DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS/ENGINEERING

A Department For All Seasons: Throughout the year, the Department of Public Works provides services to all residents. It is a program especially designed to maintain the condition of Township facilities and to retain the community's cleanliness, safety and good appearance. The DPW's services focus on the following areas:

The Street and Sanitation Division: Maintains (including snow plowing and snow removal) 124 miles of improved roads and about 2 miles of unimproved roads. It cleans and sweeps improved roads and is responsible for the collection of leaves, garden debris and recyclables from the curbside of residents, trash from public buildings as well as from over 200 litter containers. It is responsible for installation and maintenance of traffic signs (street names, Stop and No Parking signs, etc.) and road markings, including crosswalks and parking stalls.

The Sewer Division: Handles the routine maintenance and repair of nearly 170 miles of sanitary sewers, storm sewers and more than 5,700 manholes, catch basins, culverts, and head walls. To report a sewer backup, call the DPW at (201) 837-4842 weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM or call Police Headquarters at (201) 837-2600 at all other times including holidays and weekends.

The Garage Division: Is responsible for the preventive maintenance and repair of municipally-owned vehicles and other mechanical equipment used by the DPW, Police, Fire and Recreation Departments.

The Park and Tree Division: Maintains the upkeep of 23 parks totaling 225 acres, as well as nearly 200 Township owned lots, one in-ground swimming pool and two above-ground swimming pools. It is responsible for the planting, removal and care of more than 20,000 trees along public streets, as well as trees, shrubs and flowers in Township parks and on public grounds. In order to protect our abundant natural resource of trees, which are such an asset to the Township, a specific ordinance clearly defines the permits that may be issued and responsibilities of the Township officials with regard to shade tree removal, trimming and care. If you contemplate any tree work or removal on a Township owned tree in front of your house, please consult the Public Works Department for the procedures which must be followed.

The Maintenance Division: Is responsible for maintaining public facilities. These include the lighting in all Township-owned parking lots and all athletic fields (basketball, football, tennis, soccer and baseball), all bus stop shelters, the fire alarm systems in all Township-owned buildings, the water lines at the Greenhouse and ballfields, as well as all park water fountains, all fire extinguishers, the fencing for Little League diamonds, playground games, parking lot meters, all park benches, the heating, air-conditioning and plumbing systems, and meters in all municipal buildings.

The Division is also responsible for shoveling snow from the walks of all municipally owned buildings, setting up the bandshell for the Recreation Department sponsored summer concert series and setting up the Council Chambers for Council meetings, various boards and Municipal Court sessions. The Division installs and maintains the U. S. flags on street lights, picks up surplus goods for distribution to the needy by the Health Department and operates a daily mail shuttle among the Township's buildings.

Street Sweeping: Streets are swept daily in the business district and once a week in the residential districts, interrupted only by the mammoth task of leaf collection (roughly from October 1st - mid December) and cold temperatures. During the leaf pickup period residential streets are swept on a schedule dictated by the accumulation of leaves.

The effectiveness of the street sweeping is diminished if the machines cannot get to curbside if vehicles are parked in the street on sweeping day. Residents are asked to do their part, by making certain that their vehicles are off the street on street sweeping day. The following outlines the Township's residential street sweeping schedule (which may be altered based upon equipment status):

• Monday: South of Route 4 and west of the railroad, south of Cedar Lane and west of Queen Anne Road.
• Tuesday: East of Queen Anne Road and south of Cedar Lane.
• Wednesday: East of the railroad, north of Cedar Lane to Genesee Avenue/Bogert Street/West Englewood Avenue.
• Thursday: North of Genesee Avenue/Bogert Street/West Englewood Avenue to the Bergenfield line, and east of Sussex Road to the Englewood City line.
• Friday: North of Route 4 and west of the railroad, south of West Englewood Avenue and west of Sussex Road to the Bergenfield and New Milford boundaries and to the Hackensack River.

Note: If you live on the street which is a boundary line between districts, imagine that the line is down the center of the street to determine the district you live in.

Recycling: In 1987, the State of New Jersey made recycling mandatory in every municipality of the State. Teaneck currently strives to recycle 60 % of our waste. To comply with this requirement, Teaneck has an ambitious recycling program. During the month of December the Township mails a calendar of scheduled curbside pickups of materials which can be recycled to all residents. The calendar includes the rules and regulations for the various types of recyclables, any changes which have occurred since the last calendar was published, as well as special notices.

