Hundreds Sign Petition For 4-Way Stop At Busy Montclair Intersection

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Hundreds of people have signed an online petition calling for a four-way stop sign at a busy intersection in Montclair.

The petition, “Implement Four Way Stop at Wildwood Ave & Park Street,” was started after a school bus and a passenger vehicle collided in the area on Oct. 15. The bus had 14 students and a driver aboard at the time; no serious injuries were reported, authorities said.

• See related article: No Students Injured After School Bus Crashes In Montclair

However, the crash was just the latest in a string of traffic incidents that have taken place at the intersection, the petition charges.

It reads:

“The Hillside school bus accident on Friday, October 15 was just the most recent and disturbing traffic incident that has taken place on the corner of Wildwood Ave and Park Street .... In the last 12 months, I have personally witnessed three accidents, and countless other near-misses.”

The petition continues:

“In addition to reducing accidents, a four-way stop at this corner would slow traffic on Park Ave in the speedway between Watchung Ave and Bellevue Ave; it would also force drivers to yield for pedestrians. This corner is a pick up for students, as well as the DeCamp commuter bus, and as a result is frequently congested with pedestrian crossings. There is poor visibility for drivers on Wildwood Ave due to trucks parked on Park Street that even drivers who do yield to the stop sign appropriately (unlike the driver last Friday) have to contend with the safety risks of crossing or turning onto Park Street. A four-way stop would eliminate that risk that drivers on Wildwood Ave often take when proceeding from this corner.”

According to the petition, another reason the intersection needs a four-way stop is that Wildwood Avenue is a “main thoroughfare from Grove to Valley and to and from Acme and uptown.” It’s also a frequently used emergency route for the Montclair Fire Department.

“Four-way stops have successfully been placed on Lorraine and Park, Van Vleck and North Mountain, and Gates and South Mountain, all of which have a similar volume of crossing traffic,” the petition adds.

The petition got a nod of acknowledgement from Montclair Councilman Peter Yacobellis.

“This will get added to our list of intersections to receive a traffic study and hopefully result in better speed and safety controls,” Yacobellis commented. “Thanks to all those leading this effort. This is what democracy is supposed to look like.”

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