Drive 25 12/18/03
The season has changed from fall to winter. The first snow has come and gone. The cold dreary weather has driven the children to play indoors.
All year long, on any nice day, children play outdoors in the neighborhoods of Hazlet. This is one of the reasons my wife and I decided to raise our family here. Many of my neighbors also believe that our children benefit from playing together outdoors.
All of my neighbors agree that we deserve to live in a safe environment.
Hazlet needs to address pedestrian safety before the spring when residents, especially children, are more apt to be outside.
The problem with speeding cars is most prevalent on “thru-streets” such as Fleetwood Drive, Lynn Boulevard, Virginia Avenue, Hazlet Avenue and Knoll Terrace. These streets, as well as several others, have become shortcuts that residents use to avoid traffic caused by over development.
Residents have been expressing their concerns about cars speeding through their neighborhoods at township committee meetings, in letters to the editor, and in posts on the website forum dedicated to Hazlet issues.
Committeeman Christopher Cullen once commented that the township would just inconvenience and anger its own residents by changing or more strictly enforcing speed limitations. Patronizing dangerous drivers is no way to solve this problem.
Committeemen elect Scott Aagre and Paul Coughlin began a campaign to place “Drive 25, Keep Kids Alive” signs on residential properties at key locations around town. These signs are an excellent reminder to motorists, but they are also expensive. Scott and Paul are looking for ways to fund additional public awareness materials.
Speed on residential roads is usually limited to 25 mph. However, several thru-streets have a posted speed limit of 30 mph. Other municipalities have instituted a 25 mph speed limit on all township roads. County roads are not under township influence. Hazlet speed restrictions will not affect Poole Avenue, Middle Road or Union Avenue.
We could improve the safety of our school vicinities with bold warnings of severe punitive fines for violations within designated zones. We could impose double fines in areas that experience the most speed-limit violations. Perhaps we could use the increased revenue to pay for additional speed deterrents.
Pedestrian safety in our many busy shopping plazas can also be improved. Holmdel has a law requiring all traffic to yield to pedestrians using crosswalks in the parking lots of their shopping plazas. The property owners are responsible for the cost of altering their lots to comply with regulations by adding signs or repainting.
Signs and laws can only go so far. The police cannot, and should not, be ubiquitous. The success of any vehicle safety initiative ultimately depends on the motorists. Hazlet could do a better job of reminding us to drive responsibly.
Surrounding towns have shown us by example that increasing pedestrian safety is easy and inexpensive. Increasing child safety is responsible and essential.
Concerning the issue of pedestrian safety in Hazlet’s community, inconveniencing and punishing dangerous drivers should not be our excuse. Inconveniencing and punishing dangerous drivers should be our goal.
All year long, on any nice day, children play outdoors in the neighborhoods of Hazlet. This is one of the reasons my wife and I decided to raise our family here. Many of my neighbors also believe that our children benefit from playing together outdoors.
All of my neighbors agree that we deserve to live in a safe environment.
Hazlet needs to address pedestrian safety before the spring when residents, especially children, are more apt to be outside.
The problem with speeding cars is most prevalent on “thru-streets” such as Fleetwood Drive, Lynn Boulevard, Virginia Avenue, Hazlet Avenue and Knoll Terrace. These streets, as well as several others, have become shortcuts that residents use to avoid traffic caused by over development.
Residents have been expressing their concerns about cars speeding through their neighborhoods at township committee meetings, in letters to the editor, and in posts on the website forum dedicated to Hazlet issues.
Committeeman Christopher Cullen once commented that the township would just inconvenience and anger its own residents by changing or more strictly enforcing speed limitations. Patronizing dangerous drivers is no way to solve this problem.
Committeemen elect Scott Aagre and Paul Coughlin began a campaign to place “Drive 25, Keep Kids Alive” signs on residential properties at key locations around town. These signs are an excellent reminder to motorists, but they are also expensive. Scott and Paul are looking for ways to fund additional public awareness materials.
Speed on residential roads is usually limited to 25 mph. However, several thru-streets have a posted speed limit of 30 mph. Other municipalities have instituted a 25 mph speed limit on all township roads. County roads are not under township influence. Hazlet speed restrictions will not affect Poole Avenue, Middle Road or Union Avenue.
We could improve the safety of our school vicinities with bold warnings of severe punitive fines for violations within designated zones. We could impose double fines in areas that experience the most speed-limit violations. Perhaps we could use the increased revenue to pay for additional speed deterrents.
Pedestrian safety in our many busy shopping plazas can also be improved. Holmdel has a law requiring all traffic to yield to pedestrians using crosswalks in the parking lots of their shopping plazas. The property owners are responsible for the cost of altering their lots to comply with regulations by adding signs or repainting.
Signs and laws can only go so far. The police cannot, and should not, be ubiquitous. The success of any vehicle safety initiative ultimately depends on the motorists. Hazlet could do a better job of reminding us to drive responsibly.
Surrounding towns have shown us by example that increasing pedestrian safety is easy and inexpensive. Increasing child safety is responsible and essential.
Concerning the issue of pedestrian safety in Hazlet’s community, inconveniencing and punishing dangerous drivers should not be our excuse. Inconveniencing and punishing dangerous drivers should be our goal.
posted by Rich Kohler at 11:37 PM
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