Residents are encouraged to place the calendar in a prominent location to serve as a reminder of when pick-ups are made. Calendars are also available at the Municipal Building.

Teaneck's Recycling Depot is located at the DPW yard on River Road. It is open Thursday through Monday from 7:00AM to 2:45 PM. (closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and holidays). Check the Recycling Calendar for exact dates. Residents are encouraged to bring recyclable materials to the Depot including:

    1. Newspapers
    2. Mixed paper
    3. Cardboard
   4. Commingled recyclables (plastic, cans glass)
    5. Auto and household batteries
    6. Garden debris
    7. White goods

There are also bins for used clothing set by various groups.

Garden Debris: Garden debris consists of vegetative waste, grass clippings, leaves, branches, plant material, etc. Garden debris is collected curbside weekly, between the months of April and October. During the other months of the year, there is limited pick-up. Scheduled days are listed in the Recycling Calendar, on the Township's website at www.teanecknjgov.org or residents may call the Recycling Hotline at (201) 837-4841 for information regarding pick-ups. All items must be at the curb no later than 7 :00 AM on the day of collection, and no earlier than 6:00 PM of the preceding evening.

Grass, leaves, and small plant materials must be in either non-disposable containers which will be emptied and left at the curb, or biodegradable paper bags, NO PLASTIC BAGS PLEASE, since the company which recycles the materials will not accept it in plastic bags. Each container may weigh no more than 50 pounds. Branches and shrubs must be cut into lengths not greater than 4 feet, and tied into bundles weighing less than 50 pounds each. Residents who utilize landscapers and/or lawn services must make sure they comply with these requirements. Material which is not properly contained or mixed with garbage or recycling materials will not be picked up. No logs will be picked up.

Garden debris may also be brought to the Depot and need not to be containerized or tied, but must not be left in plastic bags at the Depot. See the Depot workers for instructions about container location.

Leaves, which are treated as garden debris during most of the year, become a real problem during October through December. There are more than 100,000 trees on public and private properties within the Township's borders.

Leaf removal in the autumn is a monumental project which strains the resources of the DPW. During the period of leaf drop, from October 1st to mid December, residents are permitted to rake leaves, loose grass, and small plant materials into the roadway at curbside. Please refer to the Recycling Calendar for the exact dates for the 2003 collection schedule.

The DPW collects leaves daily during this period, but the volume is so great and the weather so unpredictable, that the leaf pickup can not be scheduled. Resident are asked to be patient as the DPW may not be able to get to their street as quickly as they would like. Be careful to only place leaves, grass clippings, and small plant material in the leaf piles in the street. Do not place logs, branches, stones, or large plant material in the street during the leaf collection period. They are not suitable for composting and will damage the street cleaning equipment.

CAUTIONARY ADVISE: Children love to play in leaf piles. Wet leaves may cause a vehicle to skid. Vehicles with catalytic converters should not be parked over the piles under any circumstances. After the ignition is shut off, the converter is still hot enough to ignite leaves or grass. Even older model vehicles without converters have caught fire when parked over leaves.

Snow Plowing: The Township Council adopted an ordinance, in 1996, which makes it illegal to park on any street when the DPW is engaged in snow plowing operations. Some parts of specific streets are exempt from this law because there is not enough off-street parking at some multi-family dwellings, and elsewhere. These areas are clearly marked with signs so confusion does not occur as to which streets can be used for parking during snow emergencies.

The following streets/areas are exempt from this restriction:

