Central Jersey Residents Fed Up With Tractor Trailers Illegally Driving Down Local Road
EDISON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Some residents in central Jersey say their local street feels more like a commercial road. Every week, dozens of tractor trailers drive illegally down their small road.
On Thursday morning, a 53-foot tractor trailer got stuck on Gracey Street in Edison. It tried reversing twice, ran over the lawn, and eventually made its turn.
Residents say it happens every day.
"When a big truck comes up and tries to make a left there's nowhere for them to go," Edison resident Robin Kenny said. "I've seen trucks come back down, 18-wheelers back all the way down the street to the highway."
Kenny and her neighbors say every week, dozens of tractor trailers, flatbeds, dump trucks, and even tour buses illegally turn off Route 1 North onto their quiet street despite several warning signs saying no trucks over four tons are allowed.
"They cut up grass, have gone over curbs, pulled down wires, fences, stop signs, any kind of street signs that are in their path," Edison resident Patricia Spearnock said.
Residents say they've been reaching out to town officials for years. Emails detail the complaints dating back to 2013, but neighbors say nothing has been done.
"The stop sign and street sign used to be on the opposite corner, but it came down so many times they moved it over," Kenny said. "It needs to be more than signage, maybe painted on the road... 'No Trucks'."
One couple's fence used to wrap around their front yard, but was hit so many times they took it down altogether.
Residents say cops have sat on the corner and handed out tickets on a few occasions, but days later the trucks return.
CBS2 reached out to New Jersey's Department of Transportation and Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey, but has not heard back yet. Meanwhile, some residents say they want to see the exit shut down altogether and their street turned into a dead end.