Portions of West Front Street (above) and East Front Street will get upgrades including improved pedestrian crosswalks and signage and traffic calming measures. PHOTOS BY ANDREW DAVISON Front Street, also known as County Road 10 (CR10), will receive improvements to crosswalks and intersections, according to a county presentation at the April 26 Red Bank Borough Council meeting.
Kevin Nugent, a principal engineer with the county, explained the improvements, which will extend along Front Street from English Plaza to Washington Street.
“We understand there are a lot of pedestrians, and we want to make it as safe for them as possible while still maintaining vehicular traffic,” Nugent said. According to Nugent, 13 pedestrian accidents and 109 vehicular accidents occurred from January 2005 to December 2008 on that span of Front Street.
“That’s quite a bit for that stretch,” he said.
He also said that there has been a high concentration of vehicular accidents between Broad Street and Globe Court on Front Street.
Nugent said the county identified several areas in need of improvement, including merging, due to inconsistent roadway width and number of lanes between Broad Street and the emergency department entrance to Riverview Medical Center, inadequate signage of pedestrian crossings, lack of definition at the entrance to the commercial area from the east, and inadequate Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant (ADA) facilities.
“The federal government is going to be introducing new [ADA] guidelines, so we’re trying to stay ahead of the curve and make sure whatever we build, we think is going to be passed,” Nugent said.
A major aspect of the project will be raising the Broad Street intersection level with the sidewalk.
“ Something we looked at rather closely at the intersection with Broad was how we can make it very visual to vehicles and keep the pedestrians crossing,” he said.
For vehicles crossing the intersection, Nugent said, this would result in a 4-inch grade.
“If you’re doing the speed limit, you might not even notice it. If you’re exceeding the speed limit, you’ll notice it,” he said.
This measure would also increase accessibility from the sidewalks, Nugent said.
The project also involves enhancing the striping and coloring the crosswalks.
“This will hopefully define better where people should cross rather than just black pavement,” Nugent said.
According to Nugent, the crosswalks will be visibly enhanced with red asphalt and brick stamping, which the borough would need to maintain.
“They do wear; the higher the traffic, it’s going to wear sooner,” he said.
“The county’s approach on this is that it’s a treatment that has to be maintained by the municipalities.”
Councilwoman Sharon Lee questioned the decision to add another maintenance item for the borough.
“The county’s going to install them and we’re going to be maintaining them, so it’s just another cost for us to maintain,” said Lee .
Nugent said that the colored sidewalks have a longer durability than road striping, but depending on the wear and location, the crosswalks would need to be re-stamped and re-colored.
Nugent said the project also would extend the curbs around the Globe Court intersection and improve the walk signals.
“What that [extended curbing] does is defines the intersection or crossing areas pretty well,” he said.
“It also shortens the distance pedestrians must cross.”
Nugent said that it also “channelizes” traffic, which tends to reduce motorist speed.
According to Nugent, steel bollards will also be installed along Front Street to separate the pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk from through traffic.
Future projects, beyond the scope of the current plan, Nugent said, would involve streetscape improvements and replacing sidewalks.
The $600,000 project is being primarily funded through federal funds through the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
“This is something that’s been trying to go on for the past five or six years,” said council PresidentArthur Murphy III. “We all know the amount of accidents we’ve had there.
Nugent said the council hopes to finalize the design and obtain Department of Transportation approval by September 2011.
Construction, he said, would begin in 2012.