Crime & Safety
Officials Unsure When School Crossing Stop Light Will Be Fixed
The traffic light at the corner of Macarthur Boulevard and Ridge Road was damaged during Hurricane Sandy
One of the many victims of Hurricane Sandy was a traffic light at the corner of Macarthur Blvd. and Ridge Rd., and according to township officials, the temporary four-way stop system set up at the busy intersection may be here for a while.
Police believe an electrical surge during the storm took out the light. Officials say there are many lights out throughout Bergen County for the same reason.
“We have placed an order for a new [light from an electrical vendor], but because of the number of orders they are receiving they do not have an expected delivery date for us,” Police Chief Jim Batelli said this week. “We are pressing the vendor to deliver the traffic controller as soon as possible, but unfortunately every other jurisdiction that has a similar situation [probably is too].”
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The affected intersection is one of Mahwah’s busiest – traffic from Macarthur Blvd. corporate offices meets with cars traveling to the four township schools on Ridge Road, the library and the corner shopping complex.
Mahwah Police officers are stationed at the intersection during peak commute times to direct traffic.
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The township has also set up a makeshift four-way stop at the intersection using stop signs and orange cones. This weekend, the stop replaced blinking lights that were on after power was restored to the area, police said.
“We were concerned that with the amber blinking phase, some motorists not familiar with the area may go through without due caution and cause an accident,” Batelli said. “The new traffic pattern may result in longer delays but in the long run is safer.”
As of Monday, there had been one accident at the intersection, but Batelli said it was caused by “driver inattention.”
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