Finally : A pedestrian safety fence on Baker!

I have been thinking we should get the FBI or something to crack down on jaywalkers on Baker, but the brain surgeons in town came up with a pedestrian fence instead.  I hope the students from MMS are thoughtful enough to put gum on it like the do the wall to the train bridge.   We can all sleep better when we have this brilliant "decorative" fence up and running.  

Not me. I can never get to sleep when the fence outside is running. 

For those who may have missed the township email tonight:

Pedestrian Safety Fence Installation 

The installation of a pedestrian safety fence along Baker St between Maplewood Ave and Dunnell Rd (see below) will begin tomorrow, Monday November 19^th at approximately 9:00 am. The purpose of the fence (which is also decorative and was approved by the Maplewood Village Alliance) is to discourage jaywalking into incoming traffic and to reinforce use of the crosswalk at Maplewood Avenue and Baker St.  The installation is expected to take two days.
 
The installation will not affect any parking in the Village nor require any road closures.  Minor traffic flow disruptions may occur.
 
This installation is separate from Phase I of the paving and sidewalk improvement project that is completing tomorrow, Monday, November 19^th.
 
The Township will continue to provide updates should any changes to this installation schedule arise via notices on the Township website, email blasts, Twitter and via the Maplewood Construction News Facebook page.
 
If you have questions or concerns about this installation, please contact the Maplewood Business Administrator, Sonia Alves-Viveiros, at 973)%20762-8120;2000" dir="ltr" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="5">(973) 762-8120, ext. 2000, or SViveiros@twp.maplewood.nj.us.
 

 

"There is something that does not like a wall"   Robert Frost

A fence is a wall in short pants.

Now if trucks will stop parking in the crosswalk at the entrance to the parking lot just past the tracks and if vehicles of all sorts will stop parking in the yellow hatched area adjacent to the crosswalk at Baker and Maplewood Avenue, this fencing might actually work.  Pedestrians are walking off the sidewalk in this area because at times it is the only way to get from the park side to the Village side without using one of the non-ADA compliant pedestrian tunnels.

Absent the transporter beam which would be expensive to use, how could the pedestrian tunnel be made A.D.A. compliant?

A fence to keep people from crossing outside of the crosswalk area there makes sense, if there's an excess of jaywalking there.  I can't imagine what "rights" or "sensibilities" are damaged by having something like that.

The tunnel that's not the tunnel under the station seems like a possible candidate for an incline of some kind, to be ADA compliant (along with whatever sidewalk improvements might be needed on the park side).

The looks I’ve gotten from dark-clothed jaywalkers boldly stepping in front of my bumper are a marvel. 

As a motorist it is my responsibility to be on the lookout for people doing silly things. Heck, that’s my duty as a human. 

You’d think however that people whose safety and continued ability to be ambulatory is in that moment wholly dependent on people who are accounting for their laziness and stupidity would be a bit more sheepish. 

Nope!

I approve this fence.

- R. Casotto

Robert_Casotto said:
I approve this fence.


- R. Casotto

 Ah ****. Time to tear it down, lads.

nohero said:
A fence to keep people from crossing outside of the crosswalk area there makes sense, if there's an excess of jaywalking there.  I can't imagine what "rights" or "sensibilities" are damaged by having something like that.

No matter what the township does or does not do, there are people who will complain.  And if a pedestrian had jaywalked in front of a car there and was severely injured, someone would have been up in arms that the township knew about the issue but never erected any barriers to keep people from jaywalking.

Another example of why anyone who runs for local office has to have very thick skin or a little touch of masochism.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:
Absent the transporter beam which would be expensive to use, how could the pedestrian tunnel be made A.D.A. compliant?


  

 As Nohero wrote above, there is room to replace the stairs on the park side of the tunnel entrance closer to Baker Street with an accessible ramp.  Having an accessible train station is a whole other problem.  I am not sure how that could be done.  In any event, that is likely to something to take up with NJT, not the town.