CREST HAVEN – Commonwealth Avenue’s paving in Strathmere improved the “quality of life” there, according to resident Daniel Lee.
Quality aside, the prospect of installing a center-line rumble strip on that seaside county highway drew his ire.
“I think that you could not conjure a worse location to situate rumble strips than Commonwealth Avenue,” Lee told freeholders Sept. 12.
Since June, four people have been killed in traffic accidents on county roads which lack the in-surface bumps, and involved vehicles that crossed the center lines said County Engineer Dale Foster.
June was when Foster sent all 16 municipalities letters to inform of an application for $2 million in federal funding to install rumble strips on 142 miles of county roads that meet the criteria. He sought input from them regarding the strips.
Lee acknowledged that the issue had, “Turned into a somewhat adversarial relationship with the NIMBY (not in my backyard) folks on one side and ostensibly those in favor of traffic safety on the other.”
“I believe rumble strips are a very useful instrument in the portfolio of traffic safety measures when they are utilized in the right location. I point to Sea Isle Boulevard as being a great place where I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that they will actually save lives there,” Lee continued.
He told the board of his attendance Sept. 11 at an Upper Township Committee meeting. There, he was told that municipality was not in favor of the strips on Commonwealth Avenue.
“Not only would rumble strips create almost constant unbearable noise pollution for the occupants of the homes that sit barely 30 feet away, decreasing their quality of life as well as their home values, but they (strips) would also paradoxically, I believe, make the road less safe,” said Lee.
Lee cited summer crowds that flock to Upper Township’s free beaches in Strathmere. They park “bumper-to-bumper,” he said, and there are pedestrians, bicyclists, joggers, and “don’t forget your turtle saviors, all using this narrow road.”
Foster told the board the letters to municipalities had been sent with a list of county roadways in their jurisdiction with speed limits over 35 mph or greater.
“It’s not definite,” said Foster. “Safety is a big issue with this.” He cited “people constantly texting and talking on a cell phone; there are a lot of people crossing center lines.”
Foster said he was awaiting some municipal replies before reporting to the board.
Director Gerald Thornton cited a motor vehicle crash on Route 47 and Hand Avenue Sept. 10 which injured a motorcyclist and closed Route 47 for two hours.
“With us on county roads, safety is paramount,” he said. “We know they are disturbing lives of residents and visitors.”
Lee stated earlier that the locations where fatalities occurred were “very different” from Commonwealth Avenue in summer.
“We are not set in stone,” said Foster.
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