The Circulation Plan is the element of the master plan covering streets, sidewalks, paths, bikeways and public transportation facilities. The overall purpose of this element is to help guide and coordinate Borough policies relating to these facilities.
Mountain Lakes is a community whose road layout and development pattern were established before the dominance of the automobile on American life. As a result, the Borough's streets and transportation facilities reflect, and to a great extent, influence a Borough character that is more human scale and pedestrian oriented than is typical of most modern American suburban communities designed to accommodate the automobile. The perpetuation of this distinction is and should be of great importance and concern to the Borough. In addition, increased congestion on Borough roads is of concern because it directly affects the quality of life in Mountain Lakes.
In order to rationally address public policy affecting circulation and transportation, it is important to have an understanding of the dynamics of change in our area. Following are some of the major events relating to circulation planning leading up to this point.
The following are the major circulation-related objectives that should be pursued by Borough officials and policies.
The Borough has jurisdiction over all roads in the community except for Route 46, a State highway, and the Boulevard, a County road. The Borough police supervise traffic on all streets in Mountain Lakes including State and County roads. Following is a description of the major existing modes of transportation in the Borough and, where appropriate, proposals for improvements.
Boulevard - Of all the roads in Mountain Lakes, the Boulevard is perhaps the most important to the Borough and its character because it is in many ways the "Main Street" of the community. The two-lane 30 foot wide paved portion of the Boulevard is owned by the County (County Route 618); its right-of-way is 60 feet from Route 46 to North Crane Road and 50 feet from there to Boonton Township. The balance of the Boulevard is owned by the Borough and has a 30 to 65 foot right-of-way, including the pedestrian walkway. Although it functions as a connection between Mountain Lakes and Boonton Township, its location at the center of this community makes maintaining its traditional design, scale and character very important. To this end, the County and Boonton Township should be urged to pursue policies that limit the increase in traffic on the Boulevard, especially for heavy truck traffic for which it was not designed.
Route 46 - Route 46 is the largest and most heavily used road in Mountain Lakes. A four-lane divided highway, it has a right-of-way width that varies from 100 to 180 feet. Borough traffic makes up only a very small percentage of the total of this major regional roadway. Traffic congestion during peak periods on Route 46 has had an unfortunate spill-over effect of increasing traffic on local Borough streets resulting from commuters avoiding the congestion. Major improvements to 46 to reduce congestion would only have a short term benefit because they would stimulate further development to the west. This in turn would ultimately worsen the spill-over of traffic onto local streets. For this reason, NJDOT plans should be carefully monitored by the Borough and widening should not be supported. More modest improvements to Route 46 that further objectives of safety and improved circulation, however, should be supported.
A new traffic light is proposed by the New Jersey Department of Transportation at the intersection of Peartree Road with Route 46. The purpose of the light is to provide an alternative to the median cuts which are being closed for safety reasons. A safe and convenient way for traffic to reverse direction in this area should be pursued in order to support the redevelopment of the Route 46E B-zone and for the convenience of the public.
Morris Avenue - Morris Avenue is a typical Borough street. The level of traffic on it, however, is somewhat higher. This fact, combined with the lack of sidewalks north of Briarcliff Road, makes speeding a special concern on Morris Avenue.
Intervale Road - The widening and straightening of Intervale Road has been proposed in the past. This proposal, however, is not in the best interests of Mountain Lakes. There has been no safety problem demonstrated with its current design. In fact, its curves may help to slow down traffic from Route 46. Widening and straightening would increase traffic speeds and increase the risk of more serious accidents. In addition, Intervale is an important gateway into Mountain Lakes. For these reasons, the design of this road, which is wholly owned by the Borough, should be in keeping with the character of the rest of the Borough's streets.
