Township Suggests Fixes to ‘Dangerous’ Intersection

An intersection that township officials have called "dangerous" and say is in need of safety upgrades may soon see some changes.

While Mahwah waits for a lengthy Rutgers University study to determine whether or not a traffic light is needed at the intersection of Campgaw and Seminary Roads, township officials say some other improvements could be made to the roadway to improve safety conditions.

Township engineer Mike Kelly reported at a council meeting last week that he recently met with representatives from the Mahwah Police Department, the county, and the Rutgers University Transportation Safety Resource Center at the intersection, which has the Maryrest Cemetery on one side and the entrance to the Rio Vista development on the other.

The township has applied for the Rutgers group to run a free safety-audit of the intersection, which will examine accident data and study traffic patterns in the area to determine whether or not a safety light or other traffic safety features are warranted at the site.

The Rutgers study, Kelly said, “does take quite a while,” to complete. “It’s a free service.”

In the meanwhile, Kelly said the group discussed several measures that could be taken to improve safety and visibility at the site.

He suggested improvements like making sure the vegetation on all sides of the intersection is properly trimmed. Trees over 36 inches should be removed or cut down, he said.

Kelly also recommended putting in additional signage and striping at the intersection.

And, Kelly said the county suggested adding pedestrian crosswalks across Campgaw Road. Though there is not a significant amount of pedestrian traffic in the area, Kelly said the crosswalks would really serve as a visual cue to drivers that they need to slow down and be cautious when approaching the intersection.

All of the suggested improvements would cost the township about $8,000, Kelly estimated.

Several council members expressed concern about spending the money now, while awaiting the results of the Rutgers study.

“I don’t see spending $8,000 now if we’re [just going to] find out later that we need a signal,” Councilman Steve Sbarra said.

Kelly said the township needs to determine whether or not a traffic signal is warranted at the spot before installing it, and that a signal would be a “really significant expense.” The suggested improvements, he said, would happen more quickly, be less expensive, and “go a long way,” in improving the intersection’s safety.

Township officials said they have not yet received any indication from Rutgers as to when the safety audit might be scheduled.

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