Residents Asked to Weigh In On County Proposed Traffic Signal

Resident input is currently mixed about a county plan to install a traffic light at the corner of Foothill and Mine roads in an effort to deal with a heavy volume of traffic in that area.

According to Robert Bogart, director of municipal services in Bridgewater, the decision to install the light was made by the county, which will be handling all of the work.

But with the county asking for a resolution to support the construction of the light, the township has decided to ask residents for their opinions first.

"This would be a county traffic signal," Bogart said. "But our administration wanted us to poll the public."

For that reason, the township has put out a request for input from residents concerning their thoughts on the proposed traffic signal at the intersection of Foothill and Mine roads. Residents are being asked to provide opinions in support of or against it.

"We have received dozens of responses," Bogart said. "Some say don't do it, others say absolutely, others want a three-way stop, others are asking for a signal that blinks."

No matter what, Bogart said, the county has determined that the traffic signal is warranted, but whether it is actually built is mostly up to the township itself.

"I had a feeling emotions might be mixed," he said. "The county is not willing to do anything less than the signal, but if Bridgewater doesn't want it, then that's it."

Principal County Traffic Engineer Joe Fishinger said this traffic light has been on the county's capital improvement plan for some time now, but there has not been enough money available until now to move forward with the plan. The installation of the light, he said, is estimated to cost about $300,000.

"There was money in the plan, but not enough," he said. "But the money had been assigned by an earlier capital plan with the county."

Fishinger said the choice to put a traffic signal at that intersection has nothing to do with safety, only the volume of traffic in that area.

"My guess is it was put on the list because of complaints of delays there," he said. "Pure volume is the reason for the signal. This is not a safety issue."

The county, Fishinger said, has just asked Bridgewater for a resolution of support in installing this signal. He said the county can move forward with it if Bridgewater decides against approving the resolution, but he is not sure if that is likely.

"We don't want to do something that the township is adamantly opposed to," he said. "We can still move forward, but that will be decided by the county engineers and the freeholders."

Fishinger said the county has not set a specific date for the township to submit a resolution, but that it hopes to have it as soon as possible.

"We didn't have a specific date, but the sooner the better," he said.

At this point, Fishinger said, the plan is to have the design for the signal completed in the winter, with the construction being done in the spring. If the resolution is not submitted within the next month or so, he said, construction may have to be pushed back.

But once construction does begin, Fishinger said, it is expected to be completed within two months, and probably will not affect traffic in any way.

"But we will take the township's decision into consideration," he said.

All comments concerning the traffic signal can either be sent to rbogart@bridgewaternj.gov, or called in to 908-725-6300, ext. 5500.