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Road reconfiguration, train crossing discussed
(by Karen F. Mrnarevic - November 07, 2007)
With the addition of 15 new weekday trains and 23 weekend trains to the Pascack Valley Line on Oct. 28, officials anticipate an increase in traffic at the already congested intersection of Kinderkamack Road and Linwood Avenue. On Wednesday, Oct. 17, a meeting was held at the Emerson Railroad station in order for NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to review the site and advise the borough of planned improvements.
Local officials, including Mayor Louis Lamatina, were present at the meeting to address their concerns to NJDOT officials as well as bring forth their ideas on how to alleviate the situation in the long run. Lamatina took the opportunity to discuss the borough’s redevelopment plans for the area with NJDOT and NJ Transit representatives.
The principle issue at hand was how to eliminate risks associated with vehicles stopping on the railroad tracks while waiting for the light at the intersection. According to Emerson resident Gary Schwinder, who was present at the meeting, safety improvements planned by the NJDOT for the site include the installation of sensors at the railroad crossing and traffic light. These sensors would detect when vehicles are stopped on the tracks as a train is approaching and simultaneously send a signal to the traffic light to change to green for traffic on northbound Kinderkamack Road. Thus, traffic would be able to move off of the tracks before the crossing barriers are lowered, lessening the possibility of an accident.
According to Borough Administrator Joe Scarpa, plans by NJDOT to install the system of sensors have actually not been budgeted for yet. “At this time, they [NJDOT] are planning on doing it next year,” he says.
In the meantime, Scarpa said the town does not have any plans to help alleviate congestion at the intersection that could result from the additional train stops.
“This is all within the jurisdiction of NJDOT and NJ Transit,” said Scarpa. As for whether the increase in trains has begun to impact the flow of traffic at the intersection, Police Captain David Hayes said, “It’s a little too early to assess that.”
Part of the borough’s downtown redevelopment plan is to reconfigure the roads running through the downtown area in order to allow traffic to run more efficiently through the Kinderkamack Road “corridor.” The plan includes a new traffic light at Ackerman Avenue, construction of dedicated turning lanes, and the potential relocation of the train stop.
On Oct. 31, Atkins Companies, the developer in charge of the Emerson downtown redevelopment project, held a meeting with county officials to discuss the planned road reconfiguration. According to Scarpa, who was present at the meeting, this was the first time the county has reviewed the reconfiguration, which includes proposed lane changes throughout the downtown area.
“A lot of this is contingent upon [the approval of] the county,” Scarpa said. The county is expected to reach a decision within the next two weeks. If it approves the plan, the next step will be for the borough and developer to meet with NJ Transit officials.
While they agree that improvements at the intersection and train crossing may solve some of the existing traffic problems, some local business owners are unhappy about the redevelopment, although they are doubtful that changes will come any time soon. Susan McCann, owner of Suzy’s Deli on Kinderkamack Road, says the redevelopment and road reconfiguration is a poorly conceived idea and a waste of money. “Emerson can never be a ‘Westwood’ type town,” McCann says. She clarifies that because of Kinderkamack Road, which is a high traffic, congested thoroughfare, the Emerson “downtown” area could never have the same village-like character as Westwood.
Betsy Harris, who also works at Suzy’s, says that at the pace it is going, the redevelopment may never come to fruition. “They’ve been talking about redevelopment since I was a kid,” says Harris, who said her father once sat on the Emerson Council. “Our grandchildren will inherit this problem.”
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