        1. All on-street designated handicapped parking spaces.
        2. Alma Terrace, north side, from Chestnut Avenue to Elm Avenue.
        3. Amsterdam Avenue, both sides, from Teaneck Road to a point of 150 feet west.
        4. Ayers Court, both sides
        5. Bergen Avenue, both sides, from Maple Street to 100 feet south of Blauvelt Street.
        6. Beverly Road, both sides, from Elm Avenue to River Road.
        7. Elm Avenue, both sides, from Alma Terrace to North Street.
        8. Hill Street, west side.
        9. Hillside Avenue, in front of 107 Hillside Avenue.
        10. Larch Avenue, east side, from Hillcrest Street to North Street.
        11. Linden Avenue, west side, from Kipp Street to North Street.
        12. Lozier Place, both sides.
        13. Minell Place, north side, from Teaneck Road to Richard Court.
        14. Parkview Drive, east side.
        15. Pembroke Street, west side, 186 feet south of Northumberland Road to its end.
        16. State Street, both sides, from Teaneck Road to Terrace Circle.
        17. Terhune Street, both sides, from Chestnut Street to Linden Avenue.
        18. Vandelinda Avenue, both sides, from Palisade Avenue west to its end.
        19. Vandelinda Avenue, north side, from Palisade Avenue to a point of 322 feet east.
        20. Washington Place, north side, from Teaneck Road to Cresent Avenue.
        21. Woodbine Street, both sides, from Fort Lee Road to DeGraw Avenue.
        22. South Strand, east side, 40 feet north of Northumberland Road to a point 95 feet north.

This means that whenever enough snow has fallen to require plowing of the public streets in Teaneck, parking is not permitted on any public street except in the posted areas. This parking prohibition remains in effect until the snow has stopped and the streets have been plowed so that parking on them will not block either the normal flow of traffic or snow removal work. The term "snow" includes snow, sleet, hail and/or ice.

When a snow emergency is in effect, all vehicles must be moved off of all Township streets unless they are in one of the posted areas. If a vehicle cannot be moved, call the Police Department at (201) 837-2600 to tell them about the situation. Qualifying residents may also make arrangements with the Teaneck Fire Department to move their vehicle to a Township-owned parking lot. Residents must pre-register and be pre-approved. Please call the Teaneck Fire Department at (201) 837-2085 for further information.

For additional off street parking, residents are encouraged to use any of the Township-owned parking lots. Beginning (6) hours before the snow fall is predicted to start, and until (24) hours after the snow fall has stopped, all hourly limits and meter fees in the Thonship lots are waived. The locations of the Municipal parking lots are as follows:

1. East side of Teaneck Road, off Beveridge Street. 
2. West side of Teaneck Road, at Orchard Street.
3. West side of Teaneck Road, between Church and Bogert Streets.
4. North side of State Street, opposite Lozier Place. 
5. North side of State Street, west of Terrace Circle. 
6. Behind stores on the west side of Queen Anne Road, north of West Englewood Avenue.
7. West of Queen Anne Road, north of Court Street. 
8. North end of Votee Park, south of Court Street. 
9. North of Cedar Lane, between American Legion Drive and Chestnut Avenue.
10. Northwest corner of Cedar Lane and Elm Avenue. 
11. Southeast corner of Beverly Road and River Road. 
12. South side of Beverly Road, opposite Williams Avenue.
13. East side of River Road in Phelps Park. 
14. Southeast corner of DeGraw Avenue and Queen Anne Road.
15. South end of Votee Park and Colonial Court.
16. Municipal Building at the northwest corner of Cedar Lane and Teaneck Road. 
17. East side of Glenwood Avenue, south of Lindbergh Boulevard.
18. Municipal Greenhouse - foot of Lindbergh Boulevard east of Glenwood Avenue.
19. North of Cedar Lane at Garrison Avenue and Beverly Road.

Residents with any questions as to when snow plowing operations commence or cease should contact the Teaneck Police Department at (201) 837-2600.

During the winter months, snow and ice must be removed from public sidewalks after the cessation of a storm. Commercial property owners or tenants have 12 hours, residential owners have 24 hours. Also, people who own corner properties (and at mid-block crosswalks) must clear a portion of the corner so that pedestrians, especially school children, can cross safely.

Household Refuse: The Township does not collect household refuse. It has no control over private, independent contractors who make the pickups along routes within the Township. Residents may contact the Municipal Clerk's office at (201) 837-4811 for information about local contractors who service Teaneck.

Although the rates the collectors can charge were deregulated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), residents with service complaints should call Solid Waste Regulation at (609) 984- 2080.

Composting/Firewood: The DPW stores wood chips at the Greenhouse located at the foot of Lindbergh Boulevard, east of Glenwood Avenue. Firewood is stored at the Recycling Depot in the DPW yard on the west side of River Road, just north of West Englewood Avenue. Whenever available, firewood and wood chips are free for the taking. In all cases, the rule is first come first served.

