[Disclosure: This blog is written from my perspective as both a candidate for a seat on Gloucester Township Council and as a concerned citizen of Gloucester Township with questions and concerns about reckless spending and business as usual in Gloucester Township.]
Red-Light Cameras in South Jersey (excluding GT) –
1. Deptford, NJ – Deptford Center Road and Hurffville Road.
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2. Clementon, NJ – Gibbsboro Road and White Horse Pike.
3. Stratford, NJ – Berlin Road and White Horse Road.
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4. Glassboro, NJ – William Dalton Drive and Delsea Drive.
5. Clayton, NJ – Clayton Road and Tuckahoe Road.
Red-Light Cameras in Gloucester Township, NJ –
6. Blackwood- Clemton Road and Erial Road (2).
7. Blackwood-Clementon Road and Little Gloucester Road (4).
8. Blackwood-Clementon Road and Cherrywood Drive (2).
9. Blackwood-Clementon Road and Millbridge Road (2).
So, there you have it. In the general South Jersey area that might be considered as part of one’s daily driving routine, respecting Gloucester Township residents, there are a total of nine, or so, red-light camera controlled intersections. Of that total, four of them are in Gloucester Township on a stretch of road that is just over one mile with a total of ten cameras (the intersection of Blackwood-Clementon Road and Little Gloucester Road is controlled at all four approaches).
Now, this makes one wonder what the problem is on Blackwood-Clementon Road. I am familiar with two of the non-GT intersections and can identify them as high traffic intersections; the intersection in Glassboro and the intersection in Deptford – and the traffic at either of these intersections dwarfs the traffic flowing on Blackwood-Clementon Road. But each of these towns controls only one intersection. This leads me to ask again, why then did we feel the necessity to control four intersections?
Allow me to specifically address the intersection on B-C Road that has the heaviest traffic of the four camera-controlled intersections in GT: Blackwood-Clementon Road at Erial Road. Erial Road serves as the connection between points south in GT and the North-South Freeway (Route 42) granting access to Philadelphia and points north.
Gloucester Township by all admissions is a bedroom community. Very few residents that actually own a home in GT could afford to maintain that home by working in GT. Gloucester Township has very high taxes but does not have the employment base to support a lifestyle in GT except for a few. The result is that GT residents, for the most part, are traveling north to their jobs. That would include not only Philadelphia but points north in New Jersey, as well, such as Cherry Hill, Mount Laurel, Moorestown, and beyond. Route 42 is the route to these points north so anybody living south of Blackwood very likely travels north on Erial Road to access the North-South Freeway just west of the intersection of B-C Road and Erial Road. In the evening all this traffic is returning, exiting the Freeway at the Blackwood exit on B-C Road, and turning right onto Erial Road to go home.
On the other side of B-C Road at Erial Road is the Jamestown Square Apartments. Now, it is a “bona fide” fact that any traffic coming out of this apartment complex on the north side of Erial Road, i.e., the Jamestown Square Apartments, is turning right and jumping onto the North-South Freeway or proceeding west on Church Street into downtown Blackwood to access the Black Horse Pike. This flow of traffic constitutes about 99% of the traffic coming out of the Jamestown Square Apartments. Truthfully, I can’t remember more than a couple instances at that intersection that I have observed a vehicle coming out of the Jamestown Square Apartment complex and traveling across B-C Road to continue south on Erial Road.
The point to be made is that traffic coming off of the North-South Freeway onto B-C Road east and then turning right onto Erial Road travelling south is essentially unimpeded by any traffic coming across B-C Road out of the Jamestown Square Apartments and thus there is very little danger of a collision.
I would guess that this intersection makes up the lion’s share of the red-light camera tickets (72 per day) that are being issued in GT. Traffic comes off of the Freeway and moves to the right on B-C Road to turn right onto Erial and is essentially unimpeded and unopposed by any other traffic coming across B-C Road at that point. This answers the question as to safety because this right hand turn constitutes no danger to anybody. Why are we punishing those who have to use this route to go back and forth to work then? I’ve seen drivers all over the township make rights-on-red after a pause with impunity. It is only those who do it at B-C Road and Erial Road who pay the freight for all; thus, a special tax for those who are relegated to travel this route.
Allow me to echo the sentiment of former President Ronald Reagan…
“Mr. Mayer…tear these Red-Light Cameras down!”
If you have been terrorized by being taxed for using this, or any of the other controlled intersections on B-C Road, remember this when it comes time to vote - Mr. Mayer has been asked and invited multiple times to explain to the community his rationale for ten red-light cameras on a one-mile stretch of one road in a township that covers 22-square miles.
See you at the polls on November 5th, and don’t forget to vote Gloucester Township FIRST - Brown, DiBartolo, Kline and Pauli. Let’s bring some change to Gloucester Township and end “business as usual.”
Visit us at http://www.gloucestertownshipfirst.com