Fanny Road - Fanny Road, although owned by Boonton, is an important access route for cars to and from Mountain Lakes. It is also heavily used by bicyclists and pedestrians. Curves on Fanny require caution at least in part because of the presence of bicyclists and pedestrians. Improvements to the roadway, however, would result in it becoming a major thoroughfare, a result that should not be supported. Repairs to the railroad overpass bridge on the municipal border with Parsippany have been scheduled by the NJDOT The Borough Council and police need to coordinate with Boonton and NJDOT to minimize the disruption of traffic and inconvenience to the public.
Other Streets - Borough streets and intersections are generally safe and adequate for the amount of traffic they handle now and for the foreseeable future. The curvilinear design of many Borough streets dates from the original plan for the community. It discourages speeding, an increasingly severe problem in many communities. Speeding, however, is an important concern requiring the effort and vigilance of the Borough police.
Vehicular and pedestrian safety must be an important public policy concern for the Borough. The Borough police are in a position to be aware of safety problems. Reports from them and other sources about safety issues should be carefully considered and evaluated on a case by case basis.
The Borough has a network of paths and sidewalks which link neighborhoods, schools, lake areas, sports activities, the Midvale Market area and other public and private destinations. This network includes a variety of pedestrian/bike pathways differing in width, surface improvement, ownership and types of usage. They range from informal paths, traditionally used by children, to sidewalks used by all ages. The condition of these pathways is generally appropriate to their usage. However, the increasing prevalence of Lyme disease, transmitted by ticks found in overgrown areas, creates the need for more emphasis by the Borough on trimming and controlling underbrush along pathways in areas where ticks are commonly found.
Bus - There are limited public transportation options for travelers and commuters to and from the Borough. Bus service by the Lakeland Bus Company, with regular stops on the Boulevard (with a small Park and Ride lot) and on Route 46, links the Borough to New York City. The Borough is located in the county wide Morris Area Paratransit System (MAPS). MAPS is a transportation service funded by the State casino tax and the Board of Freeholders providing transportation for employment, medical and social services, day care, shopping, recreational, nutritional, and educational purposes to senior citizens and disabled residents. Trips must be scheduled 48 hours in advance.
Rail- The Boonton commuter rail line is operated by New Jersey Transit with a station stop (the old station building is no longer used in connection with the line) and limited parking in the Midvale Market area. The Boonton line currently connects with Dover to the west and New York City via Newark to the east. Improvements that are currently underway, however, will shorten commuting time by a direct connection to New York City and will allow convenient connections to be made to other public transportation lines and facilities through-out the metropolitan area. These improvements hold out the promise and possibility of increased usage by Mountain Lakes residents, reversing a long term trend.
Listed below are transportation related proposals and recommendations for the Borough.
The maintenance of Borough roads and curbs would benefit from a real plan and schedule. This would make it possible to assure that needed work is done in a logical and timely way and make capital budgeting more systematic and predictable. In addition, the Borough should adopt a more effective way of assuring that proper sight distances are maintained at intersections, especially by the proper trimming of shrubbery.
The Land Use Plan Element of this Master Plan has recommended the long term goal of enhancing the role of the Midvale Market area as a community center for the Borough. Mixed use zoning has been recommended as part of that planning. Any such rezoning, however, must carefully consider the traffic implications on the surrounding residential areas.
In support of the goal of enhancing this area's role as a community center, pedestrian safety and access improvements as well as vehicular parking improvements are needed. The following improvements are recommended to be considered by the Borough Council with the advice of the Borough Engineer.
The Borough's extensive system of pathways (informal paths and trails, formal sidewalks and bikeways) is one of the important attributes that sets Mountain Lakes apart from most other communities. The importance of this path system to the quality of life in the Mountain Lakes community can be measured in a number of ways. First, it creates a community infrastructure that elevates the importance of pedestrians in relation to the automobile. Although partly symbolic, it is a very important factor in making the Borough a humane place to live, substantially reducing what would otherwise be a sense of alienation, especially for children, common to many automobile oriented suburban communities. Second, the path system supports a healthier environment for children, families and citizens of all ages, providing healthy and safe options for activity and recreation. Third, it is an important integrating influence, enhancing a sense of community by linking neighbors and neighborhoods.
