August 8, 2010

When you travel the Palisades Parkway during the rush hour, Ramapo's proposed baseball stadium will certainly have an effect on you. The town's experts only propose changing the sequence of traffic lights on Route 45 and say local traffic will be given first preference and will cause minor traffic issues.

You don't have to be a genius to figure 3,500
people (opponents say the stadium could hold
5,000) getting off at Exit 12 in the hour prior to a game, which may be rush hour, will have a major impact on traffic. The only entrance is right next to the Fire Training Center. Brilliant. Exit 12 has a very short exit ramp, if it backs up from the stop sign and light on Ro ute 45, one lane will be blocked on the PIP. If Exit 12 does back up you can expect backups from Exit 8 north to Exit 13 and south from
Exit 13 to Exit 11.

You may not hear the roar of the crowd or the fireworks, but you will be affected. After a few miserable trips home, you will do the same as everyone else and take the local streets. This will create havoc as we have witnessed in this county whenever there are events where several thousand people attend.

Saturday and Sunday our streets will be gridlocked. There will be no more safe jogs or walks to houses of worship. Friday evening traffic in the spring and summer, when so many people are leaving the city and surrounding areas, will also be affected, as well as their return home on Sunday evening.

Stay updated and vote to stop the baseball stadium on Aug. 24, or think of this letter when sitting in traffic.

Joe Cali
Pomona