We’ve heard several reports in the past two days that traffic congestion at Montclair State has reached absurd levels due to a number of construction projects going on simultaneously. And today is the first day of school at MSU. One tipster writes:

Clearly the three entities working on Normal Ave did not talk to each other.  Today is the first day of school and the poor MSU students have to deal with road closures on Normal, due to sewer upgrades and Quiet Zone work, as well as University construction.  It is a mess.  Students pay $300 to park on campus, and there are no spots!  Take a ride up there around 5:00 when students are leaving and evening students are coming…

Actually, we’d prefer not.

Montclair councilor Rich Murnick, who’s holding a meeting tonight on MSU’s sewer construction project, says the three projects are:

1. a curb repair on Normal Ave. right near the entrance to MSU

2. Quiet Zone construction at various stations

3. County paving of Valley Road

No official response yet from MSU on the traffic situation there. Our advice: stay clear of the whole area or take the train if you can. MSU spokeswoman Paula Maliandi, meanwhile, has issued this response.

The situation was only slightly exacerbated by the work on the sewer.  It has historically taken at least two weeks before students become adjusted to parking and getting around campus.  With new development on campus, this is probably going to take at least two weeks.  We have done everything to communicate with the campus community about what to expect, how to get where they’re going and where to park.   We are also communicating travel and construction information via the web site and e-mail.  It will take a little while for their patterns and routines to evolve.

8 replies on “A Perfect Storm of Construction Creates Gridlock at MSU”

  1. My son left about 15 minutes ago for his final (THANK YOU GOD) semester at Montclair State. I can’t even begin to imagine where he’s going to park, because the surface lot permits are so outrageously oversold that it’s difficult (impossible)to find a spot on a normal day – today should be epic.

  2. This is the perfect storm for Montclair’s northern streets. Also not mentioned is the paving of Valley Rd. around Mt. Hebron Ave. WHICH WILL BE TRENCHED AGAIN FOR THE FAMOUS MSU SEWER PROJECT (see Murnick meeting tonight). Why is Essex County not coordinating with Montclair Twnship or is it the other way around?? MSU has too many cars and people for its 246 acre campus and the 3 towns bordering it will all pay for it over and over again. When will our state officials step in and insist on satellite campuses?? Rutgers has them.

  4. MSU rep Maliandi says only TWO WEEKS Of gridlock for everyone who has to get to work through the roads surrounding campus? And this is apparently not a concern for university officials?

    But hey, look on the bright side! Baristaville is always touting its Upper West side stripes. Now it’s got its very own Lincoln Tunnel Tubes on Valley, Normal, Clove! 18,000 students + unknown numbers of locals may even rival that less cool tunnel at the end of route 3.

  6. I went last Sunday to buy my book for class. I can’t believe how much of the commuter parking was removed. I know they’ve been sending e-mails all summer but I, like most students probaby did, deleted them. Basically, it went from like 5 surface lots to 1 parking deck.

  7. It would be helpful to post lots and lots of information about buses to and from the campus, and around the campus as well. big, clear, easy to understand information.
    For example, THE FOLLOWING BUSES STOP AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN AND AROUND MONTCLAIR, AND THEY WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY INTO THE MSU CAMPUS, WHERE YOU CAN THEN HOP ON TO THE CAMPUS BUS TO TRAVEL FROM TENTACLE TO TENTACLE OF THIS MASSIVE SPACE.
    driving to and from campus yesterday was extremely challenging to say the least.

  8. Wow, who could have possibly imagined that the traffic would be this bad in our neighborhood? The answer is: all of the geniuses at MSU who did such a fine job of coordinating the planning of this debacle. Speaking for myself and my wife, we appreciate the consideration that the university continues to extend to its neighbors. Jack Shannon has an uphill battle trying to convince everyone that MSU is concerned about community relations. What MSU continues to demonstrate is one overriding concern: how many students can one university fit into 246 tiny acres of land.

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