Fourteenth Ave. Residents Express Traffic Safety Concerns

As the summer months bring more visitors to the borough of Belmar, traffic safety is an issue at the top of many residents’ concerns. Belmar resident Kyle Rizzitello represented residents of Fourteenth Avenue at Wednesday night’s council meeting at  to request a plan to turn the avenue into a one-way street.

“I have spoken to the majority of the residents on my block, between L Street and K Street on Fourteenth Avenue,” Rizzitello said to the council. “We would like to reduce the flow of two-way traffic on the street.

“As I spoke to a majority of the residents on my block, in reference to making Fourteenth Avenue a permanent one-way street, those I have spoken to agreed that it should be a one-way. That Thirteenth Avenue and K Street from Fourteenth Ave and K street [should be a one-way] and should continue to be a one-way from K through L heading west,” she continued.

According to Rizzitello, the street is not wide enough for cars to pass in both directions, especially when residents’ cars are parked on the street.

There is also an issue with the stop sign that currently exists by her residence on Fourteenth Avenue.

“My husband and I were standing on our porch before the rain storm today, and within 10 minutes we saw five cars just blow right through that stop sign,” Rizzitello said. “I don’t even think they realize there’s a sign there. They need to realize that stop means stop.

 “As a coincidence, there are 19 children under the age of 18 years old that live there,” Rizzitello continued. “That’s a lot of kids that live on one tiny block.”

For Rizzitello this is where the safety issue lies, as she expressed after the council meeting.

 “It is narrow, you are right,” Mayor Matt Doherty agreed in regard to the avenue.

“There have been times where the garbage truck isn’t able to get down the street because it’s such a close area,” Rizzitello responded. “There are so many residents that live on that block that by the end of the day, both sides of the street are filled up. Not everyone has a driveway that’s on our street.”

“I live on that street and I don’t really see this being a problem” Councilwoman Claire Deicke said. “I don’t really see racing up and down Fourteenth Avenue.”

“I live on Fourteenth Avenue and where we see them coming off of K Street by our house, by the time they get down to the end of the street by Councilwoman Deicke’s house, they have already slowed down,” said resident Dan Laing. “So, she doesn’t see what we see.

“I was just talking to a neighbor yesterday and some girl came down K Street and came flying down past our house, on her phone, with no regard that we were on the street talking,” he continued. “I do think there is an issue with speed. I’d like to see them put up a portable stop sign on the corner, maybe it’ll catch their eye.”

“I live in Belmar, and I think we have enough stop signs,” said resident David Schneck of C Street. “I’ll go against the crowd with that. It’s going to get to the point where we have to stop at every single block. You can’t hit two blocks in a row here without hitting a stop sign.”

According to borough attorney Karl P. Kemm, Belmar does not have to seek approval from the Department of Transportation to make these proposed changes to Fourteenth Avenue.

“It sounds like you can probably do this without a problem,” Kemm said. “The narrow issue could be addressed by having no parking on both sides of the street.”

Doherty agreed to look at the proposed plan brought forth by Rizzitello, and discuss it with the police department.

 “It’s a safety issue and our concern is that there are a lot of children on that block,” Rizzitello said. “Stop to me means stop.”