New Broadway stoplights at Fair Lawn-Elmwood Park border causing confusion

By JOHN CICHOWSKI
ROAD WARRIOR COLUMNIST

It took more than two years to install them, but flashing red lights are finally in place to protect pedestrians at a chronically dangerous crosswalk on Broadway at the Fair Lawn-Elmwood Park border.

Neither drivers nor pedestrians are happy with the lights on the Fair Lawn-Elmwood Park border. Additional police help is being requested.
In theory, all that walkers must do to get cars to stop is to press a button to activate the lights at East 55th Street. And voilà! Motorists are duty-bound, morally bound and legally bound to screech to a halt in compliance with the new state crosswalk law.

But neither drivers nor pedestrians are shrieking with joy. Here's how motorist Richard Rudman described his experience when he stopped his car for the flashing lights:

"I took my life in my hands! Cars whizzed by on my right and left as drivers looked at me as if I were some sort of weirdo! I won't do that again!"

The Elmwood Park reader wants police in both towns to issue tickets there at morning and afternoon rush hours as commuters hurry to and from the Fair Lawn rail station and the Elmwood Park parking lot across the thoroughfare, also called Route 4.

But judging from the manpower costs involved, that's not likely.

Both towns and state agencies have bickered for decades over how to reduce the peril. For example, consolidating the lot and rail stop on the same side would be ideal but cost-prohibitive. Ultimately, the Broadway Improvement Corp. lobbied for a reduced speed limit there — to 35 mph — and raised money to install the flashers.

The business group now wants police to issue warnings to drivers for a

two-week period, then follow up with tickets. Formal requests are being made today, said BIC consultant Mark Gordon.

Shouldn't the BIC and both towns have organized this strategy last month before the lights were installed? "It's the first I've heard of it," said Elmwood Park Chief Don Ingrasselino.

The crossing — near a rail overpass — is tricky. Cars pick up speed as they approach it downhill in either direction. If warnings and tickets don't change driving habits there, and if a steadier police presence is too costly, what's the next stratagem?

Perhaps a traditional red, amber and green traffic light?

Paterson's Alexandra Bogert recalled a similar example at a Prospect Park crossing in the 1970s. "The town wouldn't put up a light until a crossing guard was killed," she said. "Children had to see a terrible tragedy before anything was done."

Here are more issues puzzling readers:

Q. Why do jitney buses that run from Paterson to Manhattan carry stickers saying "Yield to buses"? I thought this yield law was only for NJ Transit buses. Ron Werbacher, Paterson

NJ Transit supported the yield-to-buses law to help their drivers meet schedules, but this requirement covers all buses – not only those owned and run by the state's rail and bus agency.

Q. Please clarify the off-peak discount toll given for E-ZPass on the New Jersey Turnpike. Will my tag, which was issued by the E-ZPass system of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, still get me the turnpike discount? Susan Diamond, Leonia

No, starting Friday, the Turnpike Authority will offer this discount only to its own E-ZPass customers, not those with accounts with the Port Authority nor the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Port will still honor its discounts to turnpike customers. The MTA hasn't extended its discounts to turnpike customers for some time.

Q. When I go to Italy, I'm told that if I lived there I'd have to take a written test for a license that's administered only in the Italian language. But in New Jersey, a newcomer may take the written test in one of several languages. Since all our signs here are in English, doesn't this testing standard compromise safety? Joe Fortuna, New Milford

Various countries embrace different cultures and languages. Italy's long history embraces one language. But the United States has a multicultural history that includes many. New Jersey accepted a multi-language policy for driver testing long ago to extend driving privileges to a cross-section of cultures to accommodate nearly everyone. As for safety, nearly all safety signs, such as the red, octagonal STOP sign and red, amber and green traffic lights, are easy to read regardless of language since they have the same colors and shapes throughout most of the world.

Q. Last week, a reader asked how to obtain free New Jersey road maps, and you published the website of the Travel and Tourism Division. They're usually available at tourist information centers. Barry Rudd, Fair Lawn

Thanks to everyone who sent similar suggestions. Free 2009 maps with ex-Gov. Jon Corzine's photo are available at rest stops on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, Trenton's main rail station and local tourism offices. When nearly depleted, the division expects to print new ones with Governor Christie's likeness.

Road Warrior runs Wednesday, Friday & Sunday. E-mail cichowski@ northjersey.com. Blog: http://blogs. northjersey.com/blogs/roadwarrior