BERKELEY – A lot of locals complain about traffic on Route 9, and they don’t want more lights. But the governing body is pushing for a new traffic light at an intersection because of the large volume of cars.
Hickory Lane meets Route 9 near the Verizon building. Making a left onto Route 9 from Hickory – or making a left from 9 onto Hickory – can take a long time during peak hours. It sometimes causes drivers to take risks they normally wouldn’t.
Over the last 15 years, there’s been a lot of development off Hickory Lane, Mayor Carmen Amato said. One of the conditions for the approval of the Hickory Farms development was to put money into escrow for a traffic light.
Ernie Peters, engineer for the township, said that the township required the developer to do studies every other year. The police department applied to the State Department of Transportation to analyze the data.
The State requires any town that asks for a traffic light to pay 25% of the cost, Peters said. The cost is approximately $250,000, so the township’s portion would be about $62,500. The town has about $75,000 in escrow from the developer to cover it.
Amato compared this to a nearby intersection at Frederick Drive. It took fatalities at that spot for the state to agree to putting a light in. He doesn’t want it to get to that point. He’s rather see a traffic light installed before anyone loses their lives.
Since Route 9 is a state road, the township has to have approval from them to make any changes.
Councilman John Bacchione said “It’s just asking for an accident. If you live on Hickory and are trying to make a left, this light will be your best friend.”
Councilman James Byrnes noted that there is a plan to extend Hickory around the Ocean County Utility Authority site that’s back there. It would provide another way for drivers to get to the Garden State Parkway. This plan is pretty far off, if it ever gets done. But the fact that it’s a possibility reinforces why the light would be a good idea.
The NJDOT is in the process of initiating the investigation on whether a signal is warranted, said Steve Schapiro, Press Manager for the Department.
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