Municipal officials initially approved a measure to turn North 2nd Street between Haledon Avenue and Halpine Street into a one-way.
Under the measure, the existing narrow north-south direction roadway will be turned into a one-way southbound, according to municipal records.
Councilman Michael Jackson introduced the measure at the suggestion of the principal of School 12.
Jackson said the concern is traffic when the school starts in the morning and dismisses in the afternoon.
Jackson represents the 1st Ward where the street is located. He said he spoke to some residents and the church organization on that street.
“They had no major concerns,” said Jackson. He said the principal and staff of School 12 wanted it turned into a one-way to improve safety on the street.
Councilman William McKoy said the one-way project could create a traffic bottleneck in the neighborhood.
“I’m very familiar with this location. While I agree it’s a very narrow roadway, it provides a very interesting and necessary link between Haledon Avenue and North Main Street,” said McKoy. “We could try to solve a problem and create a bigger problem.”
McKoy said it could create problems for employees of the school, who drive into work every morning, by forcing them to come in through one direction.
The school has more 60 employees, according to district data. The school has more than 500 students, according to state records.
Councilman Luis Velez said parents dropping off or picking up children often block a roadway with their vehicles. However, when a roadway is a one-way it helps the flow of traffic, he said.
Municipal officials said a traffic study was conducted, but the measure did not have any data from a traffic study.
“Can we have the traffic study?” asked councilwoman Lilisa Mimms.
Council members initially approved the measure last week.
A public hearing and final vote is scheduled for Nov. 26, 2019 at 7 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall.
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Updated 9:40 a.m.
