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Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • April 9, 2014 Franklin Lakes Borough concerned about tree limbs in roadway by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Shade Tree Commission will soon conduct a limbs-in-roadway program that involves asking residents for help removing low-hanging tree limbs and branches from within five feet of a curb. Michael Tulp, chairman of the commission, pointed out at a recent borough council meeting that it is the property owners’ responsibility to remove those low-hanging tree limbs and branches. The borough’s tree expert, Kris Hasbrouck, told the council that a recent survey of about a third of the borough indicates there may be 1,000 or more homes in the borough that need tree limbs and low-hanging branches removed. “There are too many limbs and branches growing into the roadway throughout the borough and this has become a growing hazard to both people as well as to vehicles,” Tulp said. “Our department of public works workers who drive Police participate in texting crackdown From April 1 through 21, law enforcement personnel will be using a combination of traditional and innovative strategies to crack down on motorists who text while driv- ing. This effort is a part of the national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. high-visibility enforcement campaign that combines periods of intense enforcement of anti-texting laws with advertising and media outreach to let people know about the enforcement and convince them to obey the law. The Franklin Lakes Police Department is one of sev- eral local law enforcement agencies that will participate in this campaign. Violating New Jersey’s texting law, which became effective on March 1, 2008, can be costly. In 2012, there were 3,328 people killed and 421,000 injured nationwide in distraction affected crashes. The University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Insti- tute reports that a quarter of teens respond to a text mes- sage once or more every time they drive, and 20 percent of teens and 10 percent of parents admit that they have extended, multi-message text conversations while driv- ing. The successes of the Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaigns have proven that the com- bination of tough laws, targeted advertising, and high- visibility enforcement can change people’s risky traffic safety behaviors. This strategy was implemented as part of the Phone in One Hand. Ticket in the Other distraction demonstration effort in Hartford, Connecticut and Syra- cuse, New York in 2010 and 2011, and then in Delaware and Sacramento County in 2012 and 2013. In both proj- ects, texting and cell phone use declined dramatically. Based on these encouraging results, the Department of Transportation has developed the U Drive. U Text. U Pay. national campaign. States that applied and that have primary enforcement of their text messaging laws were awarded approximately $8 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support this and other efforts designed to fight distracted driving. The national enforcement blitz is also supported by an $8.5 million national advertising campaign, designed to raise awareness about the enforce- ment effort and remind people about the deadly conse- quences of driving and texting. For more information, visit www.distraction.gov snowplow trucks try to clear the entire width of the street, but their diligence in clearing the street leads to unfore- seen altercations with limbs and branches that damage the borough’s equipment. “The damage is expensive, and the low-hanging limbs and branches also prevent proper road maintenance.” He added that low branches cause critical problems for emergency vehicles and obstruct the roadway, making it difficult for emergency vehicles to travel safely to the scene of an emergency. Tulp said garbage trucks, landscapers’ trucks, construc- tion vehicles, and large delivery vehicles all have problems with obstructions in the roadway. He emphasized that it is the law for property owners to remove these low-hang- ing limbs and branches and it is solely the responsibility of individual property owners to maintain the land between lot lines and the curb or pavement to prevent encroachment on borough property. According to Tulp, the commission is taking charge of the program of notifying property owners of the problem, and letters are being sent to property owners with problem limbs, branches, and overhanging brush. The council thanked Tulp and Hasbrouck for their input and agreed that property owners are responsible for removing low-hanging limbs and branches near the curb or pavement lines. Mayor Frank Bivona said the borough’s goal is not to give out summonses, but to help residents maintain their trees and shrubs that overhang the roadways. Bivona did not want to set any time table to get this done at this time, and he asked Tulp and Hasbrouck to see how this letter approach works and then perhaps be more specific in a second notice to residents. “The goal is to get them in compliance and to work with the residents as much as possible,” Bivona said. ��������������������� ��������������������������������������� ��������������������������������� �������������� ���������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ��������������������������������� ����������������� ������������������������������������������������������ � �������������������������������������� � ���������������������������������� � ����������������������� ����������������������� � ���������������������������������������������������� � ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������� � ������������������������������� � ����������������������������������������������������� � �������������� ��������������������������� ������������������������ �������������� ���������������� ����������������� �������������� ����������������� ���������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4-9-14 Kim/Janine