Monday, September 18, 2006

Locals urge U.F. to keep Sharon Station Road

BY JANE MEGGITT

http://examiner.gmnews.com/

UPPER FREEHOLD - For at least a quarter of a century, the township has been asking the county to take jurisdiction over Sharon Station Road.

However, at the Sept. 7 Township Committee meeting, the governing body voted 4-1 to ask the township engineer to suspend all work related to the transfer of jurisdiction until the township attorney completes a review of local truck bans and related matters. Deputy Mayor William Miscoski abstained from the

presentation submitted by members of his and other subdivisions who call themselves Concerned Residents of Upper Freehold.

After citing several dangerous truck traffic incidents occurring on Sharon Station Road and near the Galloping Brook development off Route 526, Nolan said it is the safety of their children that most concerns residents.

Nolan said that residents have met with the county about this situation, and were encouraged by the answers given about possible remedies to the problem.

"We are disappointed," he said, "that our [Township] Committee advised us to perform this task ourselves rather than doing it on our behalf."

Nolan said that the Township Committee had cited the need to connect county roads with other county roads as a reason for transferring the jurisdiction of Sharon Station Road to the county. He said Township Engineer Glenn Gerken has stated that the township would benefit from the alleviation of maintenance costs associated with the road.

However, Nolan said that the county does not budget for additional miles of road and would only accept Sharon Station Road if the township agreed to take some other roads back into its own budget.

Nolan asked the committee if it has the power to control speed limits, set weight restrictions and divert truck traffic. He also asked if it would be willing to keep the road under township control and assist in enacting and enforcing laws that would prohibit trucks on the road. He cited the public safety concerns of the three developments already along the road in addition to a subdivision that has final approval and one that has preliminary approval from the Planning Board.

Nolan said the township has a weight-limit ordinance on Sharon Station Road between Route 526 and Herbert Road. He suggested the committee amend the ordinance to change the start of the weight limitation to Route 539. Nolan said a similar restriction on Breza Road, which is not fit for truck traffic, would seal up the traffic from flowing to the west side of town, creating no greater need for the controversial westerly bypass than there is at the present time.

Nolan also asked the committee to consider an alternative truck route for trucks heading north on Route 539 and turning right onto Route 537 to Exit 116 of Interstate 195.

"We are not asking trucks to go significantly out of their way, nor are we offering them no alternate solution," he said.

Nolan said the planned closing of the Allentown bridge for repairs, which is estimated to take two years, will give the township, the borough and the county a window of time to work cooperatively on limiting truck traffic on the segments of existing county roads.

"We do not wish to, in any way, harm trucking companies that provide a great service to our economy," he said. "We merely ask them to accept a reasonable alternate route - traveling on wide roads that are better equipped with facilities to service them."

Township Attorney Tennant Magee said the committee could, by statute, direct the township engineer to prepare a report on the suggestions. He said power lies with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) in terms of whether roads could be limited to certain classes of vehicles. He also said truck traffic can never be prohibited from its origin or destination, or from being able to access food, rest and repairs.

Committeeman Stephen Alexander, who has been working with the Woods residents on this issue, said, "The bottom line is, the DOT has final say. There’s very little remedy if the DOT says no."

Mayor Stephen Fleischacker praised Nolan’s report, saying the committee could authorize the use of municipal funds for a study with the goal of seeking DOT approval.

Deputy Mayor William Miscoski said the township gave letters of exemption to several local truckers who were over the 10-ton limit because of an origin and destination clause. However, he said the New Jersey State Police ticketed those truckers anyway.

"What are you going to do with the local guys?" he asked. "Do them in again?"

Fleischacker said the situation needs to be documented as part of the study.

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