The Villadom Times Weekly Newspaper Online-Sept 15, 2010 Issue

Mahwah September 15, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Ridge Road restriped to ease school trafﬁc by Frank J. McMahon The double line striping on Ridge Road in Mahwah from the Ramapo Ridge Middle School down to the area of the Mahwah High School has been moved to the east to provide a lane for traffic to pass cars parked on that road, especially when parents drop off and pick up their children at the middle school. The old double line has been scraped off and a new yellow double line has been painted on the road to provide a double lane on the west side of the road that borders the school. The township council was prompted to move the double yellow line on Ridge Road by Arthur Lowe, a 13-year resident of nearby Erskine Court. Lowe has no school age children, but his cul-de-sac is accessed from Ridge Road and he travels past the middle school on a regular basis. Lowe said he is satisfied with the creation of a legal lane for motorists to pass those vehicles that are parked on the road. “I’m satisfied with the solution,” Lowe said, “because if there is an accident the person coming up the hill would not be legally responsible for a situation they could not control. “I’m glad they finally got around to doing it. I was uncomfortable driving up that road, especially with a school bus coming at me while I’m on the wrong side of the double line. “Who would be at fault if there was an accident? Obviously it would be me because I was on the wrong side of the yellow double line.” The school has a parking lot on the south side of the building, but it is apparently not large enough to accommodate all the vehicles that come to the school in the mornings and afternoons to drop off or pick up school children. So parents park their cars on that side of Ridge Road every school day. In the past, vehicles heading south, or up the Ridge Road hill, and seeking to pass the parked cars, had to cross over the double line, creating a traffic violation situation. Now, vehicles seeking to pass the parked cars can do so legally and avoid the possibility of colliding with vehicles traveling north, or down the hill, toward West Ramapo Avenue. During the release of school children at about 2:30 p.m. on weekdays, cars are parked bumper to bumper from the middle school all the way down the hill to Jackson Lane, which is just before the location of the high school. Lowe’s persistence ultimately led the council and the school district to consider widening the road at one point in time by cutting into the hill along the west side of Ridge Road. But the potential cost of the solution dissuaded the school district and the township from pursuing it. The restriping of Ridge Road, however, was part of the township’s 2010 Road Improvement Program that was completed this summer. That program included Miller Road, a portion of Fardale Avenue, Split Rock Road, and a portion of Glen Grey and Midvale Mountain roads. �� GRAND OPENING Sat. 9/18 �� entire purchase with this ad. Exp. 10/31/10 (Excludes R/C Items) 10% Off Open Gaming Area FREE �� Models, Warhammer/40K, Sci-Fi, Magic the Gathering, Comics, Rockets, Accessories & More. 9 Miller Rd. • Mahwah (next to Rita’s) • 201-252-8421 www.fantasygamesandhobbies.com • We host TCG Tournaments �� 9-15-10 joan/janine FantasyGamesAndHobbies3x2(9-15-10) 3 x 2.5” Rev1 �� REGISTER NOW FOR 2010-2011 SEMESTER ��