Long Valley Green Market Crossing
The weekly Long Valley Green Market at CoWorking on Schooley's Mountain Road has become a popular event. However as the days grow shorter, crossing SMR becomes riskier.
I believe that and experienced volunteer(s) with proper reflective clothing and stop sign would be a big help—a Santa suit would be plus at this time. It’s a four-hour gig and maybe cookies would be available (how about it, vendors?). If anyone from the township have thoughts or concerns on the matter, please leave comments and/or suggestions how to proceed.
Tracy Tobin
3:29 am on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Mr. Keyes
This is something that needs to be checked with the Police before any volunteers step forward. There could be serious liabilities for someone directing traffic unless they were trained, authorized and insured. There might even be State regulations prohibiting civilians from doing something like this other than in an emergency.
einaphets
7:17 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Mr. Tobin,
Mr. Keyes offered a solution to a perceived problem. Rather than shoot down his suggestion, as a member of the town's governing body, maybe you could follow up on his solution or offer one of your own.
Tracy Tobin
7:16 am on Wednesday, December 14, 2011
einaphets
First of all, until Jan. 7 2012 I am not a member of the governing body. I won the Nov. 2011 election but do not take office until January, so I cannot just impose a solution on the County and Town. Second, as a resident, I have talked to the Township Committee and a couple of Freeholders several times about getting the crosswalk safety improvements installed, and did so again after Leona Harrington expressed her frustration to me at the Holiday Happenings event last week. Third, I was not criticizing Mr. Keyes for making a suggestion, just warning him that there are potential liabilities for a volunteer, however well intentioned, who starts directing traffic on their own.
1819
11:05 am on Monday, December 12, 2011
Put Santa into dangerous traffic. I love Democrats.
Joseph Keyes
12:51 pm on Monday, December 12, 2011
Mr. Tobin’s presented very real concerns re: insurance, liabilities, legalities, etc., but I still see a hazardous situation in need of resolution. To me, part of being a good citizen is presenting ideas. Until someone proposes a solution, a problem like this one will remain until someone get’s hurt. I’m hopeful that a solution can be found before that happens.
1819
2:02 pm on Monday, December 12, 2011
Yes, Tracy cleaned up your mess again. Volunteers don't direct traffic.Anyone involved in anything ever in town, from the fireworks to the fall festival to the antique shows to the current construction that is all over 24 knows that.
I await your next Democrat blog with bated breath. How about a pedestrian tunnel? Fund it with a special millionaire's tax.
Leona Harrington
5:08 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The first hurdle is to get the cross walk put in...our town has been working quite unsuccessfully with the county for years to get this done. Now that the county is making improvements to the trail, it looks like it might actually get done... When complete we can put the pedestrian sign in the middle of the road and slow people down. I'm with Joe, I hope they can get it done before someone gets hurt.... and appreciate that he saw a problem and was trying for a solution.
Erik Fecher
12:04 pm on Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The problem with a crosswalk there is that you're trying to make people stop on what is during rush hour, a busy road because a couple people (or if this event is popular a steady stream of people) just walk right out in front of traffic and expect it to stop for them. There should be some kind of parking solution on the same side of the road as the market to eliminate people having to cross the street in the first place. The market is a nice idea, but will make the already difficult traffic at that time of day an absolute nightmare, forcing a lot of people to seek alternate ways up and down the mountain, and clogging side streets such as Fairmount and in some cases forcing people to head all the way down to Middle Valley (if they dare take that road), Naughright or even the other extreme, all the way down to Califon just to avoid that mess and get up the mountain. I think personally, if there are alternate places to hold this event should it grow and become more popular and attract lots of people, it would benefit those on both sides to move it. Like I said, IF there is an alternate location, but I maintain adding a crosswalk (and a cop to direct traffic) will just worsen the situation