Many of Hoboken’s narrow one-way streets were originally designed for residential traffic. But in recent years, a heavy volume of cut-through traffic has made the roads more dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians, said Mayor David Roberts.
Roberts is now advocating measures that will discourage or minimize the use of neighborhood streets as major thoroughfares, in order to reduce the disruption to residents and their children.
With the goal of slowing traffic and protecting pedestrians, Roberts said Wednesday that he will ask the state Department of Transportation for permission to abolish “through streets” in Hoboken.
According to Roberts’ spokesperson, Bill Campbell, through streets, which were created in the 1990s to speed the flow of traffic, are thoroughfares with few or no stop signs. These streets include portions of Adams, Bloomfield, Eleventh, Fifteenth, First, Garden, Hudson, Monroe, Newark and River Street, and Willow Avenue. Roberts said with DOT approval, the city could then rescind or modify its current ordinance. Hudson County also would be petitioned to do so on the streets it maintains, like Willow Avenue.
By abolishing through-ways, the city would have much greater latitude and flexibility in where it can place stop signs, said Roberts.
Currently, the city is seeking two additional stop signs: at Fifth and Bloomfield streets and Ninth and Madison streets.
Hoboken has submitted an application to the state DOT for the new signs. Eliminating the through-street ordinance would greatly expedite the process of getting permission for the new stop signs, said Campbell. “The current policy of through streets poses a danger to pedestrians and cyclists whose safety supercedes the swift movement of vehicles through the city,” said Roberts.
Last month, a cyclist died after being hit by a car on a Hoboken street corner.
25 feet from the crosswalk
The city, through the Parking Utility and police department, has instituted “Safe Paths to School,” a plan that calls for ticketing and towing cars within 25 feet of crosswalks, to allow proper vision for pedestrians and cyclists, said Roberts.
According to Campbell, last year, the Hoboken Parking Utility did not ticket for cars parking less than 25 feet from the crosswalk.
Since the program began in May, enforcement officials have written around 2,500 tickets for the $47 violation.
Other measures
The city, according to Roberts, has increased its pedestrian-crossing signage campaign as well as installed speed “humps” and rumble strips at key crossings.
“The public has made it known that pedestrian safety is among the utmost quality of life issues in the city today, and I intend to keep this initiative as a top priority,” said Roberts.
Campbell added that the city has taken advantage of state funds and has applied for supplemental funding for this project from the DOT’s Safe Streets to Schools Program. These funds are in addition to the $49,000 which was received from the DOT’s Pedestrian Safety Program-Intersection Improvement Project which will support a planned curb extension at the corner of Fifth and Clinton streets.