Holy Sh**, they're paving my street!

I came here in '96, and in that nearly 30 years nothing but occasional spotty potholes have been patched.  Add to that the fact that a lot of us had our lead pipes replaced this Spring and the result is a seriously crappy street.  Today they milled off the years of pothole patches, looking forward to tomorrow's progress!

And if you're wondering why I haven't named the street, its because if I do this place will be lousy with skater-punks once it's all done.  

I think a modern repaving job is not up to the quality it to be.  Nice "paint job", but in a couple of years they usually start to deteriorate.  It seems to me that new pavements do not adhere to the previous layer as well as they should.  (More work for the low bidder.)  Just my opinion.

mrmaplewood said:

I think a modern repaving job is not up to the quality it to be.  Nice "paint job", but in a couple of years they usually start to deteriorate.  It seems to me that new pavements do not adhere to the previous layer as well as they should.  (More work for the low bidder.)  Just my opinion.

Could be that.  Could also be increased traffic on our streets, impact of climate change, and/or utilities digging up the street shortly after it is resurfaced.

The entire Hilton section was repaved and new Belgian blocks installed in 1992, it’s still in good shape. I think only prospect street had to be redone, but that street gets the heavy traffic. That skim coating nonsense is a waste of time and money.

mrmaplewood said:

I think a modern repaving job is not up to the quality it to be.  Nice "paint job", but in a couple of years they usually start to deteriorate.  It seems to me that new pavements do not adhere to the previous layer as well as they should.  (More work for the low bidder.)  Just my opinion.

this is classic.  Don't let someone say something good without finding a way to make a negative out of it.  

joan_crystal said:

mrmaplewood said:

I think a modern repaving job is not up to the quality it to be.  Nice "paint job", but in a couple of years they usually start to deteriorate.  It seems to me that new pavements do not adhere to the previous layer as well as they should.  (More work for the low bidder.)  Just my opinion.

Could be that.  Could also be increased traffic on our streets, impact of climate change, and/or utilities digging up the street shortly after it is resurfaced.

Also there's been a huge increase in weight of the vehicles.  Average passenger vehicle weight between 1980-1990 was flat at 3100lbs, by 2000 it was 3700lbs, it's now 4300lbs.  

Komarovsky said:

joan_crystal said:

mrmaplewood said:

I think a modern repaving job is not up to the quality it to be.  Nice "paint job", but in a couple of years they usually start to deteriorate.  It seems to me that new pavements do not adhere to the previous layer as well as they should.  (More work for the low bidder.)  Just my opinion.

Could be that.  Could also be increased traffic on our streets, impact of climate change, and/or utilities digging up the street shortly after it is resurfaced.

Also there's been a huge increase in weight of the vehicles.  Average passenger vehicle weight between 1980-1990 was flat at 3100lbs, by 2000 it was 3700lbs, it's now 4300lbs.  

EVs, SUVs, giant pickups. 
The Tesla Model 3 maxes out at 4100 lbs. The Ford F-150 Lightning goes up to 6,900 lbs.

In any event, bicycle riders are happy to see Maplewood Ave repaved.  That stretch just off of Walton Rd. was really rough.

tjohn said:

In any event, bicycle riders are happy to see Maplewood Ave repaved.  That stretch just off of Walton Rd. was really rough.

I was thinking about it and the speeders who never even yielded to Walton rd even with the rough road surface. Maybe it’s time for a stop sign there, cause new road surfaces somehow makes drivers feel they’re on the GSP…. Maybe that’s why prospect street is still looking like Main Street in Kabul…

tjohn said:

In any event, bicycle riders are happy to see Maplewood Ave repaved.  That stretch just off of Walton Rd. was really rough.

Fingers crossed that Walton gets some asphalt love soon…It’s been over 15 years and I’ve seen far less traveled roads in town that have been repaved more than once in that time. 

Jaytee said:

I was thinking about it and the speeders who never even yielded to Walton rd even with the rough road surface. Maybe it’s time for a stop sign there, cause new road surfaces somehow makes drivers feel they’re on the GSP…. Maybe that’s why prospect street is still looking like Main Street in Kabul…

I think this is coming to the Maplewood Ave 'merge' onto Walton: "STOP" was painted on the asphalt.

