North Bergen Parking Lot Poses Danger To Pedestrians
NORTH BERGEN, N.J. (CBS 2) -- A parking lot problem is creating a very hazardous situation in New Jersey.
In order to avoid a backup at a traffic light off the Kennedy Boulevard exit and before the Lincoln tunnel, drivers have been cutting through the parking lot of the Toys "R" Us in North Bergen.
The shortcut may help motorists avoid congestion, but it has put parents and children in a treacherous traffic spot and in harm's way.
"It is pretty scary," one woman told CBS 2's Christine Sloan, "sometimes it's really bad, you have to stand to the side...they don't pay too much attention."
According to New Jersey state law, it is illegal to cut through a private or public road to avoid a traffic light. That message seems to have been lost on many motorists.
When confronted, drivers responded with a number of excuses. Some said they were low on gas, while others claimed they had stopped to pick up someone from the store.
Police have even tried setting up patrols in the area to catch drivers and issue tickets, but cars continue to cut through the store's parking lot, Sloan reports.
CBS 2 reached out to the Toys "R" Us store for word on a possible solution to the problem. The retailer had no comment and said it was a matter for the North Bergen Police Department to address.
