May 16, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Wyckoff Residents want speed limit on Eder reduced by John Koster The Wyckoff Township Committee has asked Police Chief Benjamin Fox to follow up on a petition from residents urging that the posted speed limit on Eder Avenue be reduced from 35 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour. Deputy Mayor Kevin Rooney said that, given the absence of sidewalks, the reduction of the speed limit to 25 miles per hour was a responsible idea. He recommended a closer look at the request, which came with a petition signed by 37 neighbors. “Anyone walking along this street is walking in the road,” said Rooney, citing the lack of sidewalks. “Kids would be walking along this road to school, and people walking to church on Sunday or to temple on Saturday would be walking on this road.” Rooney left the last word to Chief Fox, but Rooney concurred with large portions of the detailed letter from James Calaski. A life-long resident, Calaski said he had a major concern with the speed limit on Eder Avenue and the safety of the street. “As I attended Ramapo High School myself, I am well aware that Eder Avenue is a cut-through to the high school for many Wyckoff students,” Calaski wrote. “I am also aware that the intersection of Eder Avenue and Farview Avenue was the site of a serious fatal motor vehicle accident back in the early 1990s that caused the deaths of several young adults. However, I am surprised that the speed limit on this street is posted as 35 mph. Eder Avenue is a residential street and although a popular route for students, is in reality just a residential neighborhood. Unlike Monroe Avenue, which is a posted 25 mph zone and connects two major roadways, Eder Avenue connects Russell Avenue to residential side streets in both Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes. It is not a direct connection to any other major roads. Additionally, whereas Monroe has sidewalks, Eder Avenue does not, and it does have a fair amount of pedestrian traffic.” Calaski said he had observed many motor vehicle violations involving what he said was speeding or reckless driving, including an incident the night before he sent Rooney the e-mail, as he was coming back from a recycling drop. Calaski said two small cars were racing side-by-side down Eder Avenue and shot past him at 50 mph. “I was standing at the end of my driveway and neither driver saw me at the side of the road, or didn’t care that I was there… they were honking and swerving at each other as they sped down the street oblivious to their surroundings.” Calaski noted that he is a Glen Rock police officer and certified radar technician, and is qualified to make visual speed estimates within three mph when he does not have a radar unit on hand. “While I did not have a radar unit with me at the time, I can confidently state that their speeds were well in excess of 45 mph. And this is not an isolated occurrence.” Calaski pointed out that police officers generally leave a small window of speed before issuing tickets. He said that posting Eder Avenue at 25 mph would allow sensible enforcement because student speeders generally travel at 40 to 45 mph on Eder Avenue, making tickets for speeding more likely if the posted speed were 25 mph. “This would reflect the conditions of the road: residential street, no double yellow lines, no sidewalks, and scene of a past (continued on page 21)