Here's how Passaic County will use a $15 million grant to fix Valley Road in Wayne
WAYNE — A group of transportation planners on Monday awarded a $15 million grant to Passaic County to fund safety improvements along Valley Road.
That money, which comes from the federal government’s Highway Safety Improvement Program, was part of a bundle of $188.3 million for 19 projects approved by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority at a meeting in Newark.
The local project will encompass almost the entire length of the county road, which has seen multiple pedestrian deaths in recent years.
Officials attribute those fatalities to few crosswalks and poor street lighting.
“These projects will deliver much-needed upgrades to roads and intersections, enhancing safety for all travelers,” said John Bartlett, the chairman of the agency’s board of trustees.
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Bartlett, a township resident and the deputy director of the Board of County Commissioners, said the Valley Road grant will “make a real difference in the lives of my constituents.”
According to the county’s grant application, the 3.2-mile stretch of Valley Road between French Hill Road and Hamburg Turnpike experiences many rear-end crashes and sideswipe crashes due to narrow lanes and no turning lanes.
The project will include a road diet — a conversion of four undivided lanes into a center turning lane and one travel lane in each direction. Improvements will also include new bicycle lanes and sidewalks, as well as the installation of backplates with retroreflective borders and the replacement of six traffic signals to allow for protected left turns.
Keith Furlong, a county spokesman, said it will take a few years to complete the final design of the project.
Officials considered widening the road to provide a center turning lane and shoulders. But the cost for that alternative would have been much greater, they said, and it would not have addressed the issue of speeding. That option also would have increased the crossing distance for pedestrians, including senior citizens who live in apartments at Sienna Village of Wayne and students who attend Wayne Valley High School.
Mayor Christopher Vergano said he was “extremely pleased” the project was funded and that it will finally make Valley Road a “safe way to travel.”
Councilwoman Francine Ritter, who represents the 5th Ward, said resolving the dangers of Valley Road has been one of her top priorities since she took office in January 2020.
“I’m gratified and relieved that my engaging Passaic County’s administration early in my first year helped lead us to today’s award to redesign and reconstruct the road,” Ritter said. “This grant will mitigate the risks that have plagued drivers and pedestrians for decades.”
In February 2018, two women were struck and killed on the county road on consecutive days: One tried to cross it around lunchtime at MacDonald Drive, and another after dark between Birchwood Terrace and Michael Drive.
According to police records, the most recent pedestrian death occurred there on the afternoon of Nov. 22 when Rongxiang Lin, 79, was hit just outside of his home on Southhall Court by the 87-year-old driver of a Toyota Corolla.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
Additional grants
The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, a federally funded agency, also approved these awards on Monday.
Improvements to Lakeview Avenue in Clifton in Passaic County: $5.9 million.
Upgrades to Route 24 in Mendham Borough and in Mendham Township in Morris County: $1.85 million.
Improvements to South Morris Street in Dover in Morris County: $1.2 million.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne news: Passaic County gets $15M in aid for Valley Road upgrade
