TOWNSHIP TO EASE BAKER/VALLEY NO TURN ON RED

The often annoying, but apparently safer, No Turn On Red sign at the corner of Baker and Valley streets will soon be changed to allow such turns before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m. if the Township Committee has its way.

The TC directed Township Attorney Roger Desiderio on Tuesday night to fashion a new ordinance that would alter the restriction after an engineer's study found those hours would not affect pedestrian safety.

TC member Nancy Adams raised the issue, noting that the delays back up cars along Baker Street and often contribute to pollution with exhaust fumes from the waiting vehicles.

See her comments below:




Mayor Deluca agreed: "I do think we should make the change because at night time there is not as much" pedestrian traffic.

After some discussion, in which the governing body considered different hours of operation, the TC settled on changing the restriction from 24-hours to 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Desiderio said he needed to receive a copy of the engineer's report before an ordinance could be created, but said it would be done as quickly as possible.

The restriction was first instituted in 2009 after concerns about pedestrian accidents at the corner.