Today 3:45 pm - Another Accident at Central & Clover Intersection

     Mayor Skibitsky remains in denial.

    

On Thursday April 12, 2012 at approximately 3:45 pm another motor vehicle accident took place at the uncontrolled "hot-spot" intersection of Central & Clover. In the picture, the woman standing on the sidewalk has a cellphone in one hand and her vehicle's rear view mirror in her other hand.  A phone call was placed to Westfield Police Department to advise police of the accident however, both drivers left the scene prior to police responding, opting to settle the outcome of the accident between themselves.  The driver of the Ford Ranger pickup truck stated his vehicle was struck by the woman's vehicle while he waited to make a left turn onto Clover St.

     A report issued by Westfield's consulting traffic safety engineer Gordon Meth on July 26, 2005, approximately one month after the last public outreach meeting to discuss the traffic "hot spot" of Central Ave. & Clover St, contained a "Cost Estimate" (see below) for safety improvements to the intersection of Central and Clover.  This cost estimate shown below, included a traffic light at the intersection of Central and Clover. 

     The report also acknowledged that left turns off of Central Ave. onto Clover St. were a concern and that the rate of accidents at this intersection placed it on the police department's and Town Council's Citizens Traffic Safety Advisory Committee's list as a "hot spot" in need of attention.  The report states that in the 6 years leading up to the 2005 study, the intersection yielded 10 accidents. 

     A breakdown of the accident reports on file with the Westfield Police Department and obtained by TFoTM reveals that between 2002 and 2009 there were 9 accidents that occurred in the northbound lane of Central Ave. between Cambridge Rd and Clover St.  7 of those 9 accidents involved vehicles attempting to turn left onto Clover St.

     In the summer of 2010, construction on the HAWK pedestrian crossing began with the cul-de-sac(ing) of Cambridge Rd. at Central Ave.  What also began were accidents that have occurred at an alarming rate never seen before.  Since July 9, 2010 there have been 13 accidents in the northbound lane of Central Ave. between Cambridge Rd. and Clover St.  This 113-120 feet of roadway has become the most dangerous stretch of roadway in Westfield.  Of the 13 accidents, 9 accidents involved vehicles attempting to make a left turn onto Clover St.  In less than 2 years since the configuration of the HAWK crossing materialized with all its blinking signs, excessive roadway markings and painted channelization, the intersection of Central & Clover still remains a "hot spot" and Mayor Skibitsky has no plans to address the danger. 

     Instead, Skibitsky channelled Union County funding allocated to Central & Clover towards his political project, a pedestrian crossing away from the intersection that has proven to be a mistake by the alarming increase in the amount of motor vehicle accidents along this stretch of roadway.  A controlled intersection was recommended by the experts, Skibitsky rejected the plan in favor of his political agenda.  Keeping in mind what Councilman Frank Arena stated during his re-election campaign last Fall, he stated that we needed to get "more bang for our buck" when it came to the amount of property taxes Westfield sends to Union County.  Shouldn't Mayor Skibitsky have used the $124,890 in County funds to address the Central & Clover "hot spot?"

Surely, Westfield taxpayers, pedestrians, and motorists would have gotten more "bang for their buck" had Skibitsky followed the recommendations of his own expert.  Instead, we just get the bang everytime there is another accident on Central Ave. at Clover St. because Mayor Skibitsky decided to play engineering expert for a day.