Chestnut Street Residents Beg Woodbridge: Do Something About Speeders

AVENEL, NJ — Increasing road traffic is always a top concern for Woodbridge residents.

But nowhere does it appear more of an immediate — and dangerous — issue than on Chestnut Street in Avenel.

At the most recent Woodbridge Council meeting, held last Tuesday night, April 11, at least four Chestnut Street residents stood up and gave emotional accounts of just how bad Chestnut Street has become:

One car was recently clocked going 70 miles per hour down the residential block, which has many children playing out in front yards and riding their bikes along the sidewalk. Several parked cars have also been hit by speeding vehicles, and either pushed 50 feet onto front lawns or completely totaled.

Chestnut Street has only gotten worse now that there are two Amazon fulfillment centers very close by. Drivers also use Chestnut Street as a shortcut to beat a traffic light.

"It's become unbearable," said resident Sheldon Otley. "My car was totaled. My neighbor's Dodge Ram ended up on my front lawn. We were lucky that was 5 o'clock in the morning. Had that been any other time, someone would be dead right now."

To make matters worse, these are not just cars, but heavy industrial trucks that are speeding down the block, say residents.

"FedEx trucks going back and forth, UPS trucks going back and forth. Waste management trucks, tractor trailers. This cannot continue."

Slow down and Stop Speeding signs installed by Woodbridge Township "have not worked," he said bluntly. "My question is what's next?"

"Councilman Cory Spillar and I are working on a solution that we have started to present to the residents and if they concur with our recommendations, we will turn it into an action plan," Mayor John McCormac told Patch this week.

Chestnut Street has gotten so dangerous that people out walking with small children who ride bikes and scooters on the sidewalk have stopped and told children to pick up their bikes and move to the grass when a car goes by — out of fear that a speeding car will lose control and veer onto the sidewalk, said resident Ron Wyatt, whose family has lived in Avenel for more than 50 years.

"I'm very nervous right now. I was tempted to take a picture of my father's truck that was hit, and my truck that was totaled and take a photo of a casket and say, 'Is this what it's going to take?'" he said. "My father's truck blocked two cars from going into their yard. They have their swing set right along the fence and I'm asking them to move the swing set because it's dangerous."

"At my particular house three of our automobiles have been hit by cars. The latest accident totaled two vehicles," said Wyatt. "I went out on Saturday and passed out flyers inviting people to voice their concerns if they have problems with the speeding on Chestnut and I was overwhelmed."

Ọne woman warned that she does not want someone to be killed for Woodbridge Township to take action.

"Please don't just study the issue," she implored the town Council. "We don't want anyone to lose their lives. Not even one of the reckless drivers."

Wyatt said he has been telling the Township about the speeding on Chestnut Street for the past two and a half years now, but this April he has some specific things he wants Woodbridge Township to do:

• Install speed humps and two flashing stop signs, at both ends of Chestnut."Bottom line: Almost everyone on the street said we want speed bumps. We need a flashing stop sign in both directions."
• Increased police presence. "We also ask that Woodbridge Police park a squad car on Chestnut Street instead of having so many cars parked at the Board of Ed. parking lot."

Woodbridge Police recently monitored Chestnut Street and found 1,500 cars on the street for a five-day period, with one car clocked at 70 miles per hour.

Watch the April 11 Council meeting; the Chestnut Street issue starts at minute 21:00: