Tag Archives: traffic

Police, Rahway

Routes 1/9 red light cameras in effect

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Two years after getting state approval, the city has installed red light traffic cameras on Routes 1&9 and East Milton Avenue.

The cameras went into effect Aug. 11 after a warning phase in July. Construction is supposed to start this week on cameras at St. Georges and Maple avenues, according to Police Chief John Rodger.

A survey by the Police Department at the time state approval was sought indicated as many as 60 violations per hour at Routes 1/9-East Milton Avenue, or almost 200 a day.

8/24 UPDATE: Based on 3,000 violations per month, Rahway would receive $1.6 million in revenue each year from paid violations, according to Rodger. Originally, both intersections combined were projected at 3,200 violations per month but he said Route 1 is far exceeding initial estimates and may do 3,000 monthly on its own. Some drop-off would be expected as people get acclimated, he said. Projections for the next applications the city will submit are close to 200 per day and 150 per day, respectively, though Rodger declined identify those until they are approved.

The $55 fine is split between the county and city, which receives another $18.50 for court fees (for a total $46). An additional $55 goes to the State Highway Trust Fund, according to Rodger, and the Safe Corridor violation (along Routes 1&9) is $140.

The vendor, which is responsible for equipment, software and notification costs, will receive monthly fees of $18,200 for East Milton and $17,000 for Maple, with the city and county splitting the total $35,200 monthly fee ($422,000 annually).

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Cops apply for red light cameras

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The Police Department received approval from the state for a red light camera pilot program at Routes 1/9 and East Milton Avenue and also will seek cameras for East Grand Avenue.

City Council discussed the proposal during a meeting earlier this summer. Requests for Proposals (RFP) will go out after the pilot gets approval and vendors will vie to install the cameras. But tn 18 months since the state program started, none have been installed yet because of court battles, according to Police Chief John Rodger. “I’m sure there will be test cases played out in the courts on this,” he said.

Rahway is in the second cycle of approvals by the state Department of Transportation and towns that were in the first cycle are not yet installed. “We will continue to pursue it until it gets done,” he said.

A survey by the Police Department indicated as many as 60 violations per hour at Routes 1/9-East Milton Avenue. Eight summonses issued per hour would project a total of almost 200 a day, or 70,000 per year. By comparison, an average motor vehicle stop takes 20 minutes so one officer could theoretically complete three an hour — if assigned to nothing but traffic enforcement, Rodger said. The department averages between 10,000 and 12,000 violations per year, he added, with about 6,100 this year through mid-August.

Revenue from the fines, which are doubled because the area is a state-designated “Safe Corridor,” is shared between the state, county and town, according to Rodger.

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Downtown

Two-way traffic a year later: love it or hate it?

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Not the sexiest of poll questions, but it’ll give you something to do while you’re visiting the site. Check out the new poll on the right side of the page (which was submitted by a reader!).

Continue reading Two-way traffic a year later: love it or hate it? →

Arts District, City Council, Downtown, Traffic

Summer work: Irving-Central signalization

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Work is expected to begin next month to reconfigure the intersection of Central Avenue and Hamilton, Irving and West Main streets.

The project will add a traffic signal to the intersection to coordinate traffic coming from five different directions and address the no-left turn from West Main to Irving streets, according to City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier.

Work also will include creating a triangular traffic island between Hamilton and Central and widening Irving opposite the Union County Arts Center.

City Council on Wednesday night approved a $224,000 contract with Piscataway-based Fai-Gon Electric for signalization.

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Some street parking to be restored

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After meeting with the Traffic Bureau on Monday, City Administrator and Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier said areas around downtown have been identified to restore some parking spaces lost after two-way traffic was established. He estimated between 20 and 30 spaces might return and it would happen as soon as signage and striping can be completed, which he said could be a couple of weeks. About 40 spaces were lost initially.

Some of the parking spaces to be restored include two to three spots on East Milton just under the train tracks and on Main Street opposite the retail stores, where one owner said his business has dropped off by as much as 50 percent since on-street parking was eliminated.

In an interview after last week’s City Council pre-meeting conference, Pelissier also mentioned other long-term possibilities to address downtown parking: something on Coach Street to accommodate the arts center, and the corner of Elizabeth Avenue and Main Street, which currently houses a construction trailer for the Park Square project.

Changes in the Parking Authority’s rates that took effect Aug. 1 include the first 30 minutes free in the Main Street deck.

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Downtown, Polls, Traffic

Two-way traffic, good; Stop signs, bad

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Readers are pleased that downtown traffic is going two ways now, but not very happy about all the Stop signs. It seems they’re not nearly as upset as some merchants about the loss of street parking.

Continue reading Two-way traffic, good; Stop signs, bad →

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Two-way traffic begets parking issues

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More than a half-dozen residents came before City Council last night to express their dismay or preach patience when it comes to the new parking configuration that came with two-way traffic.

Harry Patel, owner of Beverly Sweet Shop, estimates business is half what is was before now that on-street parking isn’t allowed in front of his Main Street shop, a few doors from East Milton Avenue. Others said the businesses along East Milton Avenue before Fulton Street also have been affected by on-street spaces no longer in front of their stores. James Pekarofski, whose family ran a shoe store on Irving Street for many years, said there was always parking on Irving and Main streets, even when downtown had two-way traffic. He suggested the new parking configuration “may be a subtle way of relocating stores.”

Council President Samson Steinman assured residents that the parking plan is not complete and more may be done, whether adding traffic lights or reducing Stop signs. He stressed that the changes were made for safety reasons, as the average speed on Irving and Main streets was 40 miles per hour. A portion of the approximately 40 parking spaces were actually illegal spots that people came to rely on, he added.

Bob Markey of West Main Street said time will prove the decision to create two-way traffic the smart thing to do, but changing a 75-year-old traffic pattern will not be easy, and could create an economic hardship for some. He suggested eliminated or modifying the turning lanes, which took away almost a dozen spaces near Elizabeth Avenue and West Main, in the same way as on West Grand where they’re active only during peak hours.

There have been some growing pains, said Josh Donovan, a member of the Rahway Center Partnership and Zoning Board of Adjustment, and hopes to bring stakeholders together in the near future to fix problems or suggestion modifications. “Those parking issues will remain if they’re not fixed today, no matter what business comes to town in the future.”

For some past posts on two-way traffic and parking, see:
Change of direction
More traffic changes afoot
Three side streets to change direction

Check out the new poll, above right, to let us know what you think so far of the new traffic patterns and parking.

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