Branch Ave. Traffic Lights: Should They Stay or Should They Go?

They've become a part of the landscape for some. For others, they are a nuisance to contend with a few times a day.

They are the temporary traffic lights that were installed along Branch Avenue in Little Silver last summer to accommodate the influx of traffic caused by the closing of a portion of Seven Bridges Road for construction.

According to Little Silver Mayor Robert C. Neff, Jr.,

But will the lights be leaving town along with the cranes and detour signs?

"We'll definitely have that discussion," said Neff. He added that while the county had indicated that "lights should have been installed along Branch 20 years ago," they will support the borough on whether they remain a permanent traffic fixture.

"We do have some control over what happens there," Neff said.

In the meantime, Little Silver officials will gather information from the county and police and conduct a public meeting to hear what residents think about the traffic lights, he said.

Neff pointed out that new traffic patterns will emerge once the Seven Bridges Road detour is removed that will also change the flow of traffic through those intersections.

The mayor and council will make their decision, said Neff, "after we've gathered every bit of data and every comment."