SURF CITY — Labor Day is almost here and that means the unofficial end of summer but, for residents of the Cedar Landing subdivision, it also means it is time for one last neighborhood toll road. The members of the Cedar Landing and Creek Estates Road Maintenance Organization first implemented the toll road over the Memorial Day weekend this year as an effort to cut down on non-residents using the private road.
Related: Facing heavy traffic and poor street maintenance, these Pender County residents made their own toll
Cedar Avenue has acted as a shortcut for drivers heading to Surf City for years, but most people do not realize the road is actually a private street –– something members of CL-CERMO hope changes.
“A key point to remember, the CL-CERMO’s goal is not to raise funds or create a traffic situation but rather to reduce the public usage traffic and the related safety issues through a residential neighborhood. The traffic has been metered for almost 2 years now and YTD in 2018 during the summer months, the average weekly traffic is over 4500 vehicles per week across a community that has less than 70 full-time residents, CL-CERMO organizer Jeff Conerly said.
“The CL-CERMO’s goal has been and continues to be for DOT and our legislature to take responsibility or provide some level of assistance for the now infamous shortcut and correct a situation that the current property owners inherited and are powerless to correct as it worsens each year. This worsening trend is clear with the large development underway on Hwy 210 near Salt Water Landing subdivision and especially the planed 3200 homes behind the Surf City Dollar General,” he concluded.
This holiday weekend the group plans to operate the toll booth on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
“The toll check-point will be at the intersection of Cedar Ave and Doe Ridge. Depending on traffic, some location changes and additional checkpoints may be implemented. Signage indicating the toll setup will be near the entrance from Hwy 210, the large entrance sign will contain Toll notice, and there will be signs at several points on Cedar Avenue,” Conerly said.
The last two tolls the group organized were deemed a success, raising hundreds of dollars for the access to the so-called shortcut.
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