Albany and Winchester avenues has the most crashes of any intersection in Atlantic City, Police Department records show.
More than 2 percent of all motor vehicle crashes in and around city intersections between 2008 and 2011 — 113 incidents — happened at that site and the 30-foot perimeter around it. The intersection, one of more than 450 in the city, made the Police Department’s list of “Top Crash Intersections,” along with some of the city’s other busy crossings.
Compared with other municipalities in Atlantic County, the city has by far the most crashes. In 2011, Atlantic City had 2,307 crashes within its borders, statistics from the state Department of Transportation show. Hamilton Township came in second with only about half as many — 1,174. Those figures include all crashes and not just those that occur at or near intersections.
The junction of Atlantic and Michigan avenues held the distinction of being the most dangerous for walkers. There were 15 incidents involving pedestrians over the past four years and a total of 66 crashes, including two involving bicyclists and two involving drunken drivers.
Pedestrians crossing at the intersection of Atlantic and Michigan avenues often are startled by vehicles turning the corner at the same time, said Felishia Sessomis, 29, a city resident who frequently walks the area and has seen a few close calls at the intersection.
“There’s just a lot of people in that area,” she said. “People take the risk.”
That intersection often draws police, who help keep traffic flowing, said Reggie Dees, 49, formerly of Washington, D.C., who frequently walks in the area.
“Normally they have somebody who is directing traffic,” he said.
Deputy City Engineer John Feairheller said officials plan to implement several projects, including the addition of cameras, better synchronization of lights and other measures, which should ease traffic, reduce the frustration drivers feel and, in turn, help reduce the number of crashes on local roadways.
To help keep traffic moving, the city is in the process of adding traffic-detection cameras around key intersections along Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic avenues, Feairheller said.
The cameras can sense when a vehicle is at the intersection and can adjust traffic light times as a result, he said. If there is no vehicle waiting to make a turn, there would be no reason to provide a green turn signal.
Officials also plan another project to install a second set of traffic cameras that can tilt, pan and zoom, Feairheller said. Those cameras can be monitored by computer remotely, allowing officials to have extra eyes on the street at a distance, he said.
The first of those cameras is planned for an intersection on Arctic Avenue and would include the installation of fiber-optic cable that tracks back to City Hall, Feairheller said. Eventually the fiber-optic cable will allow all of the cameras to be on a network to be monitored remotely.
The project to install the cameras, bury the fiber-optic cable and redo the roadway will cost about $721,000, which will be funded partially by about $490,000 in state grants, Feairheller said.
Contact Hoa Nguyen:
609-272-7203
