Traffic From Approved High-Density Housing Site Could Spill Over Into Residential Areas of Livingston and Short Hills

12/09/08 (info@LSHCoalition.com)

The TMB Partners high-density affordable housing project for "Don’s" parcel approved by Livingston Township on December 1^st, 2008 calls for two vehicular access points on South Orange Avenue, 450 feet from the intersection of South Orange Avenue and White Oak Ridge Road. 

From the schematic of one of the proposed plans for the high-density project, there will be a right turn into the housing project when heading east on South Orange Avenue and a left-turn lane across traffic when entering the proposed complex westbound.  The project calls for a right-only when exiting the proposed housing project to South Orange Avenue (eastbound only).

Presumably, the right-only exit is to prevent cars from exiting the proposed high-density housing project and making a treacherous left turn onto South Orange Avenue near the intersection of White Oak Ridge Road.  This would leave little recourse for drivers exiting the project wishing to travel west on South Orange Avenue.

This could lead to several new traffic patterns on residential roads in the area to head west (click here for graphic). 

The nearest right turn to the proposed development when heading east would be Lawrence Drive in Short Hills.  As with all residential areas surrounding the proposed development it is a narrow, unlined, low-speed road. 

The nearest left-hand turn from the the proposed high-density development would be Bushkill Drive in Livingston, another residential area.

The next left turn after that is into the residential area of Lockhern Drive. 

None of these options offers any realistic means to travel west on South Orange Avenue.  The unreasonable options are either to travel through several neighborhoods or to use the residential neighborhoods as turnaround points using residential driveways to perform the maneuver or to use neighborhood cul-de-sacs as traffic circles.

Residents of the proposed high-density project could also use the neighborhoods surrounding Lawrence Drive and Silver Spring Road as access points to both South Orange Avenue (U-turn) or to downtown Millburn via Old Short Hills Road as a means to avoid the traffic light at the intersection of South Orange Avenue and Old Short Hills Road.

These types of narrow unlined residential roads are especially treacherous during the autumn months when residents pile their leaves on the roadside for collection creating roadside hazards and reducing further the usable width of the road.

In winter, these roads are rarely cleared of snow until well after the main roads are plowed. 

There are additional hazards during morning rush hour near the Deerfield Elementary School (Lawrence Drive and Silver Spring Road).

When traveling westbound to the proposed high-density development there appears to be a significant safety issue crossing oncoming traffic to make the left-hand turn into the proposed development given the propensity of some aggressive drivers traveling eastbound on South Orange Avenue to accelerate when approaching yellow traffic lights at the White Oak Ridge Road intersection.

These traffic issues underscore the extreme unsuitability of this small tract of land for high-density housing. <HOME>