The BRICK Times
Vol. 24 - No. 18
In This Week’s Edition
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BREAKING NEWS @
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Community News Pages 6-12
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 14
Inside The Law Page 16
Classifieds Pages 21
Photo by Alyssa Riccardi Due to the high number of accidents, the traffic light at Chambers Bridge Road and Brick Boulevard has changed patterns. By Alyssa Riccardi BRICK – A major Brick Township intersection has changed its traffic signal pattern in hopes to decrease crashes. In August, the Brick Township Police Department advised the community that the O cean County Engineering Department changed the traffic signal sequence at the intersection of Chambers Bridge Road and Brick Boulevard. Ptl. Terence Berkeley, Public Information Officer of Community Police for Brick Police, explained how changing the signal pattern is a multi-step process collaborating with the county. “Sometimes the county will be the fi rst ones to pick out an issue with the sequencing and
lights. Most of the time we’re patrolling the area and seeing an increase of accidents in a certain area. We ask ourselves why is that, and then we start looking into it further…the pattern of the traffic light seems to be an issue and it’s always the number one cause of a crash when we do our investigation. You start seeing a common trend,” Ptl. Berkeley said. “We’re always collecting data from every crash. Once we identify any issues, we immediately notify the county of the issues that we’re seeing. Then it takes a little time for them to come out and investigate it even further.” The Office of the Ocean County Engineer (Brick Intersection - See Page 4)
September 7, 2024
Ebikes Cause Safety Concerns By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK - State law supersedes local law in regards to regulating the safety of electric bicycles, said Councilman Derrick T. Ambrosino during the most recent Township Council Meeting. The subject came up when a township resident said he nearly hit a rider with his car when exiting a marina on Route 70. The driver of the electric bike was riding the wrong way on the two-lane divided highway, so the resident was looking in the direction of the oncoming traffic. “It was close,” he said. “I don’t want to see anyone get hit, but they’re taking advantage on the bikes, they’re really flying. They go faster than cars. Maybe we can do something, you know, have a helmet law at least because it’s a motor vehicle.”
He said he is afraid the situation will get out of control and people will start losing their lives. A n elect r ic bi ke, or ebike, is a bicycle equipped with an electric motor that gets its power from a rechargeable battery mounted on the bike. Township attorney Kevin Starkey said he agrees with the concern over motorized bicycles. “They have become a lot more prevalent in the last couple of years, and it’s not just Brick, it’s all over,” he said. The speed of them makes them a lot more dangerous than regular bicycles, he said, and as far as the legalities, as motorized bikes they are subject to state law. “The council is limited,” Starkey said. “You mention a helmet law that’s not within the jurisdiction of the Township Council to make a (Ebikes - See Page 4)
Teens Launch Operation Warmth To Aid Homeless By Stephanie Faughnan HOWELL – Two local high school seniors readily admit they’ve grown up in comfortable suburban homes, never having to worry about access to heat and hot water. But as Cory Reavis and Tristen Bennett returned to school this fall, they’re not just focused on their studies and college applications. Instead, they’re resurrecting a project they started as members of the Howell Police Athletic League during the COVID-19 pan-
demic. Their initiative, Operation Warmth: Helping the Homeless Prepare for Winter, aims to raise funds and provide essentials to ensure the unhoused in Monmouth and Ocean counties can survive the winter months. Cory, 17, and Tristen, 18, have remained best friends since they first met in the second grade. Although they both still live in Howell, Corey and Tristen attend different high schools as part of the Free-
hold Regional High School District’s magnet programs. Cory is a student in Freehold Boro School’s Computer Science program, with hopes of attending Georgia Tech, while Tristen is enrolled in the Business Administration program at Marlboro High (Aid Homeless See Page 5)
Photo courtesy Operation Warmth PAL members carried duffle bags filled with unique items as part of Operation Warmth in 2021.
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