Intersection Light to Change, Reduce Traffic

The township will move forward with a plan to extend the time of the traffic lights at the intersection of Bartley and Naughright roads to reduce congestion at the major crossing.

The $1,850 project will allow the traffic signal to be adjusted to provide more time for vehicles heading south on Naughright Road to cross the intersection, or turn left, heading east, especially in the morning when many students are driving to located on Bartley Road.

Police Lt. Douglas Compton told the Township Committee Monday the current traffic signal provides the same amount of time–25 seconds–for traffic in all directions to pass through the intersection, no matter how long the lines of  vehicles are.

He said Morris County and the state Department of Transportation need to approve the installation. Bartley road is a county road.

Resident Jina Ovessi originally raised the issue with police.

She said Monday that “between 7:10 and 7:30 a.m. the traffic is horrible. It backs up to Fairview (Avenue). It is a safety issue.”

Ovessi said that she drives her two sons to school each morning to allow them a little more time for breakfast before continuing her daily trip to Rockaway.

Committeeman David Kennedy said he finds himself stuck in that traffic “at 7:14 a.m.”

Both Bartley and Naughright roads are key commuter routes out of Long Valley. While both intersect Route 513, Bartley carries traffic northeast to Route 206 in Flanders, and Naughright carries traffic northwest to Route 46 in Mount Olive.

Compton said the alterations to be made at the intersection will be like that at the main Long Valley intersection of Route 513, East Mill and West Mill Roads and Schooley's Mountain Road.

Compton said that it would be possible to adjust the timing of the signals at Bartley-Naughright when school is not in session.

Ongoing struggles

In other business, there have been , Short said.

He said Jersey Central Power & Light Co. attributed the outages to the heavy tree trimming program underway, the lack of squirrel-proof boxes on certain lines, and water seepage into power boxes.

The township has requested that power company officials attend a future committee meeting to discuss the situation. Short said he, along with Vice Mayor Bill Roerhich, will attend a Feb. 1 meeting at the Roxbury Municipal Building being held by the state Bureau of Pubic Utilities to discuss the recent storms and power company response.

The meeting is being coordinated by Senator Anthony Bucco and Assemblyman Anthony Bucco, Short said.

JCP&L has also confirmed there will be a connection made between the Drakestown substation and the Chester substation before Jan. 31, Short said. The "four-year" heavy tree cutting is currently taking place along the Chester Substation line which includes Drakestown Road, Fairview Avenue, Coleman Road, Bartley Road, Furnace Road, North Four Bridges and other roads in that general area, Short said.