Councilman Blasts State Route 70 Safety Recommendation as 'Misinformed'

The state Department of Transportation’s recommendation to declare a portion of Route 70 in Toms River a “no passing zone” is not enough to improve safety on the highway, a Township Council member said.

A recent DOT study of the highway’s safety in Toms River recommends that vehicles shouldn’t be allowed to pass in the area of Dover Pines Avenue, mile marker 48.2. But more must be done, Councilman Mo Hill said, to improve Route 70’s long and dangerous westerly two-lane stretch beginning in Toms River.

“If they actually think that putting a sign up and double striping the road is going to stop accidents on Route 70, I think they’re misinformed,” Hill said when the Township Council passed a resolution supporting the DOT's safety recommendation this week.

“I find this almost laughable, but I’ll support it,” Hill said.

Hill joins officials from other local municipalities including Manchester and Lakehurst in calling for improvements to the state highway that continually sees serious and fatal crashes, many head-on impacts.

Manchester Council Vice President Brendan Weiner indicated earlier this month that the DOT said installing rumble strips down the center line and on the shoulders of Route 70 within the township is a high priority.

"They will try to work it into a capital plan and it could be as soon as this year," Weiner said. "The rumble strips decrease the risk of head-on collisions significantly."

Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy said that Route 70’s two-lane stretch in Toms River is short—about a half mile—and not the site of many crashes, though there are “a lot of near misses.”

“Whatever it takes to make it safer, we’re glad the council is taking action along with the DOT,” he said.

With Ocean County’s population growing to nearly 600,000 people, much of Route 70 from Toms River and westward hasn’t kept up with the times, Hill said.

“Our only major artery to the next nearest metropolitan area is a two-lane roadway,” Hill said, referring the highway’s role as a main travel route to Philadelphia. “And I think that’s disgraceful.”

The two-lane portion of Route 70 should be widened and a divider should be installed to prevent the head-on crashes that plague the highway, Hill said.