What Should Lakewood Township officials focus on in 2022?

2022 is arriving, and Lakewood Township officials will soon be discussing the issues they’d like to tackle for the year.

What do YOU suggest Township officials should focus on this coming year?

Let us know in the comments section below.

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67 COMMENTS

  1. I say this with good intentions for the Orthodox community. Please urge your leadership to promote more responsible development. And since they are predicting your population to grow in the hundreds of thousands in this region to also plan for a sustainable infrastructure that will not collapse and erode like Lakewood has. Plus to go to the state to change the school funding formula so that more and more public schools will not go under like Lakewood has and non-Jews kids will not be deprived of a good education.

  2. Easing traffic throughout town with better roads and traffic signals/ guards, in addition to ticketing drivers for lack of compliance with traffic laws and reckless driving

  3. @HowellNJneighbor – I think for the most part everyone (especially those in the orthodox Jewish community) is in full agreement with you. With the exception of those on top and maybe a few developers, nobody likes the horrific traffic and lack of infrastructure that came from such poor planning. Those moving to Jackson and Toms River specifically don’t want those same issues to follow them there.

  4. Traffic
    It’s useless they don’t care.
    The bitel Torah. Children extra time on the bus and cost to do business here is crazy with all the that still nobody cares its a shame the same people are getting elected without helping the community in large

  5. A Curb the permits for building
    B Make school more affordable
    C Do not repave route 9 only widen it use money from infrastructure bill to fully widen route 9

  6. Rav Shach said some 40+ years ago that everyone in Lakewood should go to an out of town kolel (right after they get married) for 4-5 years.

    He said, that will save Lakewood, Sholom Bayis, Yahudus in America, bigger Talmedei Chachomim, etc.

    It’s not too late to implement the Daas Torah solution.

  7. Rav Shach, OB”M said some 40 years ago that everyone in Lakewood should join an out of town kolel (right after they get married) for 4-5 years.

    It will make bigger Talmedei Chachomim, save sholom Bayis, save Lakewood, save Yahadus in America among many other advantageous.

  8. “What should Lakewood Township officials focus on in 2022?”
    The focus should be on not losing focus on the things that really need to be focused on.
    The problems that really need to be focused on will not be solved by sleight of hand or hocus focus.

  9. If they don’t know by now what the major issues are (and I am not sure that they do) then they probably shouldn’t be there in the first place. But for the sake of clarity of course overdevelopment/traffic, and rising taxes are the biggest issues.

  10. I do not know why I am wasting my time writing this. Maybe to vent a little. STOP WITH THE VARIANCES AND BUILDING. I don’t think any of the elected officials think this is what people in lakewood want but it continues to happen. I do not know how to hold the people responsible accountable but its enough. Stop already. Please.

  11. The traffic and accident in this town is ridiculous, the police department should be ticketing the ones that drive reckless, drive while on the phone, speeding…. Building in this town has gone beyond the norm, every corner is being overdeveloped. With no plan in action just that all these elected officials should get some goodies on the side to push these thru.

  12. Lake carasaljo has a lot of trash and needs better maintenance. there used to be beautiful lily pad growing by the bridge and now the plant life is dying. The topography has also changed for the negative over the years due to heavy rains. Also many people don’t know that it’s really unhealthy to feed the ducks bread and tend to leave trash behind. Is there anyway the township can adress this issue?

  13. we need 2 things, 1 create a public transportation system that can alleviate SOME of the traffic and 2, we need more traffic calming in town so drivers are less reckless and slow down, create speed bumps and other things like lowering the speed limit.

  14. I fully agree with Riv about a left turning light by E. end and County line. It is a MUST!!!!!!!! There is a constant long line of cars and if the two people at the front of the line are trying to make a left turn NO-ONE else can go straight or make a right so only one car can go at each light!!!!

  15. Thank you for even posting this question.
    Please – no bridge across the lake. That is the only beautiful area left in Lakewood.
    The building needs to slow/stop for a period of time. The multiple family dwellings add more vehicles to the existing problem. This leads to cars just parking along roads and it makes visibility very poor for the drivers. They are parking tool close to driveways and roads. This includes buses.
    The traffic is out of control. Adding more traffic lights, stop signs, and left turn lanes is just a quick fix. People still go through the signs and red lights to make turns. How about enforcing the traffic laws? No cell phone use while driving (the actual phone in hand)?

    A side note: I want to thank the town for adding concrete barricades on the new Vermont Ave. connecting road to Chestnut Ave. People kept moving the fence and the pylons to cut through. I was almost hit there 4 times – I stopped for vehicles and 2 buses that did not stop.

    Thank you.

  16. The township should allow developers to build more houses. That is the only solution to the housing crisis.
    More housing will help the economy, which helps everybody.
    Maybe they should consider some apartment complexes. Enough of these one family houses. Large apartment buildings is where the real growth will be.

    • You must be joshing us. There is literally ZERO public interest in more development. Only the developers want it. Unfortunately, the local dictators are in their back pockets.

  17. One thing that can be done to save the town money is by privatizing the EMS department, this may seem like Big thing but in reality it would rum smoother as well for the people who need them. Many towns use private EMS and is proven to be cheaper.

  18. The first thing they should do is incentivize people to live outside of the area. People need to know that there’s a lot of beautiful still affordable places to live all across the fruited plain. Lots of nice communities where your kids can grow up sane.

    With tongue firmly implanted in cheek however, many of the better years of my life were the years living away from the New York area.

