FLORENCE – The township may seek a speed limit reduction for Front Street after receiving a petition from residents last week asking for a 25 mph speed limit on the heavily traveled road.
By:Vanessa S. Holt
FLORENCE – The township may seek a speed limit reduction for Front Street after receiving a petition from residents last week asking for a 25 mph speed limit on the heavily traveled road.
The speed limit on Front Street ranges from 40 mph, to 25 mph at the high school when students are present, to 35 mph at the marina.
Because Front Street is a county road, the township must request speed reduction from the state Department of Transportation. The request has previously been denied, said Mayor Michael Muchowski, but both the speed limit and truck traffic on Front Street have been significant issues over the years, he said.
Front Street resident Wendy Lally, who began the petition, said accidents have been a problem on her street over the past seven years. During that time, she said two cars belonging to her 23-year-old son were struck and pushed up onto her front yard, totaling the vehicles.
Another accident resulted in damage to three cars, one of which was pushed onto a neighbor’s front yard.
Last year, Bordentown Police Chief Phil Castagna and his wife were struck and injured by a car while crossing Front Street to reach the high school.
More recently, at a Halloween party she held on Oct. 29, Ms. Lally said her son’s dog was struck by a car and injured when it ran into the street.
"That was it," said Ms. Lally, who then began circulating a petition to have the speed limited lowered. "Everyone signed it immediately," she said, including residents on Second, Third and Fourth streets.
Ms. Lally also said she hoped tractor-trailer traffic along the road could be eliminated.
"I’m on a quest now. I’m not stopping," she said.
Following the Nov. 1 council meeting at which Ms. Lally presented her petition, Mayor Muchowski said he discussed the issue with Burlington County Freeholder Jim Wujcik and Assemblyman Joseph Malone (R-30th).
"We are going to attempt to get together to see if there’s something we can present to the state Department of Transportation," said Mayor Muchowski. "If we make a coordinated effort the DOT will be more receptive to changes. Mr. Malone and Mr. Wujcik are more than happy to meet with me to discuss possible alternatives."
The Police Department positioned its speed-monitoring trailer at the 400 block of Front Street late last week to display the speed at which vehicles were traveling.
Ms. Lally remarked that the speed trailer seemed to help slow traffic on Friday.
