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: Dear Mayor,
As we have seen from the many many letter you the ask the mayor column – traffic in Lakewood is a big and pressing matter. Since we know our roads are already over burdened and congested – how was repacking cedar bridge avenue approved as a daytime job. I just sat in over 45 minutes of traffic due to paving that should have been scheduled for night. We know cedar bridge is an integral road for school children leaving schools as well as the many people working in the industrial area. Please do not respond by just saying you will look into it. These types of scheduling should not even be up for discussion. We need accountability! Not an answer of “I will discuss with the public works”. Let’s try to work together to ensure that our already congested ride home and school routes home not become any longer by poor planning and scheduling on your part.
I apologize for the harsh tone but these types of preventable traffic problems are unnecessary in a town of this size.
Thank you
S. M.
Response from Mayor Coles: There is no need for apologies. I understand all too well how frustrating it is to be stuck in traffic. The township does everything in it’s power to minimize inconvenience when we do paving & repairs. We try to schedule work at night when possible and during times when we know many folks are out of town.
The paving job you are referring to is not a township job. After I read your email this morning I drove over to see for myself. What I found was unacceptable. I spoke to the township manager who got the police department involved. The contractor was told to stop work. Furthermore the barriers were moved closer together so that there would be 2 lanes of traffic open at all times. Additionally, the work will be done at night to minimize any further inconvenience.
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Have a question for the Mayor? Send it to [email protected]
Have a question for the Chief? Send it to [email protected]
Wow! Thanks Mr. Mayor!!
Really appreciate that the mayor stepped in to save the day…..BUT!! why was it allowed to be daytime construction in the first place???
Mind boggling how we are soooo reactive but can’t be proactive in the slightest
wow!! i want to commend the Mayor for his swift action is solving this matter!!
Wow. Thanks for ur care and concern. I sat in traffic for 40 min yesterday between Ave of the states, cedarbridge and new Hampshire all being backed up. I was dreading doing the same again. Thanks so much!
Thank you Mr. Mayor for stepping in!!!
To Shoo: although the Mayor didn’t elaborate when he said it’s not a Township job I believe he meant to say that since Cedarbridge is a County road, Ocean County is the one who approved the work. However I imagine that since the mayor deemed it unsafe he has the ability to get the police involved to shut it down. I may be wrong but that is my understanding.
I also want to know, why was this scheduled this way in the first place?
Who is responsible for that?
Thank you Mr. Mayor!!!!
To Truth,
Hold on, the County needs to run it by someone in the township.
They need to get approval for local police usage.
Someone knew and just let it pass.
As of 3:08 there is still traffic going towards towards clover because there is only 1 lane there. They are still working there.
Thank you Mr. Mayor for your commendable and courageous leadership. Quite a contrast to the do nothing Democrats in congress, you get up and DO. Very reminiscent though of the great mayor fallelelo la-gardenhose as told over by Shmuel Kunda on his records. Thank you.
S.M.
Thats great stuff! I was feeling the same but didn’t think a letter would help.
Thank you for taking your time to write a letter!
And a BIG!!! thank you to our Mayor for stepping in and awarding our complaint!
Wow thanks to the Mayor and to the one who took the initiative to do something about it and emailed him in the first place!!
This would be great if it would be true! They have only opened up one sidebar of cedarbridge to 2 lanes while the other remains only one . Furthermore , construction was still going on throughout the day.
Do you mean to say that when the County schedules work in a town, the town is not notified?!? I find that hard to believe. “Shooo” hit the nail on the head when he said we should be proactive instead of reactive. If infrastructure would have been upgraded proactively before building occurred, that would have reduced some of the problems in this incompetent town.. But being proactive takes talent and thought, which does not exist here. Cut out the excuses and vote them all out!!
Wow feels so nice to speak and be heard!!!!! Thank you Mayor Coles!!!
It is starting to get to cold to pave, maybe the county wanted to get the paving done before it gets too cold and the paving will have to be held until the spring.
thank you mayor!!!!!!!!!!!
I appreciate that the Mayor took swift action in regard to this matter. What is normally a 2 minute drive took me 25 minutes this morning! I could not imagine doing it again tomorrow. Thank you!
is there any hope for the James area?? or will we always sit in traffic?/
Why doesn’t the mayor come right out and say it? It’s some idiot at the Ocean County Road Dept. who imposed this hardship on thousands of drivers!
There is still construction going on during rush hour commute and all day. I live in the area and it is still very backed up.
Thank you for the smooth drive to work this morning!