The intersection is home to a 24-hour drive-thru McDonald's, a Drug Emporium, an entrance to Route 495 and the new Colombia Park Mall, making it one of the county's motor vehicle hot spots. And as development continues to increase, so does the traffic. Hudson County residents say they are finding it more and more difficult to make the already dangerous turns onto and off of 32nd St. and Kennedy Blvd.Although the local municipalities and police said that they haven't been notified by residents about the traffic light, county officials said that intersection has, in fact, been called to their attention.
"We've been notified of the concerns relating to the signal and are in the process of assessing the conditions," said Janiszewski. "After the assessment, which includes traffic counting, accident history and engineering analysis, we will decide if a left-turn phase is the best solution."
The light is in Union City next to the North Bergen border. Kennedy Blvd. is a county-maintained street.
Residents believe a left-turn signal may help.
Drug Emporium shopper Virginia Lopez, a 25-year Union City resident, said that she was very familiar with the 32nd Street traffic light.
"That's the one you have to take the red light in order to turn [left]," said Lopez. "You can only turn when the light turns red and if there's a cop around, they know what it's like, and they'll still give you a ticket."
Deborah Vidal, a frequent shopper at Drug Emporium, said that she takes side streets to avoid the junction.
"Thirty-second Street is difficult period," said Deborah Vidal. "There's too much congestion, and at rush hour, I won't even come anywhere near here. This whole area is dangerous."
Joseph Dempsey, 76, is a 35-year resident of North Bergen, said that the 32nd Street traffic light has been a problem for many years.
"It's always been bad," said Dempsey. "I drive here all the time, and you spend most of the time just waiting there, because the cars don't give you a chance to make the turn."
The 32nd Street and Kennedy Blvd. intersection is directly in front of North Bergen's senior building, Fritz Reuter, and the town's famous Schuetzen Park banquet hall.
The office of North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco said that they've never received any calls about the light and that if there is a problem, residents should address it to the county, because Kennedy is a considered a county boulevard.
Complaints are in the air
Even if residents haven't called local officials, they are complaining. North Bergen senior pedestrian Helen Schmidt, 80, said that the intersection is the worst she's every seen.
"I don't know which way to look," said Schmidt. "Half of the cars go against the red light, so it seems like it's never safe to cross. It doesn't make sense. There's too much going on in every direction. They need a professional who knows how to design streets to sit here for an hour and watch what goes on, because whoever planned this, didn't do a good job."
Union City police say they believe the light hasn't caused problems.
"You get the typical motor vehicle motor vehicle accidents, but nothing saying that the light is a contributing factor," said Sergeant Frank Caputo. "It would have been brought to our attention if there was contributing factors. It's just a tough intersection, and it really depends on the speed of the drivers and whether they are actually paying attention to what they're doing."
Geovanny Francisco, a 6-year Union City resident, disagreed with the police.
"I've seen many accidents here through the years, especially at night," said Francisco. "People go faster when the light turns yellow to beat the light, while people are waiting in the middle of Kennedy Blvd. to complete a turn."
The solution
Like Mayor Sacco, Union City Mayor Rudy Garcia said that he, too, hasn't gotten any calls about the light, but admitted that steps should be taken to improve the level of safety in the intersection.
"No one has complained to me, but I do believe something should be done," said Garcia. "There should be a left turn signal there; this way cars can make the turn without oncoming traffic."
Dempsey and other residents agree with Garcia.
"That light should be a delayed green, so people have a chance to turn," said Dempsey. "It isn't safe for the people driving or the people walking."
"There should definitely be a green arrow, said Lopez.
"It would be a lot better with a turn signal," said Vidal.
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