Bernards School and Twp. Officials Agree on Ridge Traffic Solution

UPDATED: Next step is to seek Somerset County's input for proposal on the table, schools superintendent says.

The school district will move ahead with looking at the practical aspects of following through on the Ridge Task Force's favored option for improving traffic flow and campus safety at Ridge High School during morning dropoffs. The next step will be to seek the county's feedback on a plan to move a two-way driveway slightly north to an existing one-way drive off South Finley Avenue, said Schools Superintendent Nick Markarian on Monday night. At last month's meeting, several of the school board members said they were leaning toward option nine, at a cost of just under $150,000. Even so, Markarian cautioned during his March presentation, "We are trying to solve a problem that doesn't really have an ideal solution. On Tuesday night, the …

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Ridge Traffic Task Force to Issue Online & Public Reports

Updated: Ridge Task Force sets dates for issuing online report on Monday and for a second public input session following week.

Following months of meeting, discussing and dissecting options for how to best alleviate morning traffic jams at Ridge High School, a special appointed task force is ready to issue its findings. In updated information, Schools Superintendent Nick Markarian said in a special Friday Folder email to parents that the online report is expected to be issued on Monday. Markarian's email also said that the second public input session on the task force findings is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 25, at the municipal building at 1 Collyer Lane in Basking Ridge. After meeting again on Wednesday, Bernards Mayor Carolyn Gaziano said that the task force, made up of township and school district officials, likely will put up its report either next …

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Ridge Traffic Task Force Plans 2nd Public Input Session Before Final Report

The task force of township and school officials plans to submit final reports within about a month.

A specially appointed task force that has spent the last few months examining in detail ways to relieve morning traffic jams at the entrance to Ridge High School plans to hold a second public input session in March to to detail the proposals on the table. The task force met again on Wednesday, continuing regular meetings held since last fall. Bernards Mayor Carolyn Gaziano on Thursday said no definite date has been set for the public input session. At that time, Gaziano said the task force will present a detail analysis of options being considered. If residents have a comment or question, they will have an opportunity to address the task force at the next public session. Some of the suggestions that have been discussed so far including …

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Ridge Traffic Task Force to Consider 'Every Option'

Public forum allows residents to provide suggestions to help resolve the issue.

A specially appointed task force comprised of school and township officials held an open forum Monday night to collect public input on suggested ways to relieve morning traffic jams and improve traffic flow on school days at Ridge High School. "We are going to look at the pros and cons of every option," Deputy Mayor Carolyn Gaziano said. Speakers at the forum looked unfavorably on plans along South Finley that would further impact homeowners living right near the high school, or would continue sending bus or private vehicle traffic through the Homestead Village to reach the back entrance to the high school. Since early last year, buses from the high school have been diverted through Homestead Village to the parking lot at Cedar Hill …

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Public Input Sought on Ridge Traffic Solution

Joint task force of Township Committee and Board of Education to gather residents' opinions.

Do you have an opinion on what's already been proposed or your own ideas on how Ridge High School should solve its persistent problem of traffic jam-ups at the school entrance every morning? Well, your chance to speak up is coming soon. A joint task force created from members of the Bernards Township Committee and the Bernards Board of Education is holding a public meeting to collect public input on its assigned task of providing a recommendation for a safe traffic plan for morning arrival at the school. That recommendation, which would be then presented to entire Township Committee and school board, would consider traffic patterns for pedestrians, school buses, and private vehicles, according to a release from the school board on Friday. …

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Letter to the Editor

Ridge Neighbor Wants to Set Record Straight on Traffic

Longtime resident says she takes issue with some other comments on high school traffic option, and explains why.

To the Editor: As a South Finley resident, I have been closely following the “Ridge High Traffic Problem”, and began to pay even greater attention after the Board of Education published the results of its traffic study in June. Since then, I have attended all BOE and Township Committee (TC) meetings and have addressed each group on several occasions, orally and in writing. I take issue with several recent comments by Patch readers. Based on my experiences and observations, as well as media reports throughout the better part of the year, I have learned or concluded that: Based on all of this, I don’t think that the TC can reasonably be accused of being “recalcitrant”, as a Patch reader suggested. But, to the extent that anyone might …

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Ridge Traffic Task Force Planned for Officials

School officials say that public input would be sought, but not as members of task force.

Rather than meeting last week, township and school officials have decided to get together on Wednesday to set the parameters of a joint task force to try to address a long-term solution to Ridge's traffic jams on school mornings. At the first meeting, the representatives from the school and from the township expect to hash out when they will meet, and set parameters for the task force, Susan McGowan, president of the Board of Education, said at Monday night's board meeting. McGowan said the school representatives will include herself, Schools Superintendent Nick Markarian, and board member William Koch, who has headed the board's facilities committee. But she said the task force is not intended to include members of the public. However, …

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Letter to the Editor

Reconsider Decision to Pave Driveway to School, Resident Says

Letter to the editor asks for Township Committee to think again about paving gravel driveway between school and town hall.

To the Editor, We are Homestead Village residents writing in regards to the disastrous rerouting of Ridge buses through Homestead Village that began last spring a never ending discussion of traffic problems. We have attended both BOE and Bernards Township meetings, have asked many questions to only hear the same empty response — we are working on the problem. We have been patient. But our patience has run out and we are extremely angered that this dangerous situation has continued to go on into the new school year. We feel that we have been misled and strung along as a community for way too long. We are also increasingly disturbed by the thought that a blackout period instituted on South Finley each morning is a viable option to reduce car…

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Ridge Traffic to Again be Discussed By Town, School

Disagreement continues as school board looks to widened South Finley Avenue for turn through health department.

With the question of how to approach a long-term solution to Ridge High School's traffic flow problem still unresolved, township and school officials are scheduled to meet again next Tuesday to consider the options. "We will be going over all options," Township Deputy Mayor Carolyn Gaziano told residents at Tuesday's Township Committee meeting. However, after the meeting she, along with Township Committeeman John Carpenter, who also expects to attend the next session of the school board's facilities committee on Oct. 2, both said they would continue to oppose the school board's request to pave over a gravel driveway leading from the municipal complex into the back parking lots of the high school. "The municipal complex is a non-starter, …

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Letter Writer Outlines Her Position on Ridge Traffic Options

Longtime neighbor of Ridge High School outlines her position and restates her questions to school board regarding plans for traffic improvements.

The following letter was submitted by Eileen Walsh, a South Finley Avenue resident whose property borders Ridge High School property. She addressed the Bernards Board of Education at Monday night's meeting. To the editor, I am writing to confirm the comments that I offered at last evening’s Board of Education meeting regarding the Ridge High Traffic Study and address a few points that were offered in response. Where Are We Now?   As I understand it, the BOE has been pursuing a single option (“Concept C”) which would widen both Ridge High’s secondary driveway and South Finley Avenue. A drawing and an aerial photograph prepared by Dolan & Dean showing Concept C were made available to the public last evening and Concept C is to be reviewed …

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