Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wayne residents press Passaic County for traffic safety fixes on Valley Road, Ratzer Road and Hamburg Turnpike
Summary
Wayne residents told the Passaic County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 9 that crashes and several recent fatalities on Valley Road, Ratzer Road and Hamburg Turnpike require immediate attention, urging short-term fixes and a protected left-turn signal at Valley and Ratzer.
Several Wayne residents used the Sept. 9 public comment period to press Passaic County commissioners for immediate safety work on Valley Road, Ratzer Road and Hamburg Turnpike, saying collisions and fatalities are frequent and asking for both short-term countermeasures and long-term redesign.
Lee Long, a Wayne resident, described recurring crashes at the Valley Road and Ratzer Road intersection and urged the county to prioritize a protected left-turn signal there. "There is a need for a dedicated left turn signal at the intersection obvious and urgent, for the residents and the people traveling through there," Long said, and asked for public access to crash and traffic data.
Another resident who identified herself as a former Wayne councilwoman described repeated accidents at Ratzer and Hamburg and asked for expedited work; Hillary Caruso, who identified herself by name, described poor pavement, missing sidewalks and potholes on Hamburg Turnpike that force pedestrians into the roadway. Caruso and others asked the county to inspect conditions and consider near-term measures such as temporary flashing signs, striping and enforcement.
County staff and commissioners said they have the five most recent years of crash reports for the areas raised by speakers and that engineering staff will analyze those reports for short-term fixes while pursuing longer-term redesign. The administrator and commissioners said they have secured approximately $15,000,000 in federal funding for Valley Road work; the administrator said that funding is in conceptual design and that the federal process is slow. Commissioners also said they will seek targeted short-term measures such as additional striping, temporary flashing speed signs, and sheriff's department enforcement in the interim.
Speakers requested more transparency and access to crash data and urged a faster timetable for temporary improvements; county staff committed to follow up with residents about timelines and specific short-term fixes. No formal county action was taken at the meeting.
