No matter how prudent you are it is impossible to walk safely in Fort Lee. During the last year, I've nearly been KILLED by speeding motorists - 3 times! My life was spared only because I'm aware of the severity of this situation.

Twice I WAS IN THE CROSSWALK and the motorist came speeding around the turn - I heard the roar of the engine and stopped anticipating exactly what happened. The third time the motorist (also speeding) went through a stop sign on Abbott and a came inches away from colliding with another car which would've then hit me. I WAS ON THE SIDEWALK!

As long as Fort Lee continues to focus all it's resources on the pedestrians rather than the motorists this problem will continue to escalate as already proven by this years statistics.

As of 1/31, four weeks into 2013, 8 pedestrians have been hit and 1 is dead. Last year it was slightly more than 1 pedestrian/week. It is BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS this program is a COLOSSAL FAILURE and further waste of taxpayer money! The figures have INCREASED not decreased.

Why does Fort Lee vehemently refuse to enforce traffic laws and speed limits? No other town in Bergen County has 14,000 people/square mile. Blaming the victim rather than the criminals (motorists) only exacerbates the problem - giving them yet another excuse. Not my fault.

The fact that so many of these pedestrians were hit in crosswalks and or abiding by the law is further testament the problem lies in REFUSING TO ENFORCE THE TRAFFIC LAWS!

It is a two way street. Pedestrians crossing the street while texting on cell phones or listening to music on I-pods, paying no attention to vehicles are just as guilty as the negligent drivers. That being said, on a daily basis, there are vehicles making illegal turns on Lemoine Ave. daily and driving carelessly. Note: enforcing traffic laws does not necessarily solve the problem. However, it does increase town revenues from traffic tickets.

Rather get town revenue from tickets than property taxes, and it will give the cops something to do.

Howard I say this with all due respect as I'd the exact same conversation with the new Chief of Police. For the record, a very nice man. Aside from releasing wild packs of attack dogs on the streets (throughout the entire Country) you're never, ever going to get people to pay attention. Sit anywhere and watch people's behavior.

You're now competing with an industry that has kidnapped society. Travel anywhere in the world and all you see are people with electronic gadgets in their hands. Governments in poorest nations now hand out cell phones to stay in touch with their citizens.

During the hurricane it's all people worried about. It's called the dumbing down of America - no one is paying attention to anything!!

You've no other alternative but to educate motorits. It's no different than driving through an area with a notorioulsy high crime rate - you damn well pay attention.
The fact of the matter is not merely distracted drivers in Fort Lee. There's a certain arrogance that has emerged also that needs to be eradicated.

Cars don't just speed on Abbott completely ignoring stop signs they go after
the pedestrians. I've a friend who was hit in the face by the mirror of a truck because the driver refused to yield. As long as they continue to blame the pedestrians this problem will never cease and only worsen.

In closing this program is by far more profitable than issuing tickets. They just purchased 5000 lights they plan to hand out to ... school children!?!

We need more speed humps and bumps. We have too many ill-placed cross-walks which give a false sense of security. We nee better crosswalks, like in Cliffside Park. Outreach to various comunity ethnic groups is an excellent idea.

Bendul means well, but if the driver is not paying attention or speeding, that reflective tape is not going to help.

Just last week, I witnessed a speeding SUV run a red light by the Community Center, jumping over Anderson Ave to reach Center Avenue. Why would you be in a hurry at 10:00 p.m.?

@Steve- I don't think speedbumps are the answer. Ask Cliffside Park residents if they love having those things around on every other block. However, I'd love to see one placed just as you exit the Recreation Center parking lot, as there is a sharp curve there and the teenagers just speed in and out of there with little regard that there are kids playing in the area.

@BJ- How sad is it that a town like Metuchen has folks waving red flags? Very sad that this has become an epidemic.

I wonder if the SUV may've been one of the unmarked police vehicles. They've several and come speeding out of that intersection all - the - time. This too is yet another tragedy simply waiting to happen. Speeding police vehicles departing from the headquarters on 16th. Often in tandem.

1) You can't see them as you back out of the angled spots by the Community Center Parking lot. 2) So many of those folks are elderly and can't hear the sirens inside their car. It is only a matter of time before someone backs out and the police car veers on to the sidewalk. 3) What's most alarming is when they race down the street as school is letting out. I watch these kids playfully chasing each other - constantly running right out into traffic. As well as the smaller kids chasing balls.

They need to make emergency lanes on Edsall and Inwood and go out that way. The road is wide enough to accommodate these lanes and there are no blind spots. People also know to pull to the right when they see a police vehicle.

Speed Bumps: Go to Walker Street (?) in Fairview? Greek To Me - make a right heading west towards Bergen Blvd. Quiet and they work!

FLAGS: The only thing that will ever get and keep motorists attention is an officer standing in the road flagging them down for speeding.

It's a double edge sword....if the police crack down on motorists, then they would complain and if the police crack down on pedestrians, they also would complain that they nothing better to do.

Then if speed humps are added, the residents would start complaining about the noise coming from vehicles bottoming out at all hours.

I still can't figure out how society years ago was able to function compared to today's society that needs their hand held.

Public Notice: Accreditation Team Invites Public Comment (posted 11/14/12)
The Fort Lee Police Department is scheduled for an on-site assessment as part of the accreditation process through the New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, which is administered by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.

The accreditation program requires AGENCIES TO COMPLY WITH STANDARDS that represent the best practices in Law Enforcement. The accreditation process is rigorous and includes a close examination of the agency’s written directive system, operation, and facility.

Here is just one highlight regarding the failure to comply with the accreditation standards.

section 3.6.2
Clarification Statement: The agency should establish traffic enforcement guidelines to aid officers in exercising discretion. While the short-term goal of traffic enforcement is to deter the potential violator, consistent traffic enforcement policies aid in achieving the long-term goal of traffic enforcement, which is to gain voluntary compliance with the law. Complaints of differential treatment can be mitigated with such consistent policies.

There are people in the world whose job it is is to plan streets and traffic flow for safety, perhaps we should spend some money on them to do a study? I would imagine we might have some streets that should only be one way or places where we need a light or two that could help our situation.