Looking over plans for the traffic signal to be installed at the intersection of Alisa Drive and Pleasant Valley Way are, from left, are representatives from Essex County, West Orange, the West Orange Board of Education, the Board of Chosen Freeholders and Maser Consulting.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — On June 21, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. announced plans to install a new traffic signal at the intersection of Pleasant Valley Way and Alisa Drive in West Orange. The upgrades to the intersection will enhance pedestrian and motor vehicle safety near West Orange High School and make it easier for students who drive to school to enter and exit the student parking lot located on Alisa Drive.
“We are always ready to team up with our municipal and school district partners to implement traffic improvements that will enhance safety for our children. Pleasant Valley Way is a major artery through West Orange, and the traffic signal being installed will make turning in and out of Alisa Drive easier and safer for students who drive to the high school,” DiVincenzo said.
“This is an example of what we can accomplish when we all work together,” Mayor Robert Parisi said.
“Our major concern is about traffic safety, and we are hoping that this intersection becomes a model for other areas in township,” Councilman Jerry Guarino said.
“As board members, we are advocates for the safety of our students. We thank Essex County and the township for helping us improve the traffic situation here,” school board member Sandra Mordecai said.
“This project is an example of three government agencies coming together to make the intersection safer for pedestrians and motorists coming to the high school and Degnan Park,” school board member Irv Schwarzbaum said.
The improvements include the installation of new traffic signal equipment with LED lights, which shine brighter, are easier to see and are more energy efficient, and pedestrian signals with countdown timers. Roadway striping and signage will be added to the intersection, and curbs, sidewalks and pavement that are disturbed during construction will be replaced. GPS clocks will be installed to ensure that traffic signal coordination with other intersections along Pleasant Valley Way is maintained.
Maser Consulting, from Red Bank, designed the intersection improvements under an existing contract. Foggia Trinity Electric, from Scotch Plains, was awarded a publicly-bid contract of $319,805 to perform the construction work. The Essex County Department of Public Works will monitor the project to ensure delays are avoided. Essex County, West Orange and the Board of Education are each paying one-third of the cost of the improvements. Construction was scheduled to begin Monday, June 25, and is expected to be completed before school begins in September.
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