BARNEGAT – As drivers enjoy the newfound smoothness of the road surface in front of the municipal complex, an unexpected challenge has officials worried about safety.
Local officials and residents both expressed immense satisfaction when the county repaved West Bay Avenue, stretching from Sandpiper Road to Route 9. However, the completion of the project on May 12 came with what appears to be an unwelcome change to the original design.
Instead of the familiar left-turn lane that previously guided eastbound drivers into Town Hall, double yellow lines now occupy that space. This alteration has presented a significant concern for government authorities, who recognize its potential implications on traffic flow and driver behavior.
The entrance to the municipal complex driveway lies in close proximity to two left turn lanes at the traffic signal ahead at the intersection between West Bay Avenue and Barnegat Boulevard. Motorists stopping to turn into Town Hall risk confusing other drivers, who may not understand the reason behind the sudden halt at a significant distance from the light ahead.
“An accident is going to happen,” predicted Martin Lisella, Township Administrator. “One of our employees almost got hit today.”
According to Lisella, the intention was to maintain consistency with the original design and not make any changes to the lines on the roadway. He said a county traffic engineer reviewed the plans and made modifications without prior notification. Local officials had no knowledge of the changes until they were completed.
Township officials and the police department have reached out to the county engineer’s office, emphasizing the need for a prompt resolution to either revert to the original design or identify a practical alternative.
Ocean County Engineer John N. Ernst, P.E., P.P. responded to Lisella by letter on May 22, stating that the “purpose of a double yellow striped line is to separate opposing lanes of travel and prohibit passing.” Ernst supplied references to three separate documents to support his assertions that there are no restrictions on entering/existing driveways to enter/exit a driveway.
Research shows that New Jersey law does not appear to specifically cover whether it’s legal to cross double lines to make a left turn. Notwithstanding, the New Jersey Driver’s Manual states that “solid lines show when not to pass.” It goes on to say these lines may be crossed with care when entering or leaving driveways in business or residential areas.
“Typically, the only time you put breaks in a double line would be for a street intersection, not for a driveway,” Ernst explained. “If we did it for every driveway, we wouldn’t have a double yellow line. We were trying to be consistent with the way we treat all the driveways along the roadway.”
Ernst mentioned that the county is contemplating the addition of a dash within the double line near the driveway. He acknowledges that local officials would prefer a painted-out island area in the median, resembling the previous configuration. County and township officials will continue to negotiate.
“We’re open for discussion,” Ernst said. “If we’re comfortable with what they’re asking us to do, we can try to accommodate their requests.”
Barnegat Police Captain Jason Carroll said that local police are extremely concerned that the current configuration could result in an accident. In the event of a vehicle stopping to make a left into the driveway, a driver behind them might have trouble braking on time, potentially leading to a rear-end collision.
Carroll emphasized that the police department eagerly anticipates the forthcoming meeting with county engineers to prevent such incidents, noting that no such occurrences have been reported thus far.
