West Milford, NJ – For all the traffic horror stories in New Jersey — and there are many — this one has to be right up there.
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In West Milford, N.J., it takes up to five minutes at a pair of stoplights to cross busy Route 23 at Clinton Road.
Plenty of time to check a restaurant guide, look at a map or check your texts and tweets on your cell phone — if that were legal.
“They’re not synchronized so you get caught in the next one and you have to wait,” said driver Ed Logan, who for the past four years, has lost five minutes a day using the intersection (he goes home different way).
That would be about 4800 minutes, 80 hours, or just over three days of his life (so far) waiting to cross the busy state highway that is separated by an median that is perhaps 50 yards wide and filled with trees and a restaurant.
“I used to have black hair up to four years ago, but now it’s white,” said Logan standing at his accounting business near the intersection.
The New York Times called it “the nation’s longest traffic light.”
But the NJ DOT has an official explanation.
“We understand that motorists encounter lengthy wait times at this pair of signals, but the timing is necessary to avoid unacceptable levels of congestion on the heavily traveled Route 23,” wrote Timothy Greely, DOT spokesman in an email.
And in fact, when NBCNewYork drove by, there was plenty of traffic on Route 23, and stretches as long as ten minutes or more when there was no traffic whatsoever caught on the pair of Clinton Road lights.
So, the waits will continue for the relative handful of motorists trying to cross Rte. 23.
Uncomfortable for people like Mike Parchun of Rutherford who, when asked if he had that much time every day, responded, “I do, but my dog doesn’t, he’s going to have an accident if I don’t get home soon.”
But then there was Nick Fabbricatore of Hoboken who admitted, “Sometimes I just enjoy the five minutes of peace I get to sit here and enjoy the day.”
Yup, i 2nd that… that light at 306 and maple in monsey takes forever… even at night or when there is not traffic you have to wait… sometimes there will be no cars going in the other direction, but that light is red… at least get a sensor…
the most aggravating part is, they have new lights up, that r not in use, which presumably are attached to the sensors in the road.
So true about 306.
Also I think the Fort Hamilton lights in BP (the street side) might be longer then 5 minutes, if someone can time it, I’m curious.
I wouldn’t want to be stuck at that intersection for too long. In New Jersey folklore, Clinton Road is haunted by a pair of ghost headlights that chase you off the road at night. Legend also tells of Satanic rituals and witchcraft are practiced in the area. The old brick structure along the road is said to be an altar. Its not though it was originally part of a structure,
I think maybe the speeding headlights that chase you at night are really cars trying not miss the light!!!
The shortest one is 4 second long at e34th and kings highway
The guy had time to curb his dog while waiting for the light to change…
get your tehillim in while you’re waiting…..
That would be a Ner Tomid….
move to manhattan. the lights change quickly so you can get ticketed for running a light.
Lakewood, NJ corner of new hampshire and ridge–also about a 5 minute wait for the light to turn green coming from new hampshire!!