Residents say they’re still
waiting for speed humps
By jennifer dome
Staff Writer
SAYREVILLE — A borough resident acting on behalf of the residents of Eugene Boulevard asked Borough Council members Monday why they are not trying harder to eliminate speed problems in their neighborhood.
According to Michael Brodziak, each resident in the 52 homes on Eugene Boulevard supports the trial of "speed humps," or an elongated version of speed bumps, to help slow vehicles on the street.
At Monday’s agenda meeting, the council discussed whether to install a temporary version of the speed humps on Eugene Boulevard. Borough Business Administrator Alex Previdi said there are rubber speed humps available that would be bolted into the ground and removable.
Borough Engineer Jay Cornell, of CME Associates, said that the materials for the asphalt speed humps could cost approximately $1,000 if the borough’s public works department installs them. Appointing a contracting company to do the work could cost anywhere from approximately $2,000 to $3,000 dollars, Cornell said.
Councilman Thomas Marcinczyk said there are funds available in this year’s budget for two speed humps, and suggested Monday night that the two speed humps be installed on Eugene Boulevard as a test run.
Other council members were hesitant to make that move Monday, however, since the police department’s Traffic Safety Bureau requested the opportunity to discuss alternatives to the speed humps, officials said. Also, Mayor Kennedy O’Brien said he would like to consult the borough’s Traffic Advisory Board.
As of Tuesday, Marcinczyk said nothing definite had been decided about the speed humps on Eugene Boulevard.
"I’m very willing, the police department is willing and the money is there," Marcinczyk said.
He said he would like to install the temporary version of the speed humps on the street for a period of time, and then move them to other areas of the borough that also have speeding problems, such as Deerfield Road and Glynn Court. After the test period, the borough could then install asphalt ones where they are deemed necessary, he said.
During the public portion of Monday’s meeting, Brodziak questioned why the council has not contacted several sources he provided to them to learn about the speed humps. The North Brunswick Police Department has installed the devices on several streets, he said. He said he also gave the name of the business that installed the speed humps in North Brunswick.
"If the information is not in front of you, then it’s four or five towns away," Brodziak said. "For four months I’ve stated what we wanted."
Marcinczyk said that he has spoken to the North Brunswick Police Department and that he also attended a convention about police equipment in an effort to learn about devices to help stop speeding.
Eugene Boulevard is often used as a way for residents to get from Bordentown Avenue to Ernston Road, Brodziak has said. Drivers’ speeds have exceeded 60 mph, he said, although the posted speed limit through the residential area is 25 mph.
The speed humps reach further across the roadway than speed bumps, making a hump’s effect is less abrupt, Brodziak said. A speed hump rises gradually and falls back down more smoothly than a speed bump, he explained. According to Brodziak, a sign would be erected near the speed humps that would warn a driver of an upcoming bump. Although the humps do generate some noise, Brodziak said the residents are more concerned with the safety of children on Eugene Boulevard.
While the situation is especially pressing on this street, similar problems exist on streets throughout the borough. Other streets that residents use as thoroughfares, such as Glynn Court, could benefit from such a device, O’Brien said in June. O’Brien has said that state law does not permit the use of speed bumps in residential neighborhoods, but that the speed humps would be allowed.