LETTERS

Letter: Complete Streets project has resulted in traffic back-ups and lost business

NorthJersey
Letters

I fear the Complete Streets renovations have ruined our town! This initiative is trying to accomplish too many objectives without accomplishing anything well. The traffic “calming” initiative has resulted in traffic back-ups that are untenable going through downtown. Additionally near the high school -- where is the traffic “calming” perhaps needs to be greatest -- there is no planned initiative, other than a speed-readout sign. All that's resulted in the Complete Streets program is a traffic back-up for a quarter mile trying to get into town; resulting in merchants losing business and residents avoiding town at all cost.

Additionally because of the traffic backup, cars are now speeding through South Mountain (one of those speeding cars hit my house). Many residents in the South Mountain area no longer feel safe – not to mention children who walk to the elementary and high school. I was walking my dog just today and a speeding car came so close to us near the curb that we felt we had to get out of the way…and fast.

The new traffic-pattern problem is not limited to Millburn Avenue or South Mountain. The traffic in front of the library is frequently backed up to Brookside Drive and the traffic pattern at the intersection of Lackawanna and Essex is a total disaster waiting to happen.

Instead of ruining the flavor and feel of our town, if the goal is to slow down traffic, why not have the police enforce speed limits? After getting one ticket at $100 or $200, the lesson sinks in pretty fast. In the South Mountain area action needs to happen now – before a child is hurt or killed. At a minimum, please install large, traffic-slowing round medians at all intersections on Mountainview Road – not the small round medians that are for beautification, not traffic “calming.”

The Complete Streets beautification program can wait. Actually it is insulting to hear about new “gateway” signage when cars are backed-up trying to get into town.

Complete Streets has ruined our town character, flavor, commerce and safety. I trust the committee and the Township will do something quickly to resolve the issue before totally destroying our quaint town.

Gary Lynn

Millburn