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Residents urge enforcement after town installs speed signs; traffic light at Jackson and Erie remains delayed
Summary
Public commenters praised new speed-feedback signs but asked about enforcement; council said the signs were paid from police seized funds, more signs are on order, targeted enforcement will be used, and the Jackson–Erie traffic light remains delayed by county scheduling and coordination with a rails-to-trails engineering project.
Residents told the Borough of Rutherford mayor and council on Feb. 24 that new solar speed-feedback signs are visible and helpful, but they want follow-through on enforcement and long-standing safety fixes at Jackson and Erie.
Frank Wilson of Montrose Avenue commended the newly installed speed signs and asked, “Are we gonna then issue tickets? … Are we planning on doing any enforcement?” He also described near-misses at a crosswalk near the park and urged more protection for pedestrians.
Pete Shiro of Hobart Avenue said he had been told the traffic light at Jackson and Erie would not be installed for another year and asked whether the borough could push to speed up the timeline: “We had 50 plus accidents on that corner. Luckily, nobody got killed.”
Councilman Guzman said the solar speed-feedback signs were purchased with police forfeiture funds and praised their effectiveness: “They do make me slow down when I see those lights going off.” Chief Russo told the council that targeted enforcement activity has been discussed with the traffic department and that the presence of the signs has produced measurable driver slowing.
Council President McGowan and other members said more signs are on order (eight additional units expected in about six weeks) and that residents should also obey traffic rules. Council members said that some streets are county-owned and require county approval; McGowan said she will attend a Bergen County public meeting March 4 to press for progress on the Jackson–Erie signal.
Administrator-level comments noted that the Jackson–Erie light is coordinated with an engineering design for the Carlton Greenway rails‑to‑trails project and that the county’s queue and interdepartmental design work are delaying the project. The borough said it had advocated for the light but that external approvals and design coordination affect timing.
Why it matters: Residents raised pedestrian-safety and traffic-enforcement concerns for widely used routes. Council reported concrete steps — additional speed signs, targeted enforcement discussions with the police, and county-level advocacy — but acknowledged longer-term fixes such as signal installation will rely on county engineering and interagency coordination.
