I’d like to express some thoughts on the speeding and increased traffic issue on Taunton Blvd. in Lake Pine, Medford, NJ. Firstly, I’d like to commend the local police department for their increased efforts to curtail the problem on our behalf. Chief Meder and his department continue to advocate for the local residents, and he has promised to continue investigating our concerns.
Although the entire length of Taunton Blvd. experiences speeding, the primary section of affected roadway stretches from the Tomlinson Mill Rd. light to Maple Ave. Residents and commercial vehicles traveling from the south of Lake Pine exhibit a complete disregard for the safety of our residents, not to mention a complete disregard for the speed limit. At one time, Taunton Blvd. was a 40mph roadway. However, accidents involving two children necessitated the need to decrease the speed to 30 mph. It would appear that the lack of school bus travel because of the pandemic has created the perfect storm — Taunton Blvd. has become a racetrack and cut-through to Rt. 70. Cars and overloaded construction vehicles frequently exceed 50 mph, creating a hazard for our residents and causing structural damage to homes. We are certain that our property taxes are not reflective of highway travel.
Vehicles in excess of 5000 per day travel this road because there is not an appropriate bypass south of Lake Pine. The addition of housing, without the forethought as to where those cars travel, has created this situation. We implore the Medford Township council to step up and advocate for us, but insist that the county address the problem. We are requesting that the county implement speed bumps, additional crosswalks, an appropriate bypass, and truck weight limitations before we once again experience a tragic and preventable accident.
-Jim Shiffer, Medford
