Resident: Speed on Ravine Avenue Killed Groundhog

Two residents voiced concerns to West Caldwell's governing body Tuesday night about the speed of traffic on Ravine Avenue near the intersection of Westover Avenue where a joint traffic study with Caldwell has been planned.

Caldwell's council passed a resolution last week to conduct the examination—not to exceed $500 each municipality—to potentially convert the intersection into a four-way stop.

"I'm very distraught about the volume and speed of traffic on Ravine Avenue," said Claire Searing, who lives near the intersection. "I just don't know what to tell you. It's summertime—at 10, 11 o'clock, cars are going 50 miles per hour."

The intersection is located entirely in Caldwell, but a home on one of the four corners is taxed by West Caldwell, according to Jock Watkins, the town's acting administrator and clerk.

The light at the intersection currently blinks red to reinforce the stop signs for traffic on Westover Avenue that crosses Ravine, while the light blinks yellow as a caution for drivers to slow down as they approach the intersection on Ravine Avenue. 

Police Chief Michael Bramhall pointed out that since Ravine Avenue runs parallel to Bloomfield Avenue, it receives a heavy traffic flow as an alternative to the county roadway.

"Any street that runs parallel to a county roadway is going to be deemed as a cut-through or thoroughfare," Bramhall said. "That's something we can't control. But we can certainly continue to monitor the speed."

The proposed study was brought to Caldwell's attention about a month ago. After initially tabling the resolution in July to gather more information, Caldwell's governing body took action at last week's meeting.

However, West Caldwell was not aware its neighbors voted to move forward.

Searing urged that the issue needs be resolved soon, after witnessing a groundhog get killed on the roadway over the weekend.

"On Sunday, I had the most unfortunate task," she said. "There was a cute little groundhog that used to go from my side of Ravine to the other side. He was killed Sunday, about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Now, 2 o'clock in the afternoon there's not that much volume—it was the speed.

"And because I did not want to see this poor little soul being run over and over and over again, I went out and I picked him up out of the street. It's just heartbreaking when you see these animals from your neighborhood being destroyed by cars."

Mayor Joseph Tempesta was subdued upon hearing the story, expressing support for the four-way stop signal as means of curtailing traffic.

"We're hoping Caldwell cooperates and the study bears that out as well," he said.

Elaine Lodato, who spearheaded the effort to have the current signal placed at the intersection back in the mid-'80s, said she and her neighbors will remain persistent for the four-way signal.

"We're not letting it go," the Ravine Avenue resident said. "We've had it, because in another three weeks, all hell is going to break loose with school."