Gardner says traffic light is a hazard Former council president wants signal in front of bowling center removed BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer WOODBRIDGE - With the holiday season right around the corner, former Woodbridge Fire Department Chief and former Council President Ken Gardner told the Township Council last week that the traffic light in front of the Woodbridge Bowling Center should be removed. The traffic light is on a state-owned highway. At the council meeting Nov. 20, Gardner said the traffic light's implementation had undone $12 million in state and federal aid on a bridge built at the intersection of Main Street and Woodbridge Center Drive a few years ago. "The bridge fixed a dangerous intersection and allowed traffic to move more freely from downtown [Woodbridge] toward the Woodbridge Community Center," he said. Township officials said they have looked at the intersection before and have sent another inquiry to the state to see if any changes could be made. Gardner said that when the bridge was proposed, he was skeptical. "We were spending $12 million and I didn't think it would help the traffic problem, but I was wrong," he said. "I got in plenty of accidents before the bridge was built." The township received $12 million in state and federal funds for the bridge to be built. "Warren W. Wilentz [one of the shareholders of Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer] played a major role in getting the $12 million in state and federal dollars to make the bridge happen," said Gardner, who has suggested to township officials and state Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-19) that the bridge should be named after the lawyer. Gardner said the addition of the light creates a dangerous situation for the Woodbridge Center mall area in fire situations. "Firefighters coming from downtown Woodbridge cannot get through," he said. "It also hurts the quality of life for all of us who use this main road. I know I have used the thoroughfare approximately 50,000 times to go to work, and since I was born and raised in the township. I know we don't live in Mayberry anymore, but we can at least do something so it won't be congested in that way." Gardner said the problems at the traffic light are not new. A few months ago and at the council meeting, the former fire chief and former council president suggested to the mayor and council that a no-left-turn restriction be put in place, at least during rush hour if not permanently. "Cars could easily continue past the bowling alley and make a left onto Mutton Hollow Road, which is directly across from the Community Center," said Gardner. "If this happened, the traffic would flow more quickly on Main Street and they would actually enter Route 9 in a shorter period of time." Gardner added that an auxiliary police officer could help the traffic at the intersection in front of the bowling alley during their busy times.