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Community Corner

Wrong Way Drivers on Salem Hill Road- where are the "one-way" signs?

If your not familiar with Salem Hill Road its off Rte 9 between Aldrich and New Friendship Rd. It is the main entrance to the development Candlewood Commons. Salem Hill Road on this particular section is a "one lane in and one lane out" with a large grass and tree lined planter/divider spanning the length of the street separating the "In and Out".

At the top of the street where Newbury Rd meets and turns into Salem Hill Rd- its a crazy three way intersection with only 1 stop sign. 

From Newbury Rd you have the only stop sign, you can continue straight to Salem Hill Rd or left onto Salem Hill Rd (one way street) that exits the development and runs into Rte 9.

From the other direction, Salem Hill Rd turns into Newbury Rd (slight left) or you can turn right onto Salem Hill to continue to Rte 9 (one way) no stop sign -this is "go" ... all
drivers from the other two roads wait for these drivers to decide their direction.

And for those on Salem Hill Rd entering from Rte 9 (one way) no stop- it is either turn right onto Newbury, left to Salem Hill Rd further into the development or make a U-turn back onto Salem Hill Rd (one way) towards Rte 9 or your home on that side of the street. These drivers wait for the cars to the left to figure out what they are going to do. These are the drivers most at risk of being hit by wrong way drivers...

OKAY- everyone got that? confusing I know. But stick with me and Google it if you need to visual..

The issue is this: WHY isn't there a single "One-Way" sign on any of the 4 entrances of Salem Hill Rd?  to notify drivers that they are approaching, turning onto or driving on a one way street? Don't enter? wrong way?

I don't know ANY one of these signs might help!

I know this seems logical that people would "know" but they don't "know" and if you live on this street or have driven on this street you "know" and are totally aware of this "one way" being missed by many drivers and it can be scary, especially if your exactly where your supposed to be and the car heading at you full speed isnt!

I find it hard to believe something of this importance on such a busy thoroughfare has been overlooked somehow by the Township, it may have never been brought to their attention. But on any given day cars entering Salem Hill Rd from Rte 9 to approaching Newbury are often met with wrong way drivers approaching from Salem Hill Rd/Newbury Rd trying to turn left or right onto that side of the road, because they either miss the "right turn onto the correct road/ street" or from the other side "they just don't know to go up furter to turn left onto the correct side of the street". And now you have a wrong way driver from either direction having to back up and go down the correct side of the street..

The bigger picture here is -- the Late at night Wrong Way Drivers, hello very scary..  and this is what finally prompted me to write this letter...I thought maybe this is just me being a nosey "Mrs. Kravitz" but nope-- there were two alone just this week Tuesday night 8/6/13 about 11:38p and early Wednesday morning  8/7/13 approx 2:40am. I know this from the mad honking of the sedan and later the truck, both on Salem Hill from Rte 9 and each almost in a head on collision from the other wrong way driver, as there is very little room to get out of the way in this type of situation. This is a problem in both broad daylight and at night. How is this acceptable and safe in anyones book?

Drivers on Salem Hill Rd who are trying to exit to Rte 9 often overlook the fact or just don't care-that there are indeed houses on Salem Hill Rd, that people actually live in, that these homes have driveways, that the residents of these homes-- are indeed trying to turn into and although they give plenty of notice with signals (blink blink turning right hello pay attention blinker is on!!!!),  and yet are met with impatient drivers behind them-pushing-at 30 to 40+mph. Shouldn't a residential speed limit be posted at maybe 25mph, I mean call me silly but your not going to get to N Longview Rd or Rte 9 any faster by pushing or if you rear end someone. With school coming in Sept and kids at the bus stops and parents getting kids on both sides of the street, (yes parents do park to collect their offspring)- wouldn't it be safer to have drivers be aware of the road direction and slower speed?

I think in my humble opinion that it would be prudent to place signs on the approach of all four openings to Salem Hill Rd notifying drivers that these two portions of Salem Hill Rd are a "One Way Street" and "25mph". Seriously what harm could it do? 

In fact, if it moved things faster through the system I would omit the speed limit sign all together and just opt for the one way signs if it would make it happen sooner rather than later.

Anyway I am simply an observer of many a wrong way driver on our street and yet I somehow highly doubt I am the onlyyyy observer of this problem.

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