Essex County to Improve Intersections in Thirteen Towns

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 5:11pm

IMAGE: North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. has announced that the county will receive $26.4 million in federal grants from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) to make safety improvements at 39 intersections throughout Essex County. DiVincenzo serves as the county's representative on the NJTPA Board of Trustees.

The projects will include:

• Extending curbs
• Installing "refuge islands" (the median rest area in between lanes) to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians
• Installing "leading pedestrian interval signals" which stop traffic in all directions and allow pedestrians to enter an intersection 3 to 7 seconds before vehicles are given a green priority turn signal

The grants are part of the NJTPA’s Local Safety Program and were announced at their Nov. 9 meeting.

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.
​Nov. 15, 2020

“This funding supports infrastructure improvements to enhance safety for motorists and particularly pedestrians. The intersections identified for upgrades are along some of our most heavily traveled corridors."

The improvements will take place in the following county municipalities: 

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BELLEVILLE

• Rutgers Street and Cortlandt Street

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BLOOMFIELD

• Franklin Street and Newark Avenue

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• Franklin Street and Garden State Parkway Northbound Ramp

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• Franklin Street and Garden State Parkway Southbound Ramp

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• Franklin Street and Municipal Plaza / Montgomery Street

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• West Passaic Avenue and Broad Street

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• West Passaic Avenue and East Passaic Avenue

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New Signal:

• Broad Street and MacLeod Lane

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• Belleville Avenue and State Street

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• Belleville Avenue and Broad Street

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GLEN RIDGE

• Watchung Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue

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IRVINGTON

New Signal:

• Springfield Avenue and Orange Avenue

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New Signal:

• Springfield Avenue and Smith Street

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New Signal:

• Springfield Avenue and 42nd Street

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• Springfield Avenue and Becker Terrace

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• Springfield Avenue and Clinton Avenue / Union Avenue / Myrtle Avenue

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• Springfield Avenue and Grove Street

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MAPLEWOOD

• Valley Street and Parker Avenue

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• Valley Street and Oakland Road

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• Valley Street and Oakview Avenue

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• Valley Street and Tuscan Road

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• Valley Street and Baker Street

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• Valley Street and Millburn Avenue

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MILLBURN

• Millburn Avenue and Vauxhall Road

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MONTCLAIR

• Valley Road and Normal Avenue

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• Valley Road and Mount Hebron Road

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• Watchung Avenue and Grove Street

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NEWARK

New Signal:

• Springfield Avenue and South 17th Street

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NUTLEY

New Signal:

• Franklin Avenue and Church Street / Booth Drive

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• West Passaic Avenue / Kingsland Street and Darling Avenue

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ORANGE

• Washington Street and High Street

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SOUTH ORANGE

• South Orange Avenue and Prospect Avenue

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• South Orange Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue

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• Irvington Avenue and Prospect Avenue

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New Signal

• ​Valley Street and 1st Street​

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• Valley Street and 3rd Street

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VERONA

New Signal

• ​Fairview Avenue and Personette Avenue

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WEST ORANGE

• Washington Street and Watchung Avenue

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• Pleasant Valley Way and Woodland Avenue

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There are no projects designated for:

• Caldwell
  
• Cedar Grove
  
• East Orange
  
• Essex Fells
  
• Fairfield
  
• Livingston
  
• North Caldwell
  
• Roseland
  
• West Caldwell

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​The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren) and the cities of Newark and Jersey City. The Board also includes a governor’s representative, the New Jersey Department of Transportation commissioner, the NJ TRANSIT executive director, the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a citizen’s representative appointed by the governor.