[Adopted 11-5-2012 by Ord. No. 269-2012]
A. 
The Township Council hereby finds and declares that problems of traffic control occur when traffic must be moved through or around road or street construction, maintenance operations and utility work above or below ground which requires blocking the roadway and obstructing the normal flow of traffic; and that such obstructions are or can become dangerous when not properly controlled. In order to better promote the public health, safety, peace and welfare, it is necessary to establish controls and regulations directed to the safe and expeditious movement of traffic through construction and maintenance zones and to provide safety for the workforces performing these operations.
B. 
The Township of River Vale in the County of Bergen, State of New Jersey, does hereby adopt the current Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, hereafter known as "MUTCD" as may be supplemented and amended, as it controls and regulates whenever construction, maintenance operations or utility work obstructs the normal flow of traffic. Any person, contractor or utility which fails to comply with the provisions of MUTCD while performing such work is in violation of this section.
A. 
It shall be the responsibility of the person, contractor, or public utility wishing to conduct work on, under or above the roadway to contact the Traffic Bureau of the River Vale Police Department in order to arrange a preconstruction meeting to submit plans for the safe movement of traffic during such period of construction or work. Any person, contractor or utility who fails to comply with this section prior to the start of such work or whose plans are not approved by the Traffic Bureau of the River Vale Police Department is in violation of this section. Public utilities conducting routine maintenance work need not comply with the preconstruction meeting requirement. A valid road opening permit from the Township (see §§ 214-7 to 214-9) or Bergen County shall be provided at the preconstruction meeting. Proof of utility mark out notification is required at the preconstruction meeting.
The person, contractor or utility shall provide the Traffic Bureau with at least two emergency contact phone numbers to be called in case of emergency problems at any construction or maintenance site prior to the start of any work. If, for any reason, emergency contacts cannot be reached or if the emergency contact person does not respond to a call from the Police Department to correct a hazardous condition, the Township may respond to correct such hazardous condition. The reasonable fees for such emergency services by the Township shall be charged to the person, contractor or utility responsible for such condition.
The River Vale Police Department Traffic Bureau shall maintain a list of all roads determined to be heavily traveled for the purposes of this article. Such determination shall be made by the Police Department Traffic Bureau, and shall be binding. Said list may be amended from time to time as conditions warrant to include roads which become heavily traveled due to temporary conditions or events. This list shall be available for inspection during normal business hours, and a copy shall be provided upon request of any party.
A. 
Except as otherwise set forth herein, there shall be no construction, maintenance operations or utility work, under or above any heavily traveled roadway, as defined in this article, in the Township between 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. or between 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
B. 
This time limit may be adjusted to permit work during the restricted hours set forth in Subsection A by the officer in charge of the Traffic Bureau of the River Vale Police Department. If it is determined by the officer in charge of the River Vale Police Traffic Bureau, in his reasonable discretion, that the construction or maintenance operations prior to 9:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. on any roadway would substantially delay traffic or cause a safety or health hazard, the work shall then be permitted only between 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Road closings and/or traffic detours shall not be permitted unless approved by the River Vale Police Traffic Bureau.
A. 
The use or assignment of police officers by utility companies, private contractors and other vendors for traffic control details shall be compensated at the officer's overtime rate, with an additional administrative fee of 20% and FICA contributions. A vehicle fee of $200 per day per patrol car shall also be charged.
B. 
If it deems necessary, the Township may request sufficient funds to be deposited to an escrow account in advance to cover these costs. The funds received by the Township deposited in an escrow account shall be utilized to compensate the police officers. The Township shall notify the contractor or vendor upon the expenditure of 50% of the escrow funds. At that time, a determination shall be made as to whether or not the balance is sufficient to pay for further services that may be required. In the event the remaining balance is insufficient, the company, organization or contractor shall, within 24 hours of notice of the deficiency, deposit funds in an amount sufficient to cover the additional services. Any funds remaining in the escrow account shall be refunded to the organization, vendor or contractor that posted said escrow funds within 60 days of receipt by the Township of the refund request.
C. 
Invoices shall be paid in full within 45 days of the date of the invoice. In the event the invoice is not paid in full within 45 days, the organization or contractor shall, for all future hiring of off-duty police officers, pay in advance the amount of the compensation to be paid to the off-duty police officers.
D. 
Officers assigned to a traffic control or road construction detail for a utility company, private contractor or other vendor shall receive a minimum compensation of four hours. Details exceeding the originally scheduled hours shall be compensated at a minimum of two-hour increments until the completion of the detail.
E. 
All cancellations require a minimum two hours' notification prior to the scheduled start time of the detail. Noncompliance with this cancellation notice shall result in the officer receiving a minimum of four hours' compensation.
A. 
For the purposes of this section, a traffic director is that individual who is responsible for traffic control at a roadway worksite and is either a River Vale Police Officer or a civilian flagger who meets the qualifications as set forth in Section 6E of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and is certified as a flagger by the American Traffic Safety Services Association, Rutgers University or comparable organization, approved by the Chief of Police. A traffic control plan and proof of flagger certification is required at the preconstruction meeting.
B. 
Traffic directors shall be posted at all construction or maintenance sites when determined by the River Vale Police Department that same is necessary to provide for the safety and expeditious movement of traffic.
C. 
Civilian flaggers shall not be used as traffic directors in any work zone which contains an intersection with a traffic control device. In those situations, only a police officer may be used as a traffic director.
The Traffic Bureau of the River Vale Police Department shall have the authority to stop work, including the removal of equipment and vehicles, stored material within the street right-of-way, backfilling of open excavations and/or other related work, in order to abate any nuisance, traffic delay and/or safety hazard or for any violation of this section.
A. 
In the case of emergency repair work where construction maintenance operations or emergency utility work must be performed that will obstruct, interfere or detour traffic on any roadway in the Township, the person, contractor or utility performing such operation shall notify the River Vale Police Department of such emergency operation. The person, contractor or utility shall disclose the nature of the emergency, location and hours of operation.
B. 
All emergency construction and maintenance operations shall be performed with full regard to safety and to keep traffic interference to an absolute minimum. During such emergency repair work, the person, contractor or utility shall comply with the provisions of the MUTCD while performing such emergency repair work.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, upon conviction, may be punishable by a fine of not more than $2,000. Each day that such violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.