Dear [email protected],
Lakewood residents sat in heavy traffic this week during the morning rush because of construction on Cedar Bridge Avenue. The LPD issued an alert to motorists to “try to avoid the area” due to construction on Cedar Bridge between Avenue of the States and Shenandoah Drive.
The mayor reportedly notified about the traffic a few days later and personally went to check it out. He reportedly said that the traffic was unacceptable and ordered the eastbound construction halted and that work be done at night.
Firstly, there is no alternate route for motorists to take to avoid the area, but more so, it speaks of how out of touch those in charge are. Do they not care about the daily traffic that Lakewood residents sit in each and every day in other parts of town? Was anything done about the ongoing construction at Sunset and James for years on end? How about the daily parking lot on Route 9, Cross Street and Prospect Street?
Why was this construction project approved in the first place during the morning rush on a main artery of Lakewood?
I remember a big mover and shaker being asked about the traffic. He responded seriously, “Don’t worry. Everyone will just end up having their kids go to the schools closest to their houses.”
Huh? For real?
How much more out of touch could people be?
Sitting in Traffic
I don’t mean to be overly pessimistic but realistically speaking there is very little that can be done about
this problem. Maybe a lot could have been done to prevent it but now it is too late.
And had most of those things been done a very large percentage of Lakewood would not be living there. Because they would have been able to.
My psyscatris told me not to woriry.
Until the people take control and create a new ‘community action’ group along with a recommendation for voting during elections nothing will change. Monsey , Brooklyn, and many other neighborhoods have it but in Lakewood we have no one who represents us the taxpayer.
The current climate allows for unchecked building at all levels, Zoning, Planning allow for variances for builders. There are some easy fixes for the current problems but the powers do not prioritize the common tax payer. Out taxes have increase tremendously over the past years. The out of control building have caused an increase in our taxes along with a serious decline in our quality of life with traffic.
You get what you vote for!
Its about time people start thinking before they cast their ballots & not just blindly re elect politicians because someone told them to!
but we vote out of ‘hakaras hatov’
how could we go wrong?!
Yup. Same old same old. Same Mayor. Same deputies. Same council people. The dummy voters are brainwashed. No no, you have no rishus to vote for anyone else. It’s a big avaira. Good luck.
As a resident of Lakewood for over 40 years, the current situation in Lakewood saddens me and angers me greatly. To see a beautiful town turned into an ugly city because of leaders who only cater to the developers, is frustrating to say the least. Yes, we have to vote out these people, but if we don’t have any strong, good candidates running against the incumbents, how can we vote the incumbents out? I have found myself sometimes voting for the same people or not voting at all, because there was no other viable alternative to the current holders of office.
If you want your kids to stay in school you can’t run. period.
Hameivin Yavin.
The best solution is to keep building new developments with a gazillion units and basements in each. 2 cars per unit, 2 cars per basement, keep going, keep going. We’re doing a great job handling it. The only housing that is affordable for yeshivaleit (remember when they were part of Lakewood????) is waaaaay down Rt 9 south, and then it takes a full 45 minutes to get to BMG.
Lakewood needs a proper transportation system so that our teenagers can get around independently and those who want to avoid traffic can commute with public transportation. We live in a city with suburban infrastructure. We need an infrastructure upgrade…
The shuttle is usually empty
Nothing new!!!
Years ago driving in Bklyn was somewhat pleasurable & driving the streets of Yerushalayim was possible & even parking in the ir haativa, driving in & around Far Rockaway & the 5 towns was not an obstacle course,,,,,,etc. etc.
Now e/wh you go it’s construction, building, repairing, renovating, upgrading electrical/gas/water/sewage lines & cars are weaving in/out & around cranes, cement trucks, construction trucks, etc.
This is life….
Part of the population explosion, larger families, big vans, 12 seaters, no parking, double parked cars, more cars, & infrastructure that can’t keep up with the communities.
The only answer to the traffic is widening rt 9, rt 88, cross and oak st, co line rd east, and installing strategic traffic lights
Even if they would be tougher on developers the overcrowding will still intensify. Maybe they should charge an excise tax on new buildings to pay for infrastructure improvements. But what else can they do now?
Everything in life is a trade-off. People move to Lakewood for the affordable housing in a frum community but the trade-off is the traffic & getting your kids into school situations.
With so many streets blocked off due to the lake, the tracks, cul-de-sacs, wetlands, parks, etc., lots of drivers are routed to main roads such as Route 9, Sunset, Chestnut, Williams, Prospect, County Line, Cross Street, Miller Rd, etc.
Make all major arteries two lanes each way, all the way!
As for the developers, it’s the system, not the people. Whoever gets elected is going to be influenced by the developers. Come up with a better system if you want to solve the problem.
A big problem in Lakewood is that there are a few things that can be done TODAY to somewhat alleviate what is a major traffic disaster. Yet, NOTHING gets done. Where is the traffic light on James and Williams? It need to be put up TODAY! But we just talk about it while the powers to be just laugh all the way to the Bank. Where are the North and South turning lights on Route 9 and Central? Why is Vine Street still sitting unopened? And so many more. Quality of life is gone. Thank you to the people in charge who have had no foresight.