Litter: The problem of litter is probably as old as civilization. Society rejects litter for a number of reasons. It is unsanitary - litter frequently contains decaying food. It is unsafe - litter can be an obstacle to pedestrians (i.e.: a banana peel) or vehicles (a broken beer bottle in the middle of the roadway). It reduces the value of property. A littered community is unappealing to prospective buyers or lessors of property.

Various Township ordinances define and control litter. Examples are:

• It is against the law to deposit household or commercial refuse in the DPW's litter containers on the street and in the parks.
• It is illegal to drop or throw any type of refuse from a vehicle.
• If residents walk their dog on a public street, they are required to use "a proper scoop or container or similar efficient sanitary means to immediately remove feces deposited by the dog".
• It is against the law to dump refuse of any type on any public property including parks, parking lots and vacant Township-owned land.

Violators of these litter control ordinances run the risk of receiving a summons. If convicted, fines of up to $500. may be levied, jail for up to 90 days or both. SO, DON'T FOUL TEANECK, DUNK YOUR JUNK!

2002 ENGINEER'S REPORT:

The Department of Public Works started the year 2002 with 67 employees and had 69 employees by the end of the year. We had approximately 25 summer temporaries employed to help with parks work, garden debris pick ups and other Department functions. The Department also made use of high school seniors performing community service projects in the Spring before graduation and Earth Day volunteers.

The following major projects were undertaken by outside contractors, consultants, and our own DPW forces:

1. The 2002 Road Resurfacing included 22 streets throughout the Township.
2. Safety pruning was performed on street trees in the southeast section of the Township.
3. A contract was awarded for approximately 3,500 lineal feet of curb replacement on various streets.
4. Approximately 120 tons of patching material was placed in potholes throughout the Township.
5. There were 65 street trees and 53 park trees planted in the Fall under the contract awarded in 2002. 134 street trees and 240 park trees will be planted as part of the 2002 contract in 2003.
6. The reconstruction of the Andreas Park Tennis Courts and the color coating of the Votee Park Basketball Courts was designed in 2002. The project will be constructed in 2003.
7. The 2001 Community Development project, funding the resurfacing of Tuxedo Square, from Route 4 to Forest Avenue, was completed.
8. The design for the 2002 Community Development funded project for the construction of Bergen Avenue, south of Jasper Avenue and the resurfacing of Arlington Avenue from Forest Avenue to Route 4, was completed. Construction will take place in 2003. 
9. The 2001 New Jersey Department of Transportation State Aid funded project for the resurfacing of Palisade Avenue, from Cedar Lane to Grayson Place, was completed in 2002.
10. The 2002 New Jersey Department of Transportation State Aid funded project for the resurfacing of Palisades Avenue, from Cedar Lane to Demott Avenue, and, from Grayson Place to the Route 4 overpass, was designed and bid in 2002. Construction will take place in 2003. 
11. The Garrison Avenue parking lot was designed in 2002. Construction will take place in 2003.
12. The Township applied for and received a $400,000 Transportation Enhancement Grant for the Cedar Lane Streetscape Improvement Project. The grant will partially fund this project. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2003.
13. The design of the vehicle exhaust removal systems for Fire Headquarters and Fire Stations 2, 3 and 4 was completed in 2002. This project will be bid and constructed in 2003.
14. The Hackensack River walkway path, in Andreas Park, was constructed in 2002.
15. The Tryon Park walking path was constructed in 2002.
16. The 2002 Sidewalk Assessment Program construction was started in 2002. This project includes the replacement of deteriorated sidewalks in the area east of Teaneck Road and south of East Forest Avenue to the Bogota border.

The Garage forces performed preventive maintenance and repairs on 40 Police vehicles, 1 Auxiliary Police vehicle, 4 pieces of Auxiliary Police equipment, 21 vehicles and 12 pieces of equipment for the Fire Department and 61 Public Works vehicles. In addition, they maintained 95 pieces of Public Works equipment, 4 stand-by generators, 1 Recreation Department van, 2 vans for the disabled/senior citizens and 1 Library vehicle. 

The Department forces continued park maintenance, dead tree removals, garden debris pickup, leaf pickup, recycling pickup, pothole patching, public buildings maintenance, and the myriad of other tasks required to keep the physical features of the Township looking healthy and prosperous. The Department of Public Works always thanks the public for their help in reporting potholes and dead trees.

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