Township Council Agenda — Packet

February 4, 2025 VIA EMAIL Zayibeth Carballo, PE, PLS, PP, CME, CFM, CFS Director, Municipal Engineer Department of Engineering Township of West Orange 25 Lakeside Avenue West Orange, New Jersey 07052 Re: Safety Study Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace West Orange Township, Essex County, New Jersey BVE Project No.: 241193 Dear Ms. Carballo: Bright View Engineering was tasked by the Township of West Orange (the Township here-in) with performing an evaluation of the existing traffic controls at the intersection of Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace. This analysis was performed to assess the safety conditions at the intersection and the installation of a stop control on Vosseler Court. Bright View Engineering (BVE here-in), in coordination with the Township, collected data during various site visits, reviewed crash information provided by the Township and reviewed data provided by NJDOT’s Safety Voyager to assess the existing conditions at the study location. The collected data and observations were utilized to determine if the existing traffic conditions in the project area justify the implementation of the new traffic pattern. Our methodology conforms with the provisions set forth in NJSA Title 39:4-8, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) literature, and the applicable requirements of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The following points were considered within the scope of our study:     An inventory of the roadway facilities in the project vicinity, including the existing physical and traffic operating characteristics; Crash data along roadway segments interconnecting the study intersections; Recommendations; Summary and Conclusions. 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com P.O. Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

Safety Study Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace Project No.: 241193 February 4, 2025 Page 2 of 7 EXISTING CONDITIONS Multiple field investigations were conducted to obtain an inventory of existing roadway conditions, posted traffic controls, adjacent land uses, lane configurations of the roadways in the study area, and existing vehicular and pedestrian traffic patterns. The following is a brief description of the roadways: The intersection of Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace is a 3-legged unsignalized intersection. There is no traffic control at the intersection. We note that the intersection is approximately 300 feet from Roosevelt Middle School. Vosseler Court is a Cul-de-sac under the jurisdiction of the Township of West Orange which spans 0.05 miles to Vosseler Terrace. There are no NJDOT Straight-Line Diagrams available for this roadway. There is no speed limit posted along the roadway. It is our opinion that a 25 MPH speed limit is appropriate and conforms with the guidance set forth within the New Jersey Statutes Title 39. Vosseler Court provides an approximate pavement width of 30-ft and allows for bidirectional travel with one travel lane for each approach. On-street parking is permitted along both sides of the roadway. The land use along Vosseler Court is generally residential in nature. Vosseler Terrace is an east to west local street under the jurisdiction of the Township of West Orange which spans 0.07 miles between the Roosevelt Middle School parking lot and Gregory Avenue. There are no NJDOT Straight-Line Diagrams available for this roadway. Vosseler Terrace is STOP-controlled at its intersection with Gregory Avenue. There is no speed limit posted along the roadway. It is our opinion that a 25 MPH speed limit is appropriate and conforms with the guidance set forth within the New Jersey Statutes Title 39. Vosseler Terrace provides an approximate pavement width of 21-ft and allows for bi-directional travel with one travel lane for each approach. On-street parking is not permitted along both sides of the roadway. The land use along Vosseler Terrace is generally residential in nature. 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com PO Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

Safety Study Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace Project No.: 241193 February 4, 2025 Page 3 of 7 FIGURE 1 STUDY LOCATION Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace West Orange Township, Essex County 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com FIGURE 1 PO Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

Safety Study Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace Project No.: 241193 February 4, 2025 Page 4 of 7 DATA COLLECTION CRASH HISTORY DATA BVE obtained crash data from the Township and through NJDOT’s Safety Voyager. There were no crashes reported at the study intersection within a five-year period. FIELD OBSERVATIONS BVE conducted field data collection and performed vehicle runs along the study area. We observed that presently, there are no traffic controls at the study intersection. The study area is a residential neighborhood with primarily single-family housing. We observed that the sight lines at the intersection of Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace are obstructed due to overgrown foliage. FIGURE 2 – Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com PO Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

Safety Study Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace Project No.: 241193 February 4, 2025 Page 5 of 7 RECOMMENDATIONS It is our recommendation that a STOP sign be installed on the Vosseler Court approach at the study intersection. Treatments which can be considered include but are not limited to: Sight Distance Improvements – At the intersection of Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace, the line of sight of approaching vehicles was found to be obstructed. We observed that if vehicles stop closer to the mainline on Vosseler Terrace, then they would have clear visibility of the traffic conditions at the intersection and would be able to safely make a turn onto Vosseler Terrace. It is our opinion that if the tree and other foliage at the corners of the intersection are cleared, then the sight distance can be improved. We recommend that the Township cooperate with its residents to trim overgrown foliage and clear obstruction from sight triangles, as reasonable. FIGURE 3 – Intersection Sight Distance 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com PO Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

