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Tenafly council discusses River Edge Road median, seeks engineer estimate and county cooperation
Summary
The borough engineering team presented a proposal to add a landscaped median and pedestrian improvements on River Edge Road to reduce unsafe mid‑block crossings and calm traffic.
The borough engineering team presented concepts on Tuesday for a median and pedestrian improvements on River Edge Road intended to calm traffic and reduce dangerous mid‑block crossings near the downtown.
John Jarvray, the borough engineer, said the design grew out of the borough’s downtown improvement plan and a separate pedestrian‑safety study. He described options that would narrow crossing distances, channelize vehicular movements and direct pedestrians to marked crosswalks. "There are so many ways to get around this that are so much safer than making that three‑and‑a‑half to four‑lane crossover between the two," Jarvray said.
Cost and phasing: Jarvray estimated an initial construction cost in the range of $350,000 to $400,000 for striping, signage, a planted island and related work. The project was described as part of the 2025 capital ordinance; councilmembers asked for a detailed billable engineer’s estimate that could be used for budgeting and to engage the county — because parts of the road are county‑owned and county participation could affect scope and funding.
Council concerns and mitigations: Councilmembers raised traffic‑flow questions including the potential for diverting drivers who currently make informal left turns into the nearby shopping center to other intersections. Members asked staff to study the traffic redistribution effect and to coordinate with police on a short‑term pilot. Councilmembers and the engineer discussed temporarily barricading the Stop & Shop entrance for a pilot to observe traffic behavior, and Jarvray said the police chief could administer a temporary closure for data collection.
Next steps: Council asked staff to prepare a clear, billable engineer estimate for the striping and green‑island work so the project can be considered in the 2025 budget. Jarvray and staff were also asked to approach the county engineer with a defined scope and to coordinate a pilot barricade with the police chief to produce traffic counts and real‑world observations before construction.
No binding vote to approve construction was taken at the meeting; councilmembers indicated support for proceeding to the engineering estimate and county coordination phase.
