Westwood Police Department is Working with the County to Make Fourth and Forest Intersection Safer

Motorists probably know the intersection of Fourth and Forest avenues in Westwood as a dangerous one. Police have documented high numbers of crashes there and say they want to implement changes that will make the area safer.

Police Capt. Frank Durante came to the council meeting Tuesday night to share the plan he believes will work with the governing body. He said if the county engineer approves, all motorists will be directed to the traffic light. The ramp that veers to the right for vehicles taking Fourth Avenue would be blocked with barricades. The changes would be temporary to evaluate their effectiveness, Durante said.

Councilwoman Cynthia Waneck asked if the newly formed right turn would be too awkward for motorists.

While Durante said the turn is not ideal, he said buses and tractor trailers would be able to make the turn and would just have to swing wide. He added that the configuration is temporary and if the county finds the changes improve safety, officials there would have to investigate how to reconstruct the intersection.

The reason for ending use of the ramp, according to Durante, is because police have found motorists making a left turn from Forest Avenue onto Fourth Avenue are having difficultly focusing on traffic heading in two directions--coming straight toward them and using the ramp.

Police have also asked for a speed reduction along Forest Avenue, though Durante said they have not asked for a specific level. The speed limit is currently 45mph.

Durante said the county would most likely take a survey of the area to see what speeds are safe for cars to travel by measuring vehicle speeds along the roadway.

Mayor John Birkner Jr. said he believes speed is the biggest factor in a lot of the crashes at the Fourth and Forest intersection and along Forest Avenue. He suggested recommending a speed limit of 35mph to come in on the low end and negotiate.

According to Durante, from 2008 to the present, there have been 44 crashes at the Fourth and Forest intersection. He said more than 75 percent of those crashes involved a motorist attempting to make a left turn onto Fourth Avenue. He categorized those as "high impact" crashes.

The newest plans come after other attempts to make the intersection safer have failed. Officials tried installing a left turn lane for southbound traffic with a lead green, but Durante said, "It really didn't help." He pointed out that a crash occurred the same day the changes were put in place.

Crash data at the intersection of Fourth and Forest avenues: