There’s no question safer measures are needed for residents to drop off garbage at the West Amwell transfer station at the municipal building.
A tragic accident took the life of Greta Schmidt, 31, a township resident who just stopped to dump her trash into the garbage truck parked there. She was crushed to death by a pickup truck driven by another resident, Edward Hawley, 69, who was backing up to the same parked garbage truck.
A number of ideas have been set forth. And the township already has slowed traffic at the site by placing a sign to stop vehicles before they approach the garbage truck.
It also made residents park by the truck one at a time to drop off trash an excellent move.
But more needs to be done, and the township knows that. Its safety committee will be meeting soon to discuss more ways to ensure the safety of its residents.
There are some good ideas before the committee. They include having workers wear orange reflective vests to make them easier to spot when residents pull in.
We also agree with resident Len Piscetelli that there should be someone present to help residents unload garbage. He also made a good point when he mentioned there were no signs directing residents where to go to deposit trash.
We urge all residents to call the township with their suggestions.
And we urge township officials and residents to reconsider this method of trash disposal and investigate the feasibilty of curbside pickup. It would be a lot safer if residents are willing to foot the bill.
