South Orange, Maplewood Among Essex Cty. Towns to Receive Traffic Safety Improvements

From Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.: 

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that Essex County will receive $26.4 million in federal grants from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority to make safety improvements at 39 intersections throughout Essex County. The projects include extending curbs and installing refuge islands, where feasible, to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians; and the installation of leading pedestrian interval signals, which stop traffic in all directions to allow people to cross more safely.

“This funding supports infrastructure improvements to enhance safety for motorists and particularly pedestrians. The intersections identified for upgrades are along some of our most heavily traveled corridors,” said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., who is the County’s representative on the NJTPA Board of Trustees.

The improvements will be completed as part of two separate projects:

The first project received $17 million for traffic and pedestrian signal upgrades at 25 intersections throughout the County, including leading pedestrian intervals, four new traffic signals, and curb-extensions and pedestrian refuge islands where feasible. The intersections are in Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Millburn, Montclair, Nutley, Orange, South Orange, West Orange, Verona and Newark.

Intersections to be upgraded in the first project include the following:

1. South Orange Avenue and Prospect Avenue, South Orange
2. South Orange Avenue and Ridgewood [Road], South Orange
3. Washington Street and Watchung Avenue, West Orange
4. Pleasant Valley Way and Woodland Avenue, West Orange
5. Washington Street and High Street, Orange
6. Fairview Avenue and Personette Avenue, Verona (New Signal).
7. Millburn Avenue and Vauxhall Road, Millburn
8. Franklin Street and Newark Avenue, Bloomfield
9. Franklin Street and Garden State Parkway Northbound Ramp, Bloomfield
10. Franklin Street and Garden State Parkway Southbound Ramp, Bloomfield
11. Franklin Street and Municipal Plaza/Montgomery Street, Bloomfield
12. West Passaic Avenue and Broad Street, Bloomfield
13. West Passaic Avenue and East Passaic Avenue, Bloomfield
14. Broad Street and MacLeod Lane, Bloomfield (New Signal)
15. Belleville Avenue and State Street, Bloomfield
16. Belleville Avenue and Broad Street, Bloomfield
17. West Passaic Avenue/Kingsland Street and Darling Avenue, Nutley
18. Springfield Avenue and South 17th Street, Newark (New Signal)
19. Rutgers Street and Cortlandt Street, Belleville
20. Valley Road and Normal Avenue, Montclair
21. Valley Road and Mount Hebron Road, Montclair
22. Watchung Avenue and Grove Street, Montclair
23. Watchung Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue, Glen Ridge
24. Franklin Avenue and Church Street/Booth Drive, Nutley (New Signal)
25. Irvington Avenue and Prospect Avenue, South Orange

The second project received $9.4 million for similar improvements to 14 intersections along two corridors — Valley Street in Maplewood and South Orange and Springfield Avenue in Irvington. This project also includes the installation of four new traffic signals.

Intersections to be upgraded in the second project include the following:

1. Valley Street and 1st Street, South Orange (New Signal)
2. Valley Street and 3rd Street, South Orange
3. Valley Street and Parker Avenue, Maplewood
4. Valley Street and Oakland Road, Maplewood
5. Valley Street and Oakview Avenue, Maplewood
6. Valley Street and Tuscan Road, Maplewood
7. Valley Street and Baker Street, Maplewood
8. Valley Street and Millburn Avenue, Maplewood
9. Springfield Avenue and Orange Avenue, (New Signal), Irvington
10. Springfield Avenue and Smith Street (New Signal), Irvington
11. Springfield Avenue and 42^nd Street (New Signal), Irvington
12. Springfield Avenue and Becker Terrace, Irvington
13. Springfield Avenue and Clinton Avenue/Union Avenue/Myrtle Avenue, Irvington
14. Springfield Avenue and Grove Street, Irvington

The award was approved and announced at the NJTPA meeting on Monday, November 9^th. The grants are part of the NJTPA’s Local Safety Program.

The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for 13 northern New Jersey counties. Under federal legislation, MPOs provide a forum where local officials, public transportation providers and state agency representatives can come together and cooperatively plan to meet the region’s current and future transportation needs. The agency establishes the region’s eligibility to receive federal tax dollars for transportation projects.

The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren) and the cities of Newark and Jersey City. The Board also includes a governor’s representative, the New Jersey Department of Transportation commissioner, the NJ TRANSIT executive director, the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a citizen’s representative appointed by the governor.