Communities need to join forces to solve Route 520 problem

The following impression came to mind after reading the article on the problem of Route 520 traffic in the Sept. 13 issue of the Hub: not me, he’s to blame!

Every problem has a beginning. This one started with a solution to a specific need some time ago. Years later (the present day), a problem unforeseen years ago arises. Who is at fault? Where do you place the blame? On whom? Instead of throwing stones, let us try to solve the current problem to the best of our abilities.

Yes, Route 520 is something of a bottleneck. It carries a lot of traffic—vehicular and pedestrian—as do all the feeder roads. The pedestrian traffic is basically local. Shopping areas on both sides of the road need to be reached by customers. Would there be more locals going on foot if overhead walks (similar to those on Route 18) were built? Might that cut down a little on the vehicular traffic? Sidewalks to the post office and changing the post office exit to have traffic enter Newman Springs Road at the Brookdale traffic light would also alleviate some traffic problems.

Vehicular traffic problems can be difficult to solve, but it is no one community’s fault. Traffic on Swimming River Road is not just a result of housing development in Tinton Falls. Not all that traffic is going to the parkway. That traffic includes many people living south and east of Tinton Falls who work, play or study in Lincroft, Middletown, Holmdel, Red Bank and points north and west.

Some of that traffic could go west on Route 537 to Laird Road, turn right and proceed to the back entrance to Brookdale via Phalanx Road, or go on to other roads through Middletown (or Holmdel) to pick up Route 520 west of Holmdel Nursery, or go to Route 34 and proceed north from that intersection.

To say that all the traffic on Swimming River Road is going to the parkway is simply inaccurate. Route 35 traffic going to the parkway doesn’t go to Lincroft via Swimming River Road, it uses either 520 east of the parkway which it accesses via Route 35; Shrewsbury Avenue, which runs through Shrewsbury, Tinton Falls and Red Bank; or Hance Avenue in Tinton Falls.

Much of the traffic on Swimming River Road is generated by Brookdale, which includes High Tech High School as well as the college. Christian Boys’ Academy, Prudential and other schools and businesses also generate traffic.

Why doesn’t someone sit down with all these people to discuss this issue? Some changes in scheduling might be made which would help alleviate the problem. These are people who are directly affected. Students arriving late for classes and employees reporting late for work are problems which are affected by the traffic pattern—a pattern which was not foreseen years ago when these locales were established.

All locales—Tinton Falls, Middletown, Shrewsbury, Red Bank, Holmdel, Colts Neck, etc.—have all grown in population. They have all invited in industry and businesses. Seldom (at least so it seems to some people) have they looked at the long range consequences beyond incoming revenue.

Instead of trying to shift the blame from one community to the next, let us put our heads together to look seriously at solving the problem. To do so requires open minds and a willingness to compromise.

I wrote the above after reading the article in the Sept. 13 issue of the Hub. Today, Sept. 18, I noticed someone had placed two signs reading "Brookdale Alternate—Use Laird Road" at the intersection of Route 537 and Swimming River Road. I am pleased that someone seems to share at least some of my thoughts.

Al Wagner

Tinton Falls