MONTVALE—Mayor Michael Ghassali is urging local residents to support a petition advocating for the allowance of right turns off Garden State Parkway Exit 171 at Glen Road in Woodcliff Lake, a change he says could significantly ease local traffic congestion.
In a message to residents on Saturday, Sept. 28, Ghassali highlighted growing frustrations with daily commutes, particularly at Exit 172, which is often a bottleneck for drivers navigating local roads in Montvale, Park Ridge, Washington Township, and Hillsdale. The congestion has worsened as these communities have grown, he said.
“An effective solution is to permit right turns at Glen Road from Exit 171,” Ghassali said, adding that the change would help alleviate the heavy traffic at Exit 172 and provide much-needed relief for local drivers.
The mayor emphasized that this adjustment would not only benefit individual commutes but would also contribute to more sustainable growth in the region by improving overall traffic flow. He is calling on residents to lend their support by signing the online petition.
Supporters have shared various reasons for signing the petition, including:
- “This is my neighborhood and would dramatically improve our community!”
- “It would alleviate a lot of traffic off of 168 and 172.”
- “This is the only exit off the Parkway that doesn’t allow right-hand turns… It’s too much traffic for one exit.”
- “This has been necessary for a long time.”
- “There needs to be better options instead of sending everyone to 172.”
- “To help with the flow of traffic going east in several of the Pascack Valley towns.”