    • As County rep for district 26, which includes Sunset, part of Central and James, I appreciate all your very valid and important suggestions to improve the safety and quality of life for all of Lakewood’s residents.

      Winding through the labyrinth of township, county and state bureaucracies can be a frustrating process.

      We mustn’t forget that Lakewood is the fastest growing Township in the State.

      The good news for our district is that it is a “Landmark District” so there are strict housing rules that must be followed preserve the look and feel of the neighborhood. I’m not sure about other districts achieving that status but we are lucky in that respect.

      Over the last couple of weeks we (finally) have new (and brighter) street lights installed (by a private contractor to JCP&L) on EVERY telephone pole. The difference is literally between night and day. And you will be seeing much more of that going forward throughout the town We must realize that even the basic utility providers are stretched to the max dealing with Lakewood’s legacy infrastructure.

      Some issues are tougher to get done, like widening Route 9. There are so many logistical issues to consider with the section that runs through Lakewood, between Tom’s River and Howell. It is a city planner’s nightmare.

      The LPD, while adding more officers each year, must focus on higher priority crimes as Lakewood continues to be the fastest growing Township (city) in the state. Nevertheless their endless commitment to the quality of life here is unmatched. Let’s face it, Lakewood residents really need to demonstrate that same level of concern for safety and courtesy and not road race to the next red light.

      With the enormous population growth the demand for housing is through the roof. This is a very thorny and complex issue to work through because of all the complications involved for the consensus, cooperation, planning and logistics necessary from all the parties involved, in both public and private sectors.

      I agree that we must figure out a more innovative way to handle the growth without causing more problems than it fixes.

      Again, as the fastest growing Township with such a “legacy” infrastructure this is a very difficult and frustrating process. Even so, with all the challenges and difficulties, I can assure you that we have extremely dedicated people who are advocating for Lakewood at every level, many of whom are Lakewood residents who experience the same issues as you, on a daily basis.

      Take a few minutes to write, email and call your local township, county and state representatives. They want to hear from as many of you as possible. Get involved with the Township and County Committees. Not everyone reads the Scoop.

  19. There should be more building in Lakewood to make it a bigger Makom Torah which brings Bracha.
    My Ruv told me every minute I spend in traffic going to learn or my kids to Cheder is a great zchus. That time counts the same as if I was shteiging.

  20. Not to allow the construction of the 300 ton solid waste transfer station to be put up at the DPW on America Ave. It’s way too close to residential homes and will smell awful.

  21. So wow thank you for the opportunity
    Firstly the only problem with overdevelopment is when there isn’t infrastructure to support it however I’m I’m only speaking out because I thought of an alternative to widening route 9
    I absolutely believe that route 9 should be widened and it must be done in future but we know that due to some political issue someone’s hands aren’t greased enough so we need to move on.
    Lakewood must have a thoroughfare from one side of town to the other obviously. Why can’t they turn cedarbridge into a four line highway that runs all the way through Clifton until county and this is something that’s in the county’s hands because it is a county road and that will ease congestion somewhat
    How can we get this done ?

  22. Toireh! Do everything to promote more Toireh! Build more Yeshivas, Shuls, and Cheders. Build more housing for yungeleit. Increase the number of units per lot.
    If the community increases Toireh, HKBH will take care of traffic, bussing and tuition.
    All it takes is Emunah.

  23. parking enforcement in town!!! Ticketing people more!!! Police should be increased!!! More sign no turn left or going straight on RT 9… More Traffic Light in town!!! More code enforcement!!!

  24. I hope the the Lakewood Township reads this.

    There is a very big problem in Lakewood, and that is girls not being able to get married, because they don’t have the financial means to do so.

    I think that the Lakewood Township should offer every boy that marries a girl older than him, a free apartment for 3 years, that would help out a lot of people in Lakewood.

    Thanks in advance.

  25. Traffic, but not widening route 9; that would take years to complete as it is not simple. But just investing resources to better manage the flow of traffic throughout the township.

  26. Hire a private firm to oversee townships books and spending.
    Doesn’t make sense that with all the development in this town, and all the more taxpayers, property taxes revenue etc that costs still go up and up.

  27. The NUMBER ONE PRIORITY SHOULD BE
    Affordable Housing for young people and large families should be the job one for 2022. Right now I believe it’s in crisis mode with real estate people having the upper hand and the low income, large families and young people left out in the cold .

  28. There is something terribly wrong with the timing of the traffic lights which is affecting the intersection at Clifton & County Line. Many times, the intersection is blocked by cars going east on County Line towards Madison, bec the light by Madison is still red, & the cars are backed up all the way to Clifton. So much so, that cars looking to cross over County Line going south on Clifton, are unable to do so & it becomes a real gridlock.

  29. The Lakewood Piners and Lakewood middle school needs a nice and newer building. This will affect the quality of the students learning and help the children be more productive in the long run.

  30. Why not let the “officials” follow up on campaign promises?? Oh, I forgot,I never heard anyone run on a platform. We just vote for who we are told.

  31. New Hampshire needs more lighting. There were so many accidents over the past couple of years, which may have been partially caused by drivers not being able to see properly.

  32. Response to #46 Yochy:
    Are you serious?
    When my daughter and her family had some financial set backs – they lived with me. yes, its an adjustment. But, this is what family does for each other.
    Why is this not the same for you?
    There are many good people in Lakewood struggling financially; they also. would appreciate a free apartment for 3 years.
    Every issue is not a town of Lakewood responsibility.

Comments are closed.