Walking to get groceries
Second Ward Councilman Bob Kickey said that after the Acme Supermarket vacated Plaza Court last May, a large number of residents started walking from Paterson Plank Road down the Maple Street ramp or in from Radio Avenue along the service road before the Royal Motel. The popular route leads to Stop n' Shop supermarket, Wal-Mart and other stores.
"It's the only shopping area in town, and there were people walking the high-speed ramp to get groceries," said Kickey. "It is very hazardous with the amount of vehicle traffic coming through there."
After the issue was brought up at a council meeting in June, Mayor Dennis Elwell wrote a letter to the New Jersey Department of Transportation requesting a sidewalk. He received a letter in July from the Executive Director of Operations North for DOT in Mount Arlington. The letter stated that the request for a sidewalk would be approved if the Town of Secaucus would take responsibility to keep the sidewalk clear of snow and ice.
"The turnaround time was pretty amazing," Kickey said. "Things usually don't go that fast."
Elwell replied to the DOT that the town would indeed provide maintenance. By Oct. 1, Elwell received another letter from DOT saying that staff had gone on the service road site to look at the problem, and that construction of the sidewalk would begin on Oct. 14.
"This project is a great thing - traffic sweeps around at a pretty sharp curve," said the other 2nd Ward councilman, John Bueckner. "This is the kind of safety we've been looking for our residents."
Normally, the DOT does not put sidewalks along highways, but since there was a need and an agreement in regard to maintenance, the DOT could fund the project, Kickey said.
"I want to commend Bob Kickey for observing and informing me of the situation," said Elwell. "It is also helpful to have Assemblyman Vincent Prieto and Senator Nick Sacco on transportation committees."
Prieto is on the Assembly Transportation Committee, and Sacco is Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee for the 32nd District. Both are Democrats.
DOT spokesperson Erin Phalon said the turnaround time on the sidewalk's construction "reflected the necessity of the project and the success of DOT coordinating with local government."
"The ramp was experiencing heavy pedestrian traffic," Phalon said. "The new sidewalk would help people safely walk to their destination."
Opens Tuesday
Joseph Zagari, owner of Custom Concrete Construction in Marlboro, said he came down to inspect the site with DOT Region North Supervising Engineer Scott Sheldon. Zagari contracts with the DOT on various roadway projects. The cost of the new sidewalk in Secaucus is $40,000 for the entire project.
"There are large roots, lots of leaves and twigs behind the guardrail, so there's really nowhere to walk, especially for the elderly," said Zagari. "People were forced to hop the rail and walk in the line of traffic. We saw at least 20 people walking through there under unsafe conditions."
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