TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—One short-term solution to improve traffic flow during busy student drop off and pickup times around George Washington Elementary School was increasing volunteers and parents to assist with the offloading of students.
That’s according to Township council president Desserie Morgan at the Aug. 14 council meeting. Morgan said that’s a short-term solution, with students set to return Sept. 7.
So far, the town’s Traffic Flow Committee, formed in May, has met twice to discuss improving traffic and student safety around the school.
Morgan said members hope to create a drop off/pickup system that flows better, and that might include maps to help alleviate bottlenecks, and possible resolutions and ordinance changes.
The issue of how to improve flow around the school and increase students’ and parents’ safety has been a formal topic since spring, when the council proposed sidewalks on Wayne Place.
That drew fire from neighbors, and residents of nearby streets including Wayne Place and White Birch Road, who have generally opposed sidewalks as a solution to help support school transition times, although police and some parents support sidewalks as a safe option rather than students walking on streets after exiting cars.
Morgan said the committee would continue considering action plans.
She said herself, Westwood regional district school board member James Parrino, and Washington Elementary Principal Melissa Palianto had been getting together to work out details.
Morgan said more volunteers and more parent sign-ups to help offload students arriving by car prior to the start of the school year are being planned.
She said there were “strong conversations” from some residents that adding sidewalks would hurt property values.
Moreover, she said, some positives from reversing traffic flows around the school (similar to Berkeley School in Westwood) provided better sight lines for parents, and fewer traffic hazards for crossing guards.
Morgan said members asked the township engineer to look into reversing traffic flow patterns around the school.
She said during discussions, someone noted Westwood has sidewalks near local schools “and people are still walking in the streets.” She said other ideas included splitting up dismissal times, shuttling children in from different dropoff areas, and possibly making White Birch Road a no-parking street.
Other ideas were to buy the 450 Pascack Road property and use it for parking, which would not be allowed if the property is partly purchased with county Open Space funds; and what traffic flow directions might work best around the school.
However, Mayor Peter Calamari said just because the township applied for a county open space grant, they do not have to accept the funds should they wish to purchase a property for other purposes. He said if the 450 Pascack Road space was determined to be better used for “safety and traffic” then the Open Space grant did not have to be accepted.
Traffic loop around school favored
Morgan said the loop around the school had the “strongest feedback where a lot of people who were at the meeting were in favor” including herself. She said the general consensus was the block around the school is not unsafe but overcrowded.
She said “It was a really long meeting.”
Other ideas dealt with multiple egress options, challenges to egress onto Pascack Road, and where sidewalks might be required under the Circulation Element of the Master Plan. The township engineer said often sidewalks are only required in new facilities, not existing facilities.
Morgan said the Westwood board member agreed something needed to be done, suggesting possibly reversing traffic flow, as well as exploring the loop-around idea for dropoffs/pickups, plus adding more parents to help out with offloading at some point.
Morgan noted the police department recommended sidewalks on streets around the schools.
Councilwoman Stacey Feeney said that a suggestion to take away teacher parking near the school was not a good idea. However, Morgan said the idea came up when creating a loop was suggested to enhance traffic flow around the school.
Feeney asked that if the school board expanded the school, would it be required to put in sidewalks. Township Engineer John Yakimic said that the board would only be required to have sidewalks in front, which is what they have now.
Sabino grills town engineer
Leonard Sabino of White Birch Road — who chairs the township Planning Board — questioned what subject matter experts were used to evaluate the recommendations made by residents of options to improve traffic flow.
Sabino questioned Yakimic’s expertise to evaluate traffic-related options. Yakimic allowed that there was at least one other traffic expert with Boswell Engineering with more expertise.
Sabino asked whether the council was familiar with a 2014 state transportation department school design guide to ensure safety of students when going to school. He asked Yakimic if he had consulted the document to prepare a response to council about possible options, including recommending sidewalks.
Sabino asked Yakimic if he considered any other options outside of sidewalks, as noted in the state guidance document. Yakimic said he did not consider other options “because sidewalks in my mind were much more important.”
At that point, town administrator Mark DiCarlo interrupted Sabino, noting the engineer was making himself available to discuss a resolution, not to be put “in an adversarial position.”
He said, “This [questioning] is not fair to our professional.”
Sabino said he was under the impression that Yakimic was there to discuss sidewalks as the best option for traffic safety around the elementary school.
Morgan told him to address questions to her and she would help to find answers.
Sabino said that traffic-calming devices are mentioned in the state document, and agreed that traffic would only get worse due to new developments and the future planned expansion of Washington Elementary School.
Sabino said the Master Plan does not have a circulation plan that would provide guidelines for the flow of traffic around township roads.