The following is an ‘Ask The Mayor’ question submitted to TLS, and the Mayor’s response. Email your questions for the Mayor to [email protected].

Question:

Good morning,

I’m always amazed how you respond to the questions that are presented to you!

After numerous accidents at the corner of Cox Cro and Whitesville Road, maybe a no turn on red should be installed.

It’s a very busy intersection and everyone is “in a rush.”

As the saying goes, “going nowhere in a hurry.”

Have a great day,

A very proud resident of Lakewood!

Response from Mayor Coles:

Thank you for the kind words. I wish we could all take a deep breath once in a while and calm down when we are behind the wheel. I travel all over the tri-state area for work and believe it or not Lakewood is not unique! Too many of us are going nowhere in a hurry.

I will ask engineering and traffic and safety to look into this.

Thanks,

Ray

Question:

Hello, thank you for all that you do for everyone who lives in or comes through the area. I understand the State is the party that made the changes to the intersection of Hillside and New Central Avenue, which includes walk/don’t walk signs for driveways and a turning lane into a driveway. Traffic is very difficult, and the new lane placement does not seem to be helping. Has the state given a response to the previous inquiry about the apparent errors in construction/design?

Also, is there any way to make a right turning lane on Hillside heading out of Westgate at the corner of Westgate and New Central Avenue? There tends to be a significant backup at the intersection; folks are not able to make a right turn because the left turn takes a long time. There’s plenty of room for the lines to be repainted, which would improve traffic flow and safety.

Thank you.

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good morning,

It is the county, not the state. I have asked our engineers to review this with their engineer and see if anything can be done.

Many times when changes are made to existing roads, unexpected issues arise that can make a problem worse. I’m happy to say that our county partners are always willing to discuss the impact of changes and, when necessary, adapt and move things around.

Ray

Question:

Hi,

Thank you for all that you do to help our city run smoothly.

Cedarbridge Avenue has recently undergone several upgrades and improvements, but one of the most important changes is still needed: a designated left-turn lane onto Clover.

The left-turn signal is very short, leaving many cars waiting to turn and causing significant traffic backups on Cedarbridge Avenue, often extending all the way back to Martin Luther King Drive. This also creates a safety concern, as drivers try to merge into the right lane, increasing the risk of accidents.

Adding a dedicated left-turn lane would greatly improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and make this intersection safer for everyone.

I look forward to seeing this much-needed improvement addressed in the near future.

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good morning,

I fully agree. The county is in the beginning stages of a plan to address all the intersections from Rt 88 to the Brick border. It is a federally funded project, and Clover is included.

Thanks,

Ray

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