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Old Tappan council to test temporary barricades, seek traffic study after school-area pedestrian crash
Summary
After a recent pedestrian crash near local schools, Old Tappan council heard two weeks of police monitoring and residents’ safety proposals, agreed to trial temporary barricades during school hours and to pursue a formal traffic study with the school district and grant options.
The Old Tappan mayor and council directed staff to trial movable barricades near K Street and Charles Place and to pursue a traffic study after police described ongoing congestion and two recent pedestrian crashes near local school drop-off zones.
Chief of Police Joe told the council, “For the last 2 weeks, we've been monitoring that area in the morning and the afternoon.” He said peak congestion around the bell and dismissal times — notably 08:10 to 08:25 in the morning and the afternoons — produces backups that lead some drivers to make unsafe turns and cross crowded crosswalks. The chief proposed stepped measures: increased enforcement during peak times, temporary sawhorse barricades first, and, if needed, heavier Jersey barriers.
Mayor Thomas Gallagher emphasized safety as the guiding priority: "The number 1 thing is is the safety of of the children, the parents, the teachers in that neighborhood." Council members and residents debated short-term and longer-term remedies, including no-parking orders, one-way conversions of K Street, staggered school start times and added crossing guards.
Several residents urged that pilot interventions be paired with community outreach. Resident William DeCordova recommended making K Street one-way and criticized recent removal of on-street parking for shifting hazards to farther walking routes. The council agreed to advertise the traffic item for the next meeting and to coordinate the study with the school superintendent and potential grant sources.
Next steps: the council will trial movable sawhorses during the remainder of the school year, advertise a follow-up discussion for the next meeting, and seek a traffic study and any grant funding options to support longer-term reconfiguration.
