Road Repairs a Big Issue
The roadway on South Avenue is failing, City Administrator Marc Dashield said Tuesday as he asked the City Council for approval to use bond funds for repairs.
Calling the road “an important gateway to the city,” Dashield said it must be fixed. South Avenue is the entry into the city from Fanwood and points east and is part of the city’s Urban Enterprise Zone.
A reconstruction in 2004 went forward on the say-so of a city employee despite advice from an engineer that the design was flawed, Dashield said. Because the project used state funds and it was the city’s error, Plainfield cannot seek state funding again for the needed repairs, nor can it seek recourse from the contractors.
The original reconstruction became controversial for a traffic-calming feature known as “bump-outs” that resulted in numerous accidents. The bump-outs extended the sidewalk several feet into the street to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety, but cars ran over them, causing the need for reflective markers and signage. Although the idea was to promote the South Avenue “Restaurant Row” and Plainwood Square business district, many drivers opted to take East Seventh Street, a block south, in order to avoid the bump-outs.
“I hope you take out those bump-outs,” Councilman William Reid said Tuesday, echoing a thought that crossed the mind of this writer when the subject came up.
In other discussions on road repairs, Dashield said a contractor for Netherwood Avenue road repairs began work last fall, but did not show up again in spring to resume work. The city will use performance bonds to continue.
“The roads will get done, but it will take longer,” Dashield said.
--Bernice Paglia
Calling the road “an important gateway to the city,” Dashield said it must be fixed. South Avenue is the entry into the city from Fanwood and points east and is part of the city’s Urban Enterprise Zone.
A reconstruction in 2004 went forward on the say-so of a city employee despite advice from an engineer that the design was flawed, Dashield said. Because the project used state funds and it was the city’s error, Plainfield cannot seek state funding again for the needed repairs, nor can it seek recourse from the contractors.
The original reconstruction became controversial for a traffic-calming feature known as “bump-outs” that resulted in numerous accidents. The bump-outs extended the sidewalk several feet into the street to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety, but cars ran over them, causing the need for reflective markers and signage. Although the idea was to promote the South Avenue “Restaurant Row” and Plainwood Square business district, many drivers opted to take East Seventh Street, a block south, in order to avoid the bump-outs.
“I hope you take out those bump-outs,” Councilman William Reid said Tuesday, echoing a thought that crossed the mind of this writer when the subject came up.
In other discussions on road repairs, Dashield said a contractor for Netherwood Avenue road repairs began work last fall, but did not show up again in spring to resume work. The city will use performance bonds to continue.
“The roads will get done, but it will take longer,” Dashield said.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 11:30 PM
4 Comments:
As someone who bicycles through town for exercise and my commute, I can say that the roads really need to be repaved all over the place. I ride through North Plainfield, Dunellen, Middlesex, Plainfield, Fanwood, Scotch Plains and the roads in Plainfield have the most cut-outs, filled potholes and repairs. There's an excellent job done filling the holes and flattening the cut-outs (unlike in other towns where cut-outs become speed bumps) but over time they need to be paved over.
Dashield in response to a question also added that the Kensington Ave. contractor is in default, and ths job is in litigation with the bonding company. I ahd questioned last fall why it ws being started so late in the year.
from Dan's today says the current administraton has a "propensity for blaming its problems on previous administrations "
Then he goes on to do exactly the same: "the administration of mayor Mark Fury dropped the ball."
Ha Ha Ha! Damon, caught up in his own lies!
Such incompetence!
What is the name of the contractor they hired to do Netherwood avenue? Did they give any political contributions to Green or the mayor? How do we guard against this in the future? How could this happen? Didn't they get references and see past work? When I got work done on my house, I had references and and saw the previous work of the contractor. This is standard operating procedure for me, and should be for the city!
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