BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The draft of an audit of heavily-used traffic routes is being reviewed by the Department of Health and, according to the department Director Karen Lore, will be submitted to the mayor and council next month. The report will recommend ways to make four busy streets more friendly to pedestrian and bicycling traffic.
Funded in part by a Partners in Health Healthy Communities Grant, the audit was conducted by Charles Brown, an adjunct professor at Rutgers University and a senior research specialist with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center. He was assisted by township volunteers, who began work on the project in March.
The draft, which provides vehicular crash data, stated that its goal was to create pedestrian safety and mobility. According to the draft, last year Bloomfield had the third highest total of reported crashes in Essex County. At the top was Newark, with 45.4 percent; East Orange, with 9.4 percent; Bloomfield, with 6 percent; and Montclair, with 5.1 percent. At the low end were the Caldwells, Glen Ridge and Essex Fells. Glen Ridge reported 0.7 of the county total. Most crashes occur on Fridays, the report said.
Crime statistics covered 2015 and 2016. The Bloomfield Police Department reported 2,452 incidents, according to the draft, most of which occurred on Bloomfield Avenue, with 16.8 percent reported. Broad Street incidents accounted for 8.2 percent, followed by Franklin Avenue, Grove Street, Glenwood Avenue, Municipal Plaza and Belleville Avenue. The draft said many of these roads also reported high crash data for the years reviewed.
The four traffic routes audited were the entirety of Conger Street; Glenwood Avenue, from Bloomfield Avenue to Prospect Street, just past Watsessing Elementary School; Grove Street, from Bloomfield Avenue to Watsessing Avenue; and Watchung Avenue, from East Passaic Avenue to Broad Street.
These four routes were also assessed in four categories: condition of sidewalks; pedestrian-crossing safety; traffic-calming requirements; and beauty and comfort. What follows is only a partial reporting of the draft.
Conger Avenue scored 16 out of 30 for an “OK, needs work” rating. Brown and his team of volunteers found Conger Avenue very challenging to cross and a safety risk to pedestrians during peak traffic hours. It was recommended that, for beauty and comfort, there should be more trash receptacles and public art.
Glenwood Avenue scored 14 out of 30 for a “good, somewhat satisfied.” It was found that the sidewalks along this thoroughfare were in disrepair and the street needed to be calmed with either a road diet or the addition of bike lanes. An area where a roadway narrows from two lanes to one is a “road diet.” It was also found that unmarked crosswalks traversing Glenwood Avenue to Watsessing Park were used heavily and needed to be painted. The number of driveways and their widths were also part of the problem for pedestrian safety, according to the draft. Overall, Glenwood Avenue posed numerous problems for pedestrians and it was recommended that police enforce traffic laws to make the road safer. Trees, benches and public art are also needed there, according to the audit.
Grove Street was judged “a disaster for walking,” scoring 10 out of 30. Many improvements were recommended, including bus shelters, wheelchair-accessible ramps and trash cleanup. To make the street safer for crossing, a road diet was recommended. As for the traffic, the draft said there were “many problems.” Police enforcement of traffic laws was recommended, as were way-finding signs.
Watchung Avenue scored 14 out of 30 and “needs a lot of work.” Restriping, road diets and bike lanes were recommended. Police enforcement of traffic laws was recommended; distracted drivers, speeder, and drivers not yielding to pedestrians were all reported. Trees should be planted and private property maintenance should be enforced, the draft said.
Overall, the audit recommended the township adopt a “Vision Zero” policy to end traffic deaths and injuries; a biking and pedestrian master plan; the creation of a biking and pedestrian committee; emergency kiosks; more compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a review of traffic-signal timing.
Lore said her department is applying for a NJ Healthy Communities Grant that would total $20,000 across a two-year period. This would not pay for all the recommendations in the draft, but inexpensive solutions could be found, she said, adding that signage is a critical factor in changing the streetscape since it helps to make behavior predictable.
But the grant is not only for pedestrian safety and mobility — healthy, active living. Lore said it is also for healthy eating. The township is promoting this with its community gardens and visiting veggie truck, and she is thinking of including healthy food presentations at the schools.
“The grant requires a policy change,” she said, “and evidence that the change is sustainable.”
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