Drive with care Montclair: Bloomfield Avenue lights, detours in progress.

Montclair, NJ – If you’re driving or walking downtown, you may have noticed the new traffic lights installed by Essex County along Bloomfield Avenue. The lights are in various stages of operation. Some of the new lights and pedestrian signals are still bagged and not ready for prime time. Others, like the much-received and important Midland Avenue, are doing well and keeping pedestrians safe.

We alerted the Essex County Department of Public Works at two intersections where the new traffic light and crosswalk do not match. For example, at Bloomfield Avenue and Orange Road, pedestrians will have a green light, but a red hand signal telling them not to cross. We noticed the same issue at North Mountain and Bloomfield Ave.

At-large Councilman Peter Jacobellis told us the city has fixed some issues as a result of the change, including covering up a one-way sign to prevent people from diverting traffic on Glenridge Avenue.

“Look both ways and be extra careful when crossing and driving on Bloomfield Street,” says Jacobellis. “It’s a completely new system and everything is done without closing the road to traffic.”