Barrier Island Traffic Changes Draw Debate Among Residents

A move to change two portions of Dover Beaches North roads to one-way roads was withdrawn Tuesday after residents testified the new traffic pattern would backfire.

In a public hearing for the ordinance this week, residents from Kathryn and Joseph Streets came out to voice their opinions, booing and clapping throughout the township council meeting in hopes of keeping the two-way streets as they are.

After hearing some residents, Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy recommended further study of the traffic there and that the ordinance be withdrawn. The town council agreed.

The proposed ordinance designates Kathryn Street and Joseph Street as one-way streets. Joseph Street would become one-way in the eastbound direction between Route 35 north and Route 35 south. Kathryn Street would become one-way in the westbound direction between Route 35 north and Route 35 south.

Ted Kothe, a resident of Kathryn Street, spoke out at the meeting saying that he only found out about the traffic proposal in the middle of last week from correspondence with other residents.

"I discussed this with neighbors on Kathryn Street and all of us conclude that we don't like it at all," Kothe said. "It's a safety risk. If this change goes through we would have to make a quick right and a quick left into the fast [southbound] lane and another quick left to access Joseph Street one way and that's an accident waiting to happen."

Kothe created a petition with fellow neighbors and went to 22 homes last Saturday and 19 of those homes signed the petition against these traffic changes.

A number of those residents from Kathryn Street were at the meeting. Another Joseph Street resident complained of the danger of speeding cars and his rearview mirrors being torn off by traffic and vehicles. 
Kathleen Monoghan and Linda Schmaltz, both residents of Kathryn Street say that these traffic changes are moving problems from one street to another. Monoghan said that if the board makes the change, Kathryn Street will carry Joseph Street traffic. 

Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said the department was approached by residents with a petition and based on the information the department now has, the issue will be revisited.

"We were told that the majority of residents were in favor [of the petition] and based on information have now, we will visit the issue and get representatives and revisit it," Mastronardy said. "There are police cars checking the speed of vehicles around there. The opposition around here recommends holding it open and having a traffic safety meeting to revisit it and take a look at all issues of the north beaches."

Mastronardy also mentioned that the problem is traffic and parking along Route 35 and its respected side-streets. 

Another Joseph Street resident Paul Stegura said that he and his wife had gone out of their way to inform the community of what was being proposed and that not one person had said anything to him until the meeting. He also mentioned the problem being pedestrian safety.

"I tried to address in [my] petition that in the interest in safety of pedestrians, we don't have sidewalks and it's in the way streets were designed," Segura said. "Its upsetting when people say we're transferring a problem because both streets have problems and pedestrians walk there."

Segura wanted the council to vote in approval of the ordinance and monitor the results within 30 days and from that point on, "let the chips fall where they may."

Traffic reports and counts were tracked by the Toms River Police beginning on July 1 and ending on July 31. Mastronardy said traffic volume and direction data would be available at the end of the month and would be broken down into weekday and weekend data.

The council was in agreement that if Mastronardy and the residents believed that tabling the ordinance was in the community's best interests, it should be held. The ordinance was motioned to be tabled indefinitely by all members of the Township Council.

Councilwoman Maria Maruca said Mastronardy's recommendation holds a lot of weight and that the community has been that way for many years.