Thanks go to Sparta Township Police and Sussex County Roads and Engineering for their positive actions and response to the April 3 petition addressing the large, overturned propane tanker on Glen Road near Milton Road in Sparta Township that was full of propane gas.
This petition was signed by some 150 Glen Road residents who were home in the few hours that petition-canvassing took place.
In addition to the outrage surrounding the overturned propane tanker, the petition focused specifically on vehicular and resident safety concerns along the full length of Glen Road.
Both before and after this petition was delivered to Sparta Township and Sussex County, several low-cost safety improvements were discussed with both township and county officials.
To date, aside from replacing some 100 feet of guardrail within weeks of the tanker overturn, the county has (finally) cut back vegetation on Glen Road approaching Milton Road, enabling line-of-sight vision along the inside stretch of this near-90 percent turn on Glen Road. Both actions are appreciated.
As Glen Road is a county road (CR 620), Sparta Township has limited ability to enact major change along this road.
Sparta Township police did perform (yet another) speed study on Glen Road. Its findings indicated speeds along Glen Road averaged some 43 mph. While 43 mph might not sound startling, the fact that much of the road has a 30-mph speed limit - especially on its dangerous and tortuous turns and curves - means that most cars and trucks of all sizes are traveling an average of nearly 50 percent over the speed limit on the most dangerous portions of Glen Road!
Not only is this speed hazardous on road curves, but it is also treacherous along steep stretches of Glen Road lined with houses – and children!
While we are grateful for the modest road improvement actions that have taken place, we look forward to Sussex County and Sparta Township implementing the additional low-cost safety measures discussed - namely:
• Solar guard rail lighting along dangerous Glen Road turns vs. less effective old-fashioned reflector technology used by the county.
• Rumble strips approaching dangerous turns and curves along Glen Road to slow traffic.
• School bus stop signs by school bus stops along Glen Road
• Lowering the speed limit from 40/30 mph to 35/25 mph along all of Glen Road.
• Continuous enforcement of speed limits along all of Glen Road to render it an undesirable location to speed.
Taken together, the implementation of these additional low-cost actions by the county and township will go far to ensure the safety of Glen Road and Sparta residents.
Moreover, the residents of Glen Road want a laser focus to be placed on implementing the unfinished road upgrades noted above with a “reasonable human life span” vs. at a stalled or glacial pace.
C.L. Gordon
Sparta