Safety Study Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace Project No.: 241193 February 4, 2025 Page 6 of 7 STOP Sign Installation – A STOP control on the minor-road approach should be considered as per Section 2B.11-Minor Road Stop Control of the MUTCD (11 th Edition). The STOP sign would provide the appropriate traffic control at the study intersection to improve safety and circulation of traffic. We recommend that the Township install a STOP sign on Vosseler Court at the study intersection. The installation of the STOP sign should be implemented per the guidance presented within Chapter 2B-Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates of the MUTCD (11 th Edition). FIGURE 4 – STOP Sign Installation VOSSELER TERRACE Striping and Signages – Given the wide curb radius at the study intersection, we recommend the implementation of additional striping to support the installation of the stop sign. We recommend that the Township provide a stop bar and double yellow line striping on Vosseler Court to support the stop sign. Sidewalk and Crosswalk Markings – We recommend that the Township maintain their sidewalks, installing additional sidewalks along Vosseler Terrace, and update their marked crosswalks within the study area to improve pedestrian safety and circulation. The implementation of the roadway striping, and signs should follow the guidance presented within the latest edition of the MUTCD. 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com PO Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

Safety Study Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace Project No.: 241193 February 4, 2025 Page 7 of 7 SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS It is our recommendation, based upon our field observations, the guidance from MUTCD and Title 39, and the existing conditions, that the Township of West Orange should consider the installation of a STOP sign and additional striping at the intersection of Vosseler Court & Vosseler Terrace. Should you have any questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me at (732) 236-7557. Very truly yours, Bright View Engineering John Jahr, P.T.P., T.S.O.S. Principal Joseph A. Fishinger, Jr., PE, PP, PTOE Director of Traffic Engineering JJJ/am Https://bvengr.sharepoint.com/sites/bvengr/proj/241193-WOT-StopControl/7-Reports-Analysis/Stop-Control/9-Vosseler-Ct-Vosseler-Terr.docxs 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com PO Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

February 4, 2025 VIA EMAIL Zayibeth Carballo, PE, PLS, PP, CME, CFM, CFS Director, Municipal Engineer Department of Engineering Township of West Orange 25 Lakeside Avenue West Orange, New Jersey 07052 Re: Safety Study Devon Drive & Mountain Way West Orange Township, Essex County, New Jersey BVE Project No.: 241193 Dear Ms. Carballo: Bright View Engineering was tasked by the Township of West Orange (the Township here-in) with performing an evaluation of the existing traffic controls at the intersection of Devon Drive & Mountain Way. This analysis was performed to assess the safety conditions at the intersection and the installation of a stop control on Devon Drive. Bright View Engineering (BVE here-in), in coordination with the Township, collected data during various site visits, reviewed crash information provided by the Township and reviewed data provided by NJDOT’s Safety Voyager to assess the existing conditions at the study location. The collected data and observations were utilized to determine if the existing traffic conditions in the project area justify the implementation of the new traffic pattern. Our methodology conforms with the provisions set forth in NJSA Title 39:4-8, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) literature, and the applicable requirements of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The following points were considered within the scope of our study:     An inventory of the roadway facilities in the project vicinity, including the existing physical and traffic operating characteristics; Crash data along roadway segments interconnecting the study intersections; Recommendations; Summary and Conclusions. 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com P.O. Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

Safety Study Devon Drive & Mountain Way Project No.: 241193 February 4, 2025 Page 2 of 9 EXISTING CONDITIONS Multiple field investigations were conducted to obtain an inventory of existing roadway conditions, posted traffic controls, adjacent land uses, lane configurations of the roadways in the study area, and existing vehicular and pedestrian traffic patterns. The following is a brief description of the roadways: The intersection of Devon Drive & Mountain Way is a four-way unsignalized intersection. There is no traffic control at the intersection. Devon Drive is a north to south local street under the jurisdiction of the Township of West Orange which spans 0.20 miles. There are no NJDOT Straight-Line Diagrams available for this roadway. There is no speed limit posted along the roadway. It is our opinion that a 25 MPH speed limit is appropriate and conforms with the guidance set forth within the New Jersey Statutes Title 39. Devon Drive provides an approximate pavement width of 30-ft and allows for bi-directional travel with one travel lane for each approach. On-street parking is permitted along both sides of the roadway. The land use along Devon Drive is generally residential in nature. Mountain Way is a north to south local street under the jurisdiction of the Township of West Orange which spans 0.28 miles between Walker Road and Lowell Avenue. There are no NJDOT Straight-Line Diagrams available for this roadway. Mountain Way is STOP-controlled at its intersection with Walker Road. The speed limit on the roadway is posted at 25 MPH. It is our opinion that a 25 MPH speed limit is appropriate and conforms with the guidance set forth within the New Jersey Statutes Title 39. Mountain Way provides an approximate pavement width of 30ft and allows for bi-directional travel with one travel lane for each approach. On-street parking is permitted along both sides of the roadway. The land use along Mountain Way is generally residential in nature. 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com PO Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068

Safety Study Devon Drive & Mountain Way Project No.: 241193 February 4, 2025 Page 3 of 9 FIGURE 1 STUDY LOCATION Devon Drive & Mountain Way West Orange Township, Essex County 70 South Orange Avenue, Suite 109 Livingston, New Jersey 07039 C: (732) 236-7557 T: (973) 228-0999 F: (201) 753-3904 BrightViewEngineering.com FIGURE 1 PO Box 99 Roseland, NJ 07068