South Orange Village’s Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee will meet September 17, when they are expected to discuss two bike-lane and traffic-pattern options for Church Street — one with dedicated bike lanes and one where cyclists and motorists share the road.
Residents of the Renaissance Place condominiums on Friday sent the Village Council a letter voicing their continued “strenuous opposition” to the option that allows for a dedicated bike lane and routes Church Street one way, headed north to South Orange Avenue.
In the letter, they say they support the two-way option, which they would like to see some additional traffic calming measures added to, and oppose the one-way street option because they believe it will be less safe for pedestrians and cyclists as well create a hardship for residents.
“One-way (north) during afternoon/evening rush hour with no left turn permitted means adding 9-10 minutes and almost one extra mile in traffic to South Mountain Reservation or the Cooperman Barnabas ER (for example),” Kelly Krick, president of the Renaissance Place Condominium Association, said in a letter on behalf of 25 others in the building.
Adding a network of dedicated bike lanes across the two towns was approved in recent updates to both the South Orange Master Plan and Maplewood Master Plan to encourage cycling and as traffic calming measures.
In June, Julia Flath, chair of the Walk Bike Ride South Orange municipal committee, told Village Green, “We have been surprised to hear push back about bike lanes, even in our progressive community, but there are many more community members who support it. It’s important to note that we are not just advocating for bike lanes — we are advocating for complete streets, which are designed to be safe for all ages and all modes of transport, not just cars.”
RELATED: Church Street Residents Raise Concerns as They Await Plans for Traffic Calming
In Maplewood, after three town halls, numerous public discussions at standing committee meetings and opposition by some Parker Avenue residents, the Maplewood Township Committee recently voted unanimously to put dedicated bike lanes on Parker Avenue.
The Renaissance Place residents’ say they are not against bike lanes, but think the street is two narrow to dedicate a bike lane. Besides opposing one-way traffic, their other concerns include:
- Bike lanes on one side of the street and parked cars on the othe could make it more difficult for delivery and service vehicles in the densely populated neighborhood.
- It could make it less safe for pedestrians and there is a lot of foot traffic on the street.
- The new traffic pattern and presumed sight lines (from parked and actively parking cars) could make it more dangerous and difficult to get in and out of their building’s garage.
Residents of Church Street have previously voiced opposition to the one-way option, and say they think the two-way option with a few safety additions would be the safest and least disruptive.
“Lowering the speed limit on Church Street should improve bicycle safety,” said Renaissance Place resident and homeowner. “And keeping it two way, we won’t feel trapped in our homes during rush hour.”
Downs sent Krick’s letter to Village Council members and told them he would send a list of questions in advance of the meeting to “reduce tensions among the various stakeholders seeking clarity on the two proposals.”
The shared-route, two-way traffic plan (Option 1):
The dedicated formal bike lane, one-way traffic plan (Option 2):