And Prospect in SO is on the list for repaving this fall: https://villagegreennj.com/towns/government/find-out-what-roads-are-getting-paved-in-south-orange-maplewood

Upcoming Road Improvements (as of 07/01/2024):

• Kingman Road (Hamilton Rd. to S. Orange Ave.) – Construction completed July 2024.
• West End Road (S. Orange Ave. to S. Ridgewood Rd.) – Construction contract awarded for water main replacement and full roadway reconstruction. Construction underway as of July 2024. (Plans)
• Milling and Paving Cooperative Pricing Program– Construction expected Fall 2024.
  • Prospect St. (From Maplewood border to Irvington Ave.)
  • North Ridgewood Rd. (From Tilou to Forest)
  • Mead St. (From Vose Ave. to North Ridgewood Rd.)
  • Wilden Place (Ward Pl. to Newark border)
  • Baird Center parking lot
• West Montrose Avenue (N. Ridgewood Rd. to Scotland Rd.) – Design 99% completed, pending potential NJDOT and State Historic Preservation review comments. Awaiting NJDOT authorization to proceed with construction bid. Construction expected Fall 2024.
• Vose Avenue Section 1 (S. Orange Ave. to Raymond Ave.) – Field survey completed, currently in design. Per grant construction award to occur on or before November 2024. Construction expected 2025.
• Lenox Avenue (S. Orange Ave. to Walton Ave.) – Field survey completed, currently in design. Construction expected 2025. This project’s construction schedule is tied to the water rehabilitation work on West End Road.
• Church Street & Third Street (Church to South Ridgewood) – Grant awarded. Per grant construction award to occur on or before November 2025.
• South Ridgewood Road (West Third to Lenox) – A grant application is being prepared for roadway improvements. If approved, per grant procedures a construction award would occur on or before November 2026.
• Vose Avenue Section 2 (Raymond Ave. to Randolph Pl.) – A grant application is being prepared for roadway improvements. If approved, per grant procedures a construction award would occur on or before November 2026.

Jaytee said:

The entire Hilton section was repaved and new Belgian blocks installed in 1992, it’s still in good shape. I think only prospect street had to be redone, but that street gets the heavy traffic. That skim coating nonsense is a waste of time and money.

I lived in the Hilton section when that was done, but moved a couple of years later. I'm so jealous that they did the Belgian blocks and sidewalks as well as a good paving job then! My street is another one that just got repaved, but no new curbs or sidewalks. (The curbs were fine, so I can't really complain, but I would have liked the Belgian block. Many of the sidewalks OTOH aren't so fine. I think that the town should take over curbs and sidewalks and build it into the taxes along with the street paving. It would save money overall and make things nicer and safer for everyone.)  I hope ours lasts for awhile because it was never done in the 30 years I've lived in this house. Our street has already been marked for some kind of utility work, and that happened the very next morning after the paving job - ugh!  

There's got to be a better way to do all this!

sac said:

I lived in the Hilton section when that was done, but moved a couple of years later. I'm so jealous that they did the Belgian blocks and sidewalks as well as a good paving job then! My street is another one that just got repaved, but no new curbs or sidewalks. (The curbs were fine, so I can't really complain, but I would have liked the Belgian block. Many of the sidewalks OTOH aren't so fine. I think that the town should take over curbs and sidewalks and build it into the taxes along with the street paving. It would save money overall and make things nicer and safer for everyone.)  I hope ours lasts for awhile because it was never done in the 30 years I've lived in this house. Our street has already been marked for some kind of utility work, and that happened the very next morning after the paving job - ugh!  

There's got to be a better way to do all this!

Much of the cost of milling and paving streets is paid for through CDBGs.  Even then, the town is only able to repair a small number of streets at a time.  Those projects that include curbs and sidewalks have that work included in the CDBG contract.  While I would love to see the town take over contracting for curbs and sidewalks, they would likely need an assessment from adjacent property owners to fund the work.