For these reasons, it is important that the pathway system be maintained and improved where possible and appropriate. Where connections can be made to improve accessibility to the system in areas not currently connected, they should be made. In particular, any new residential developments, such as on the Fusee site, should be connected to the system.
A pedestrian/bikeway should be constructed as part of the bridge repair/replacement over the rail line on Fanny Road at the municipal boundary with Parsippany. A pathway from this point to the YMCA should be pursued with Boonton. This pathway will provide a safe alternative for pedestrians along a heavily traveled roadway and will connect the future residential neighborhood on the Fusee tract to the rest of the community.
One of the major proposals in the Land Use Plan Element is the redevelopment of the B (Business) Zone on the east bound side of Route 46 in Mountain Lakes. It calls for exploring the possibility of designating the area as an area in need of redevelopment under the New Jersey Redevelopment Act. This would set the stage for inter-governmental (including inter-municipal) and private-public cooperation to facilitate the private redevelopment of this area. If this occurs, circulation and related improvements should be a key part of this proposal as outlined below:
Park and Ride - The creation of a Park and Ride facility at the western border of Mountain Lakes that would allow commuters to park and make commuter bus connections should be supported. If a Park and Ride is created in the area, it should be designed in a manner that supports the private redevelopment of the remainder of the B-Zone, to the extent possible.
Business Zone Circulation - If the redevelopment of the B-Zone is to be successful, improvements to the ability of shoppers to go from one small business to another conveniently must be made. The current pattern of small isolated businesses is at a substantial competitive disadvantage compared to strip malls and large stores in the region where shoppers can make one stop for numerous purchases. Among the circulation improvements that should be made are:
Where appropriate, Borough development regulations should be amended to facilitate these improvements which are now not permitted. In addition, the availability of Federal, State and County grants to help fund these improvements in a public/private partnership should be explored.
Route 46 Traffic Light and U Turn - The NJ Department of Transportation is currently in the process of closing median "cut-throughs" along Route 46E in Mountain Lakes for safety reasons. Improved traffic safety should be supported. However, unless a convenient alternative is provided for west bound traffic to cross to the east bound lane, these closures will have a negative impact on business activity in the Route 46 B Zone area. For this reason, the construction of a U Turn at the new traffic light proposed at Peartree Road should be supported.
The Highway Access Management Code was enacted to maintain the traffic carrying capacity of New Jersey's state highway system by more strictly regulating access to state highways in connection with any new development/redevelopment. This objective should be fully supported by the Borough.
Two aspects of the Code will, in particular, have a direct impact on local planning on Route 46. One is a regulatory system that in essence limits the amount of development that can occur on property whose access is to the state highway. Under the Code, the NJ Department of Transportation can limit development based on a formula factoring frontage and projected traffic (from the proposed development), even if local zoning would permit more development. This new layer of regulatory requirements should be kept in mind in the planning of any development along the highway.
Another important aspect of the Code that will have a direct local impact is the requirement in the Municipal Land Use Law that "The zoning ordinance shall provide for the regulation of land adjacent to State highways in conformity with the State highway access management code....." In compliance with this requirement, amendments to the Borough Land Use Ordinances should be made where appropriate.
Mountain Lakes is a compact and essentially fully developed community whose layout and pattern of development strongly reflect an era that predates the dominance of the automobile. An important part of this pattern forming the essential character of the community is its narrow and curvilinear road design. The continuation of road policies that call for narrow and curvilinear road design consistent with the existing pattern should be strongly supported.
Consistent with this policy, alternatives to double access requirements for larger new developments should be supported where possible. These should include emergency access ways that are not fully paved and are less destructive and impacting than a full road improvement.
The extension of jitney bus service to Mountain Lakes should be supported. A number of communities in the region have such service which is especially beneficial to young people and the elderly. Mountain Lakes should look for opportunities to extend such service to the Borough on a cooperative basis with other communities or agencies.
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