Furthermore, the heavy two-way traffic on Pine Street creates a dangerous intersection at which many pedestrians, including small children, are forced to dash across when there is a break in the flow of traffic. While the township has a stationed crossing guard at this intersection from 1:30 -2:30 in an effort to alleviate this unsafe situation, the overall traffic conditions at these intersections remain intolerable.
Additionally, due to the numerous developments in the area in varying stages of completion we expect a sharp increase in the number of residents which will be moving into the area. As the population in the area increases, these traffic conditions will become an even more pressing issue.
As an effective solution to alleviating some of these traffic issues, in addition to the traffic light that is slated to be added to MLK, we propose opening up Vine Street as an alternative route running from Cedarbridge Avenue to Pine Street. Opening Vine Street will create more traffic patterns which will ease the congestion, and will improve the traffic conditions impacting our neighborhoods.
Thus, we respectfully request that the Township act expediently and implement a form of the proposed plan as set forth above. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation. View the petition here. TLS.
Finally! This is a great way to get our voice heard, and get the township’s attention. I just sent in my petition. TLS- please keep us posted with more developments.
I am looking at vine street on google satellites. When they say “open” pine street, what they are really saying is “build pine street”, its a dirt road most of the way and will probably cost $1million + to pave the entire lenth and turn it into a real street.
to #2 – they want to open Vine, not pine and part of it is partially clear already. It would be great if they open it, BUT WITH a traffic light. I just sent in my petition – I hope it works.
we have avenue or the americas that cuts across already , how many streets do we need to run the same way. deive 1 mile up on cederbridge and there is no traffic.. isnt that easier then spending tax money that we dont have to open a new road ???
While I feel bad for the residents of that area (as I have to drive through there), they knew when they bought there what the situation was. Why should I pay for their convenience. Let the builders in the area ( It is mostly 1 builder ) pay towards the opening of the street. The builders are still trying to sell houses there, so they have a vested interest as well.
whatever help alleviate traffic conditions on RT9 should be done
let the owners of the property on vine street put up bond now to pave vine street instead of waiting till later and if they dont like it sell the propertys on vine with a condition they have to bond now for safe streets
let the builders pay for it!!
not tax payers!!
This is a horrible, shortsited idea. It will make the geferlache bottle neck at cedarbridge and main even worse.
please look for cheaper options first like arlington and other paralell streets that would be cheaper. Another point the planning board should answer to the town how come every street is a culdesac and not built as a thourogh fare
I agree the township shouldn’t pay for it let the planing/zoning board members pay for it
what happened to opening up arlington?
what do you mean let the planning board pay for it! let the petitioners pay for it. and please make them pay for the light at vine and cedar bridge cuz that will become the most dangerous intersection in town with hundreds of cars trying to make a left against cedar bridge traffic.
Agree with 4. ave of americas cuts all the way through to cedar bridge and has enough lanes to handle traffic. if more people would use it pine and the nine would pick up
I’ve suggested this idea for a few years. Run a road from Clover Street, southwest( yes, through Tent city – sorry but tent folks don’t own the land) to Vine Street, along Vine to the intersection of Washington and Pine. Using the existing light at Clover Street to save cost and add an additional light at the new intersection of Washington and Pine. Problem solved. Arlington Ave is not wide enough to handle the amount traffic that would it see. There will be some wet land issues because of the swamp on the east side of the existing dirt lane that Vine follows but nothing that could not be overcome.
number 15 we already have avenue of americas ??? the light is there as well ,, its 2 lanes ease of traffic .. it cost us nothing …. why wont everyone just use ave of americas ?? someone explain to me what is wrong with that road ?? please
I’ve got a good idea on the traffic problem,how about the town stopping the building permits . Look around we have enough houses in this town, Slow down the growth, leave some trees and green land. The roads, water,sewer and all utilitys are being strained now, what about in a couple of years.?
let the builders have some responsibilty for the additional roads or improvements needed, how does the planning board/zoning boards let all of this building go on without considering the traffic impact on the roads. Wait until all those townhouses are finished on Rt 9 by Cross Street
everyone giving ideas mmmmmh …… there use to be a road that was paralell to mlk all of a sudden they want to open vines st it was called LAFFAYET WHY WAS IT CLOSED
Open up Vine please, the traffic is crazy in that erea, I spend 15 min. every morning in trafic there.
great! another street to be littered with garbage and scrawled with gang graffitti.
open Arlington its only a few feet
FIRST, make township rules which streets are SAFE and never will be opened and which others will not be guaranteed. (No matter what the public’s whims or investors wish for at a future date.) Then,open it.
Its inevitable, Vine st will be opened up. So why wait another few years of traffic misery, if we can get it opened now!?! Your tax $$ will pay for it either way, don’t fool yourself otherwise.
does anybody else find the petition idea weird if it makes sense the planning board should do it anyway if not we can overule them? can’t we let the board do their jobs without pretending that we understand the traffic issues tax ramifications etc
Hey wow:
You do need to check your facts, there is NO light on either end of Avenue of Americas.
And #18:
LAFFAYET was removed when they built Avenue of Americas.
YOUR tax $?
for everyone’s information, it’s called Avenue of the States.
to those who suggest opening arlington: you aobviously never looked at arlington, as it is impossible to open arlington without risking everybody’s safety. i am in the area a few times a week and understand that whoever suggests opening it is just being a devil’s advocate or was never there.
If you open Arlington Ave up it will have to be widened to the proper width for parking on both sides of the street. It will be cheaper to widen Arlington Ave than build Vine Street from scratch … so lets save some money!