20230615 - CSAC Minutes

CSAC Meeting MINUTES

June 15, 2023

ATTENDEES:

CSAC Members/ Liaisons: Sheila Brogan, Charles S. Di Marco, Shayan Farooqi, Henry Ratcliffe, Mary Micale, Jovan Mehandzic, Jane Remis, Councilmember Lorraine Reynolds, Officer Raymond Tarino

Others: Robert Fitch, Ed Houlihan, Tony Mauriello, Susan Ruane, Iain Toft

AGENDA

OLD BUSINESS:

1)  Franklin Avenue Corridor-- Engineering Division reports no progress. Councilmember Reynolds will request the Village Manager to contact Bergen County to affirm Ridgewood's support for the project.

2)  Pedestrian/ Bike SRTS Grants-- Consultant NV5 received approved Change Order to continue design. Final Design documents will be available by August-- Construction could begin in Fall, 2023.

3)  CBDAC-- Ms. Bamberg reported by e-mail that the mural project for the pedestrian tunnel under the railroad will require rehabilitation of the walls at a cost of approximately $50,000. Funding from the business community is possible.  Other CSAC members/liaisons added that the first two weeks of the Pedestrian Plaza were successful. Traffic issues and congestion problems at Franklin Avenue at Walnut Street and North Broad Street were encountered and handled by the Police. Some assistance and parking accommodations may be needed for food delivery services ( i.e., Uber Eats, Door Dash). Children's rides may be located in Van Neste Park or the  adjacent street in the future. 

4)  Glen Avenue Sidewalks-- Engineering is planning to work on the sidewalk design (with and without walls) next winter. Councilmember Reynolds noted the area near S Hill needs attention to reduce the crosswalk length and to provide an adequate sidewalk.  Mr. Mehandzic  will examine  the potential for a NO LEFT TURN on the S Hill approach to West Glen Avenue. Mr. Di Marco noted the Glen Avenue sidewalks have been on the CSAC agenda since March, 2015.

5)  Intersection Proposals-- Officer Tarino and Mr. Mehandzic updated the status of prior discussions regarding: a) East Glen Avenue/ Bogert Avenue--new In-Street Pedestrian Sign ( among 5-6 new signs requested); b) Union Street- five new NO LEFT TURN, NO RIGHT TURN and ONE-WAY signs installed to identify one-way traffic pattern at existing driveways; c)  Dayton Street /South Maple Avenue and North Van Dien Avenue/ East Ridgewood Avenue-- preliminary traffic studies underway by Police; d) Speed Radar Signs-- earlier versions are not serviceable and a request for eight replacements is pending. Officer Tarino described enforcement procedures and efforts related to speeding issues; e) North Walnut Street Parking-- long-term curb parking has resulted in undesirable conditions on this narrow street. A proposal for extension of a two-hour time limit along one curb and NO PARKING along the opposite curb will be examined. A poll of residents  will be conducted.

NEW BUSINESS:

1)  Mr. Mehandzic confirmed the preferred approach to reporting issues is to contact Engineering. He stated receiving a list of 90-100 locations where sight triangle issues were reported. Each location requires a review and evaluation by staff prior to a notification to the affected property owner. Engineering expects to review approximately 10 locations per week as workload and staffing priorities are developed.

2)  The CSAC agreed to cancel the scheduled July and August meetings reserving the option of calling for a meeting in the event an urgent issue emerges.

3)  Mr. Toft asked for consideration of a double-yellow centerline along Bellair Road as a traffic calming technique to narrow the lane width and address high speeds on this street. The positive results of the technique were noted particularly in lowering the average travel speed and the  highest vehicle speeds along North Monroe Street, Grove Street, Overbrook Road and Beverly Road. Mr. Mehandzic will examine this question.

4)  Ms. Ruane discussed the need to re-open the Kingsbridge Road pedestrian bridge. She stated that the closed bridge was necessitating circuitous routings by cyclists and pedestrians and that two children were involved in crashes with motor vehicles along East Saddle River Road as a result of these routing diversions. Officer Tarino stated he was not aware of these incidents. Ms. Ruane stated that one or both of the bike incidents occurred in Ho Ho Kus. The Village's efforts to re-open the bridge were reviewed  including the $32,000 structural engineering report and design performed by an independent professional firm which concluded the need for either a repair or replacement of the bridge at an estimated cost ranging between $350,000 to $600,000. The 2023 Capital Budget from the Village Council does not include this project.

5)  Ms. Micale term as HSA representative is ending. Ms. Carolyn Holt is the new HSA designee starting in September.

NEXT MEETING: Thursday, September 21, 2023 in the Garden Room at Village Hall.