Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon is hopping mad over traffic and needs your help .
For the 23 years she has called Highlands her home, she has watched and gotten annoyed and concerned about the traffic along route 36, waiting to get into Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook.
As a councilwoman for several years, she and other members of council complained about the growing traffic and the problems it was causing in Highlands…..motorists couldn’t get across the highway to attend church on Sundays because of rude beach going drivers who blocked the intersection at Miller Street; Bay Avenue traffic increased as shore bound motorists thought they could “beat the crowd” on the highway and go through town and up under the bridge to access Route 36 closer to Sandy Hook.
It would be different if those motorists stopped at one of the stores along the way, the Mayor said, either to pick up a newspaper, or breakfast, or something to take to the beach for lunch, or even a tank of gas in preparation for their homeward bound trip in the afternoon. But there wasn’t even that. Beach bound motorists simply came through Bay Avenue, as well as Shore Drive, sure they knew a “short cut” and could beat the other shore bound folks.
In more recent years, as Mayor, and with Police Chief Rob Burton, Broullon met with park officials and made several suggestions. Why not put a gate at the beach parking lots on Sandy Hook for which the park charges? That way, traffic might be delayed inside the park, rather than on the highway waiting in line for the access on the Sea Bright side of the Captain Joseph Azzolina Bridge.
Why not charge beach goers on the way out of the park rather than in? That way, the traffic would certainly be eased in the morning as thousands were clamoring for their spot on the beach. Why not have Easy Pass for seasonal visitors to at least rush them through? Why not have a separate gate for easy pass visitors?
All of her suggestions, and all her pleas have come to no avail.
This year, it appears to be getting even worse. For the first time, the park is not accepting cash at the entry. Whether it has been advertised to alert beach goers they have to carry a credit card along with their bathing suits and beach umbrellas is not clear; what is clear is that dealing with credit cards, waiting while the driver fishes it out, awaiting signatures, all takes time and adds to cars with motorists and families waiting to get into those Sandy Hook beaches sitting in cars along Router 36 in Highlands and into Middletown.
“What happens if someone in Highlands needs to get to the hospital?” the Mayor asked? What happens if an ambulance can’t get through a bunch of cars waiting in line bumper to bumper? Are we going to wait for someone to die before we resolve a very serious problem? I don’t think we can wait any longer. We’ve tried everything.”
The Mayor said it was even suggested that the federal government provide an emergency boat equipped with emergency supplies to dock in Highlands in case anyone needs a lifesaving trip to the hospital. . “The Feds are not going to give us a dime for n EMS boat and staff, then when some terrible thing happens, they will offer prayers?????” she asked . “We need something first, she said.
And the Mayor isn’t about to wait any longer. Now she’s asking everyone in Highlands, everyone along the shore impacted by the traffic situation on sunny summer days, to get involved.
She is asking everyone to email the National Park Service and let the park service know the dilemma they are causing. “If they won’t listen to one voice, however loud I may be, maybe they will listen to thousands,”“ she said.
“I’m sure my frustration shows in my posts, but I don’t know what else to do,” Broullon said. “ We’ve had many meetings with Fed/State/County and NPS and nothing changes. Senator Declan O’Scanlon did call me and said he would try to help.” But that hasn’t happened yet either.
“It really should not be this hard, “ the feisty and determined mayor said.. “but they listen and do nothing. It’s very disheartening.”
Defending her anger and frustration with officials not paying attention to resolving an obvious serious situation before it results in deaths or serious injuries, the Mayor said “ I will go bananas on all of them because the clearly do not care about quality of life nor the well being of everyone in Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach or Middletown. They even started charging 10am to 6pm when it used to be 10am to 4pm. They take people’s money and give ZERO back. You bet I’m hopping mad!”
E-Mails can be sent to https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/management/staffandoffices.htm Let your voice be heard in the interest of safety, and to keep traffic moving along Route 36.
Traffic Traffic Traffic
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This is not news. I lived in Highlands for over 50 years and it has always been the same.The people on the “Hill”know that if you want a paper,etc go down to town at 7 am and get it..Church?Go to a Saturday late afternoon mass..I worked for the Park Service,credit cards or cash makes no difference.I agree with the emergency situation. Safety is a big issue..Always has been. Trying to work with Washington is a big headache and to be honest,I don’t think they care. The cut backs are horrendous..Good Luck to solving the problem..
Not news. Welcome to the Jersey Shore and screw the residents and taxpayers. Ruin our summer! Who cares. I say Vote. Vote vote and get rid of career politicians who only provide lip service and no real results. Oh yeah let’s add insult to injury and install wind turbines off our coast to destroy the beautiful beaches that we’ve work so very hard to bring back. Don’t worry once the shoreline is littered with dead carcasses of whales and dolphins no one will come here.