There have been 28 collisions in six years at Bellevue and Park Street. In October, a pedestrian was killed trying to cross at this Montclair intersection. The town council passed a resolution in April awarding a contract to get the traffic signals rebuilt. But it could take as long as 10 months before there are any improvements to this dangerous intersection.

This intersection looks different than others in Montclair. It lacks the mast arm and gantry configuration that positions traffic lights over the center of the road, increasing visibility. Instead, there are four 12-foot poles with traffic lights at each corner. It can be hard to see the lights until you are almost upon the intersection.

Fatal Crash Prompts Traffic Signal Study

There had been a history of crashes at Park and Bellevue, but the Township only sought a study of the intersection after a fatal collision. On Oct 28, 2023, a vehicle struck and killed Vivian Folkenflik when she was crossing at Park and Bellevue.

Her son, David Folkenflik, speaking at a December 2023 council meeting, shared that five times before his mother was killed, he had called and emailed town officials to express mounting concerns about collisions at the intersection.

At that same December meeting, Town Manager Michael Lapolla reported he had met with members of the Montclair Police Dept. and the town’s Engineering Department to discuss the intersection after the tragedy. 

“They took a look at the infrastructure of that light because we wanted to see if we could add things there that could warn people about how much time they had. Turns out that the entire structure was built incorrectly, it’s antiquated. It can’t be updated so it would have to be replaced,” Lapolla said. 

Town Manager “Misspoke”

The Local asked Lapolla what part of the structure was built incorrectly. Lapolla, responded in an email, stating “The entire traffic signal is being replaced. This includes all poles, lights, foundations, cabinets, conduits, wiring, etc.”

Lapolla had Norberto Hernandez of Neglia Engineering conduct a study of the intersection for the town and assess the traffic signals. 

The study, submitted on January 12, 2024, states: “Our assessment of the Bellevue Avenue and Park Street signalized intersection revealed that, while initially constructed in accordance with established traffic engineering standards during the time of construction, this signalized intersection now requires attention to align with current safety and efficiency requirements.

Speaking to the Local, Deputy Mayor and First Ward Councilor William Hurlock said, “I think it’s important to know Mr. Lapolla misspoke. When the intersection was built with those lights, it did conform to the correct standards. The standards have since changed over the years.”

In March 2024, the Township put out the project for public bidding. On April 10, the council passed a resolution to award AA Berms LLC the contract to rebuild the signals for $434,676. But the signal reconstruction will not happen until 2025 at the earliest. 

Lapolla forwarded an email from Hernandez to the Local. It stated: “Construction will not be able to commence until the necessary materials and equipment have been manufactured and delivered which may take anywhere from 6-10 months.” Hernandez also said the time frame would be discussed with the contractor once the manufacturer provided a schedule.

Right-Angle Crashes Due to Outdated Design

The Local obtained and analyzed six years of crash data for the intersection from January 2018 to December 2023. Neglia Engineering’s traffic study of the intersection used data from the five-year period of January 2018 through December 2022. The data was provided by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

From January 2018 to December 2023, there were 28 collisions at this intersection. The Neglia study, from January 2018 to December 2022, documents 20 collisions during the 60-month period – one collision every three months. The majority of the accidents at the intersection were right-angle crashes.

“The overrepresentation of right-angle crashes at the intersection of Park Street and Bellevue Avenue can be attributed to outdated traffic signal design and hardware. Traffic signal upgrades can significantly reduce this issue by enhancing signal visibility, optimizing signal timing and implementing advanced features such as protected left-turn phases. These improvements can enhance overall intersection safety, reduce conflicting movements and provide clearer guidance to motorists, ultimately reducing the occurrence of right- angle crashes,” the Neglia study stated. 

The study also described what makes the signal structure outdated.

“The existing traffic signal infrastructure lacks contemporary mast arm and gantry configurations. Rather, it comprises 12-foot poles positioned at each corner of the intersection. The placement strategy situates the traffic signal assemblies on the near- left and far- right corners of the intersection approach, deviating from the more modern mast arm and gantry designs commonly employed in contemporary traffic signal systems.” 

Promise of A New Safer, Traffic Signal System

Folkenflik said the Township informed him that they would implement measures to enhance the traffic signal system at the intersection. There were three things they promised to do.

“They’re going to put in a trombone-style light. The array of color lights will be parallel to the ground and not perpendicular. Presumably at a higher visual level which is more of a safety measure,” Folkenflik said. 

“The second thing they’re going to do is install timers so pedestrians can know how much time they have,” said Folkenflik, adding that the number of seconds to cross safely would be visible so pedestrians would know if they had enough time.

According to Folkenflik, the town also plans to introduce a red light delay, similar to what is in place at Bellevue and Valley. This delay introduces a time gap between when one direction’s light turns red and the other direction’s light turns green. During this interval, pedestrians would have the opportunity to cross safely without any vehicular traffic permitted to proceed.

Crossing with Caution

Reubena Spence, while walking her dog, has crossed at this intersection for more than three years. Spence said she has consistently observed cars speeding up to beat the red light instead of stopping. “I wouldn’t even attempt to cross if the crossing guard isn’t there. This problem is more about people not obeying traffic lights,” Spence told the Local.

Earlier this month, the Local spent time at Park and Bellevue on two different afternoons, to observe both traffic and pedestrians.

“These cars don’t play, brother,” said a crossing guard who has worked the intersection for six years. He said this to warn a man who was walking his dog while on his phone.

On the first visit, from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. the Local observed six vehicles run through red lights, with three cars speeding through a red light in the first 10 minutes.  

On a second afternoon, just after 2:30 p.m., two cars ran the red light in three-minute span; one of the drivers observed was on his phone.

Montclair Local also noted that pedestrians and drivers faced incredibly low signal visibility from each corner. When crossing, pedestrians have to look diagonally to check if the signal is green. In some positions of the intersection, the signal was not visible at all.

The Local was unable to obtain a statement from this crossing guard about his experience at the intersection. The crossing guard said Officer Christopher Jewelski advised him not to provide any on-record comments.

Do Other Montclair Traffic Signals Need Upgrades?

The Local reached out to Hernandez four times to inquire if there were other traffic signals in Montclair that required upgrades to align with current standards. There was no response.

Additionally, on April 30, The Local contacted Lapolla, as well as Communications Specialist Ananmay Uttara, and Hernandez, asking if there are any existing traffic signals in Montclair that needed upgrades. There was no response. (Uttara no longer works for the Twonship; her last day on the job was May 10. Lapolla had announced her hire in March).

In an email to the Local on May 21, Tony Fan, information technology officer and now also acting as the interim communications person, said, “The Township of Montclair is upgrading traffic signals to improve safety and efficiency for the public. We are committed to ongoing improvements to our traffic control equipment, which currently reflects a mix of models, styles, and ages. While we don’t maintain a running inventory of every piece, upgrades are actively being implemented.”

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