October 23, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Franklin Lakes County plans changes to borough traffic circle by Frank J. McMahon Bergen County has notified the Bor- ough of Franklin Lakes that it plans to make some changes to the traffic circle at the intersection of Franklin Lake and High Mountain roads, near the Urban Farms Shopping Center. Currently, motorists on High Mountain Road are required to stop when they reach the circle while traffic on Franklin Lake Road can proceed unimpeded. The changes planned for the circle will eliminate the stop signs on High Moun- tain Road and require traffic at all four entrances to the circle to yield to traffic that is already in the circle. When the changes are made, there will be striped triangular areas at all four entrances to the circle squeezing traffic to the right with triangular yield road mark- ings at each entrance to the circle along with signs notifying motorists that they should yield to traffic in the circle. The changes were requested by bor- ough officials who submitted a request to the county after the proposed changes were described by Borough Engineer Kevin Boswell at the council’s October work ses- sion. During a discussion of the issue, the five council members present were informed that the borough’s traffic safety officer agreed with the proposed changes and that those changes were warranted. The coun- cil members expressed concern about how to communicate the changes to the public so there would not be confusion among motorists who are either used to using the circle as it is now, or are not familiar with the circle at all. That led to the sugges- tion that the county lower the 40 mile per hour speed limit on Franklin Lake Road in the area of the circle and to provide a 30- day notice to motorists before making the changes. The need for changing the way traffic enters and leaves the circle from the two roads became more apparent to borough and county officials when they met at the circle Halloween curfew reminder The Borough of Franklin Lakes has adopted a Halloween curfew ordinance that will be in effect on Oct. 30 and 31. The curfew assists the Franklin Lakes Police Department in minimizing property damage in the borough at this time of year. The ordinance prohibits individuals under age 18 from being on any public street or in any public place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Oct. 30 and 31 unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian, or are engaged in, or traveling to or from, a business or occupation state laws authorize a juvenile to perform. recently during the morning and afternoon times when the traffic to and from the High Mountain Road and the Most Blessed Sac- rament elementary schools was at its peak. Borough Administrator Gregory Hart advised that the landmark traffic circle, with its decorative bushes and flower beds, will be kept, but efforts will be made to make it safer. “Most significantly,” Hart said, “the traffic circle would change from a two-way stop intersection, with stop signs on High Mountain Road, to a four-way yield inter- section. This new traffic pattern, together with improved signage and street mark- ings, is intended to improve the safety of this intersection.” Hart also said the reduction in the speed limit in the vicinity of the traffic circle is seen as important to improve safety and to reduce accidents and near-misses in the circle. The recommended changes were based on the online survey of residents the bor- ough conducted in August on the question of whether the borough should consider removing the circle and installing a traffic light for safety reasons. Over 800 responses were received, according to Hart, with 60 percent of them in favor of keeping the circle and 40 percent in favor of its removal. “Comments were passionate on both sides of the issue,” Hart advised, “but there was a consistent concern throughout the comments, including those (who) wanted to keep the circle, that the safety of the circle needed to be improved and many had sug- gestions on safety improvements, some of which are incorporated in the plan recom- mended by the borough council.” Mayor Frank Bivona commented on the proposed changes, saying, “We felt that there was a safety issue that should be reviewed and we wanted to solicit public input through the survey process. The pub- lic’s reaction was incredible and they didn’t hesitate to give their opinions. In the end, we felt that the circle was a landmark that was important to the community, but that we needed to make every effort to improve traffic safety. With input from the county, our police department, and borough profes- sionals, we brainstormed for solutions. “While we know that there will be an adjustment period to the new traffic pat- tern, we feel that the proposed plan will, in the long run, result in a safer intersection, and that is what matters most.”