Mayor, county leaders discuss safety improvements for dangerous stretch of New Jersey's White Horse Pike
Officials in South Jersey are working to make a busy stretch of the White Horse Pike safer for drivers, bikers and pedestrians. They focused on what they call one of the most dangerous stretches, from North Newton Lake Drive to Collings Avenue in Collingswood.
"We've seen red lights being run, we've seen people speeding, we've heard honking, we've seen aggressive drivers," said Kelly McGinnis, who has lived in the borough for 11 years.
McGinnis said trying to cross the White Horse Pike at Collings Avenue with her children is simply unsafe. So last spring, she voiced her concerns to Camden County leaders.
"You can't trust the pedestrian signs, you really have to pause and look around," she said.
On Friday, Collingswood's mayor, county leaders, and the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation met to discuss possible safety improvements.
According to police, five pedestrians have been hit by cars in the past five years, two were killed. Police also said there have been 24 accidents on the White Horse Pike in the borough since 2019.
"Trying to get across once the light turns green and cars are coming, they be flying, so it makes it kind of hard for people to cross," said Drera Blake, who lives in the apartment complex near the busy intersection.
"The look that's being done right now is more comprehensive short-term fixes, but with an eye toward a long-term renovation of the pike," said Mayor Jim Maley.
Maley said those short-term fixes include giving pedestrians more time to safely cross the White Horse Pike at Collings Avenue, installing some kind of traffic signal further down the state road at North Newton Lake Drive, painting and highlighting both intersections and potentially lowering the speed limit from 30 mph to 25.
McGinnis said she's glad she spoke up.
"I didn't think anything came of it until the mayor contacted me this week and said this was happening," McGinnis said.
Maley said NJDOT is still drafting a plan for the long-term solutions. A timeline could be one to two years, but he said nothing has been finalized.