County: We're Trying to Make Schooley's Safer

From floating guardrails to a lack of crosswalks and the occasional stalled , Schooley’s Mountain Road–and the safety issues surrounding it– in recent months amongst Washington Township residents.

Morris County’s chief engineer, Steven Hammond, told the Washington Township Committee that the county is working on safety measures to prevent future problems on the county roadway.

A bid has been awarded to a company that will stabilize the guardrails between Camp Washington Road and Big Turn on Schooley’s Mountain, where portions of the safety feature have been ‘floating’ and not secured into the ground.

“The problem is more extensive than we thought,” Hammond said to the committee. “Looking over the side of the road; it’s a hell of a drop-off.”

Hammond said the work will begin after Memorial Day. There will be lane closures in the area while the work is being completed.

Crossing concerns

Town officials have been calling for a crosswalk to be installed by the county at the bottom of Schooley’s Mountain Road where a major entryway to the Columbia Trail lies.

But Washington Township has only heard delays and excuses, Mayor Ken Short said, in regards to the work being done.

“I was told they were ordering the striping, and then a storm hits and they can’t do it anymore,” Short said. “There’s a lot of traffic there. The parking lot to the trail is always packed.”

Hammond explained that the crosswalk, because it was promised as part of the county’s Columbia Trail project, is a matter for the Morris County Parks Commission.

Russ Felter of the Morris County Parks Commission is working with a contractor to complete the project, Hammond said, but the matter is otherwise out of his hands.

Also creating a hurdle is that the crosswalk needs to be ADA compliant–or handicapped accessible–per state law.

“Is it going to take someone getting hurt to have this done?” committeeman Tracy Tobin asked. “Every time I’m in the area, I feel like I have to hold my breath when I watch someone walk across the street.”

Gregg Forsbrey, a member of the Washington Township Green Team, expressed his sentiments to Hammond about the dangers of the area.

“You can’t walk from town hall to West Mill Road without jaywalking,” Forsbrey said. “There’s nowhere to cross this road legally or safely.”

Forsbrey also cited a statistic from the Washington Township Police Department, saying there have been 25 motor vehicle accidents between West Maple Avenue and West Mill Road in the past five years.

“I know that as soon as it can be done, it will be done,” Hammond said. “I will pass along the urgency you’ve expressed.”