***The video at the bottom of this blog post was originally posted on October 8, 2011.
The Central Ave. pedestrian activated light, installed at the base of a residents driveway, has been the center of debate by residents at every Town Council meeting since October 2010.
The pedestrian activated "HAWK" light was not installed in the safest location and the Town Council does not want to admit the mistake. While Union County has stated that there are enough County funds left over for this project, to have the light moved to the intersection of Clover and Central, Mayor Skibitsky refuses to move the light, The time is running out on the available money to move the light.
Residents have sought the truth from Mayor Skibitsky. His story has changed numerous times.
TFoTM has covered this issue extensively. Scroll down TFoTM's "Older Posts" pages to view other posted stories on this topic.
Mayor, you played "politics" with this project.
(Be sure to turn up the volume to hear where Councilman Ciarrocca says the location of the pedestrian activated crossing will be located.) Ciarrocca's statement contradicts the Town's traffic safety engineer's diagram attached to the report submitted to the Town.
Was Ciarrocca lying to the public when he made this statement so as not to tip off the resident that would later have her driveway turned into an intersection?
If Ciarrocca truly believed in 2007 that the pedestrian crossing was to be located at Central & Clover, how do you explain a diagram attached to his own expert's reports, dated June 23, 2005 that shows the crossing to be located at Cambridge. The same diagram/sketch was obtained from the County with a date of September 13, 2005 on it.
Former Councilman Mark Ciarrocca played a leading role in the creation of the Town Council's "Citizen's Traffic Safety Advisory Committee" that held meetings on this topic. How did he not know in 2007 about the July 26, 2005 report with the diagram attached?
Could it be that the diagram was back dated?
The Town Council has yet to answer as to who is responsible for drawing the diagram, when it was drawn, and why it is dated the day after the last public meetings on the topic. This video can't be watched on an iPad.
I have been following this story for months in the Leader and on this site. All I have to say to the mayor and his cronies is "uh oh".
ReplyDeleteGANGSTER GOVERNMENT...ANDREW SKIBITSKY AND THE NEW WESTFIELD THUGOCRACY
ReplyDeleteThank you TFoTM! It is incredible! Mr. Skibitsky and his friend excelled in turning, twisting and changing the truth in their effort to cover Central-Clover mistake. This is integrity in their opinion. They even have the audacity to insult with an arrogant "not true" or “false statement” addressed to everybody who stands by the truth. Even worse, they dare to smear the names of the people who have the courage to reveal their true face. I never imagined that something like that is possible in my town, in Westfield. By the way, the video actually is as funny and ridiculous as the one I saw on Channel 36: “the training of Mr. Skibitsky in Caribbean Cabbage cooking”.
ReplyDeleteAE
Mayor, looks like you have some answering to do. Who are you going to sell down the river on this one? The County, your experts, Mark? He got his political appointment and you are still presiding over council meetings far from Trenton's statehouse. Maybe your buddies at the county freeholders office can help you out. That is if you jump party.
ReplyDeleteYou people really do have no life.
ReplyDeleteFor Christ's sake, this video does nothing and proves nothing. Mark does say it would be at Central and Clover, yes, but this was in 2007. Are your guys' skulls so thick that you can't even consider the fact that they chosen placement was changed? This does absolutely nothing to 'reveal the truth', so stop acting like it does.
And, lastly, as an outside viewer on this whole thing, you all need to grow up and take whatever log you have lodged up your ass out. You're all acting like whiny little children who can't get what they want. I've dealt with people like you before, having been a lead administrator on a very large online community for several years now. And I have to say, you're all the same. People who can't get what they want, people who grasp at partial information and twist it to their likings and use it to continue their bitching and moaning. If you do have such a big issue with Westfield, do everyone a favour and just leave. You're all just detrimental to our community and society any ways.
And, hell, I'll be surprised if you even let this comment be approved. Because, you know, you can't let people who have opposing opinions post on here. You preach truth and transparency, but I wonder how many comments that go against what you want are not approved.
TFoTM respects your opinion. However, if you consider the fact that Councilman Ciarrocca's statement was made on October 14 2007,it would appear that up until that time the pedestrian light was planned for the intersection. If this were the case then why was a diagram showing the pedestrian light at the cul-de-sac'd intersection of Cambridge submitted the day after the last public meetings on this project. The diagram is dated June 23, 2005 and is unsigned. For Councilman Ciarrocca to state on October 14, 2007 that the light would be at the corner, either the diagram was back dated or the decision to move the light was made after 10/14/07 which would contradict the Mayor's statements and Councilman Ciarrocca's statements about the placement of this light. How could Councilman Ciarrocca, the head of the Citizen's Traffic Safety Advisory Committee not be aware of the diagram dated June 23, 2005?
ReplyDeleteTFoTM will post comments that do not contain profanity. Currenty this site has 20 comments archived that were inappropriate for posting. Your post about a "log" is borderline content. In the name of transparency, your comment was posted.
Westfield is a wonderful place to live. The government, as a whole, is not the issue. However, there are mismanagement issues that can't be ignored.
Well, I commend you on that then. I was unaware of this diagram myself, and I've not a way to explain it. That, or I just don't particularly feel like thinking about it right now... but I digress.
ReplyDeleteTFoTM would be willing to provide any infornation, reports, and other data that supports the position that the light was moved to the cul-de-sac'd intersection of Central and Cambridge, behind the backs of citizens this light would directly effect. This issue has been covered extensively on this site.
ReplyDeleteTFoTM agrees that a pedestrian light enhances the safety of pedestrians crossing Central Ave.
However, TFoTM's research on the matter reveals that this is not the safest location for the light and Maoyor Skibitsky has yet to provide any expert report, data, or other, backing up his steadfast claim that the light is in the safest location. TFoTM takes issue with numerous "transparency" issues surrounding the installation of this pedestrian light based on the "data" and "reports" we have obtained that are associated with this project.
The reports include:
1. RFP - Request for Proposals on this project
2. Traffic Calming and Safety Improvements for Eight (8) Locations July 26, 2005 authored by Gordon Meth (Expert consulting engineer)
3.Westfield Safety/Traffic Calming Improvements Concept Plan (Central Ave. & Cambridge Rd.) June, 23, 2005 & September 13, 2005
4.Signal Warrant Analysis, June, 2007, The Louis Berger Group (Expert engineering consultant for Union County)
The one piece of the puzzle missing is the appearance of Westfield's expert traffic safety engineer, Gordon Meth, at a town council meeting to answer the questions of the who, what, where, when, how, and why, of this project. Mayor Skibitsky has either mislead the public on this project, or just simply does not have an answer to the many unanswered questions that still remain. Residents deserve honest answers, even if it is just one resident..