TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—The township administrator said June 8 that Bergen County officials were receptive to helping remedy public safety concerns at a hazardous intersection and near the new emergency services building on Washington Avenue.
In his meeting update, Administrator Mark DiCarlo said that he, Mayor Peter Calamari and the township engineer met with Bergen County engineering department reps on May 19 to discuss what could be done to improve safety at the dangerous Washington Avenue–
Van Emburgh Avenue intersection, which lies at the bottom of a hill heading from Ho-ho-kus into the township. Both Washington and Van Emburgh avenues are county roads.
DiCarlo said county officials requested a “three-year crash history” at the intersection, which was provided by the police department. He said they were waiting to hear back from the county on what next steps might be at the dangerous intersection, which has been on their radar for the last five years. He said county officials were “very receptive” to concerns about the intersection.
He said they also discussed installation of an emergency beacon signal at the Emergency Services Building to warn passing motorists that either fire apparatus or an ambulance is exiting the building onto busy Washington Avenue. Previously, councilman Tom Sears, a longtime volunteer firefighter, had warned of dangerous incidents that occurred when fire vehicles were exiting or returning to the facility.
DiCarlo said the township engineer, Beckmeyer, was preparing a plan for a warning beacon near the firehouse entrance on Washington Avenue to be presented to the county.
In addition, DiCarlo said a speed sign was purchased and placed on Van Emburgh Avenue near the Viviano property. Moreover, he said, yellow flashing pedestrian crossing signs would soon be installed by DPW along Ridgewood Avenue near the Westwood Regional High School.
Nearly five years ago, resident Steven Kalish raised concerns about the Van Emburgh-Washington Avenue intersection and the new developments and increasing traffic anticipated there.
In a statement to Bergen County’s Planning Board then, Kalish said that three developments planned off of Van Emburgh Avenue and nearby Washington Avenue would add 52 single-family homes, 24 townhomes, and 44 apartments and called for a “comprehensive traffic study…to assess the cumulative effect of the increased traffic from these new developments and the existing traffic and safety issues in this area.”
The developments he cited included Gorga Place, an eight home luxury subdivision off Washington Avenue, plus the Viviano family’s “American Dream” development with 66 units and Franklin Court’s 44-unit rental complex off of Van Emburgh Avenue.
See “Council worries of developments’ impact at Van Emburgh–Washington Ave. crossing,” by Michael Olohan, Dec. 18, 2021, thepressgroup.net.