Boro to State: Let's Fix 'Dangerous Spot' at MJS

Madison's governing body hopes the New Jersey Department of Transportation will respond "exepeditiously" to a request from the for authorization to have a portable "Stop For Pedestrians" sign on Main Street in front of Madison Junior School when school starts in September.

The Borough Council registered its support for the sign and the police department's other traffic safety recommendations by approving a resolution endorsing them at Monday's Borough Council meeting.

Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto said the Main Street crosswalk in front of the junior school is "a real traffic hazard" and a similar request made to the department last June never got a response.

Councilman Robert Landrigan, a member of the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps, said he has transported students who were hit by cars there to the hospital.

"I would support this a hundred and fifty percent for the simple reason that I've had to take some of the students that were struck by cars at that intersection to the hospital," he said. "It's a very dangerous spot in town."

Main Street is a state road, also known as New Jersey Route 124, and Madison also hopes to have a "No Stopping or Standing" sign installed across the street from the school and to have trees trimmed to increase the visibility of existing signs.

After those measures are implemented, Madison hopes the state will consider four other changes:

• Roadway markings indicating "School Zone Ahead."
• Markings on the north side in the shoulder to discourage people from stopping in front of the school.
• Lowering the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 mph in the area while school is in session
• Installing flashing signals warning school zone ahead while school is in session.

Mayor Bob Conley said the suggestions are what Madison would do if it was a municipal road, and said Madison once put up a pedestrian crossing sign on its own, but the Department of Transportation called to have it removed.

Department of Transportation spokesman Timothy Greeley said Tuesday afternoon he would try to find out more about Madison's request.

Tsukamoto said borough and school district officials have worked to improve safety at the location, such as by extending afternoon hours for a crossing guard. She said pedestrian traffic at the crosswalk has increased in the past year because students walk to which opened in 2010.

Mama C's owner Michael Caminiti said Tuesday he supports having a pedestrian crossing sign installed.

Caminiti said he sometimes found himself cringing when students would cross without a crossing guard if they were leaving school later due to afterschool activities and the crossing guard already was gone for the day. Extending the crossing guard's afternoon hours this spring was a good way to help the situation, Caminiti said.