Traffic on Wednesday night outside Ateres Blima and Ateres Esther
Ateres Blima and Ateres Esther, The Chasuna Initiative, located at 400 Oak Street in Lakewood, have opened to the greater community.
When new development is approved near Ocean County-owned roadways, the County typically requires traffic mitigation improvements. For example, in connection with the Lakewood Commons expansion, the intersection of the Oak Street and New Hampshire Avenue intersection was upgraded with dedicated left turning arrows and turning lanes.
When Ateres Blima and Ateres Esther underwent their approval process, county officials similarly did all in their wherewithal to ensure that the traffic impact of the simcha halls is properly considered, and that any necessary traffic improvements are imposed prior to The Chasuna Initiative receiving keys to their doors.
However, the developers worked hard to ensure that we did not receive adequate traffic improvements, a FAA News investigation reveals.
The traffic report originally submitted by the developers only counted traffic during the day, for the school use. Additionally, the report only looked at traffic flow along Oak Street, but not at the Oak Street / New Hampshire Avenue intersection.
The Ocean County Planning Board pushed back and directed the developers to "analyze the Oak Street and New Hampshire Avenue intersection to determine impacts to County facilities during peak hours and also during off-peak multi-function hall events, as this is one of many halls in the area creating traffic peak outside typical peak hours."
The developers submitted a revised traffic report which emphatically concludes that the only additional upgrades warranted is the modification of the traffic signal to extend the green light on Oak Street for 1-3 seconds for certain peak travel hours.
The revised traffic report came to this fantastic conclusion by considering traffic from 6:00pm-7:00pm.
"6:00pm-7:00pm was analyzed for evening events, to account for traffic generated by the multi-purpose room," the traffic report states.
The report states that they anticipated traffic based on 3 occupants per car.
The developers also did not explain why they only looked at traffic for 6:00pm-7:00pm.
Had they counted the actual number of vehices truly anticipated for The Chasuna Initiative, and during the actual times that we drive to and from simchos, based on the number of banquet halls already operating along Oak Street, likely more actual traffic improvements would have been implemented.
Further exacerbating the issue, the Lakewood Township Committee just vacated a portion of Lambert Avenue which is already partially paved and could have eventually become an additional accessway to Chestnut Street.
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3 comments:
Oy I wish for you to have a life. Always digging for anything and everything everything and dirty. You'll probably censor this comment because you're spineless, but hope that g-d gives you a life
Wow! FAA news is needed in Lakewood. Flawed traffic studies are only the tip of the iceberg. Do you want Rt9 widened? Not happening unless the town buys the land that the state needs. Why? The town gave builders variances for setbacks on Rt9 that encroached on the states right of way. The town gives out variances and changes zoning with the greatest of ease. For example, increased street flooding is the result of landscape variances and overdevelopment. Variances for narrower roads in developments could result in delaying fire trucks getting to the scene. Temporary trailers for schools have become permanent. Do they meet the wind resistance requirements of 115mph, or will they fly around with the greatest of ease during the next hurricane causing property damage and possibly deaths in the neighborhoods where they are located? Developers, along with town officials need to be held accountable for their actions.
Thank you FAA for keeping the oilam informed.
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