A slide showing planned changes for the intersection of Bridge Avenue and Drs. James Parker Boulevard.
By BRIAN DONOHUE
Note: this article has been updated to correct an error in a previous version that stated the turn that would be banned is from Bridge Avenue; the correct street is South Bridge.
Borough of Red Bank officials are planning changes to two notoriously hair-raising stretches of roadway they hope will improve safety.
At a community meeting Wednesday night, Borough Manager Jim Gant said officials are planning to change traffic patterns and install a “pedestrian refuge island” at the corner of Bridge Avenue and Drs. James Parker Boulevard.
The plan includes banning left turns onto Drs. James Parker for vehicles heading north on South Bridge – a trouble spot where a pedestrian was struck most recently in March. There will also be a “pedestrian refuge island,” on Drs. James Parker, Gant said.
“We understand this whole intersection is a challenge,” Gant said at a community meeting with borough council members and department heads at the Red Bank Senior Center.
“As Red Bankers, you have experience: some way, somehow, you have an anecdotal story from this intersection,” he added.
A pedestrian is treated after being struck by the driver of an SUV making a left turn from Bridge onto Drs. James Parker Boulevard in March 2025. (photo courtesy of Sue Viscomi)
Police Chief Mike Frazee said of the changes: “I think it’s going to be a big improvement in terms of safety.”
Gant also said the borough was hoping to install more speed bumps along Leighton Avenue, another frequent source of complaints from residents about speeding motorists, both at Wednesday’s meeting and in previous meetings.
A borough traffic study found that 85 percent of motorists traveling Leighton are at or below 27 miles per hour, officials have stated.
But the other 15 percent clearly scare the daylights out of pedestrians and residents, several of whom disputed and audibly scoffed when those statistics were stated at the meeting. 
The road already has some speed humps along the southern stretch of the street near the intersections with West Westside Avenue and or River Street near Leonard Street.
But once motorists clear that stretch, residents said they seem to pick up speed. Gant said officials were inquiring with contractors about a plan to install two more speed bumps along the more northern stretch of a street that is used by many drivers as a cut-through to avoid Shrewsbury Avenue which runs parallel.
The corner of River Street and Leighton is one that has drawn continued complaints from residents. Gant said an application to the state for pedestrian bump-outs and other improvements was denied. But the borough is now hoping to use a $10,000 mini-grant to paint bump-outs and alert drivers to the likely presence of pedestrians.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
