Straightening Canistear Road may be an answer West Milford - When the New York, Susquehanna and Western rail line first crossed Canistear Road, cars were less likely than horses to be driven under the trestle. Today, traffic from Highland Lakes to Route 23 is heavy, especially during commuting times, but the trestle still reflects its horse-and-buggy origins as more than 5,500 cars pass under it each day. The railroad is proposing $900,000 in repairs to a stretch of the line from Hawthorne to Sparta which includes the Canistear crossing and is seeking support from the municipalities along the way in Bergen, Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties. West Milford’s council reluctantly supported the work in a resolution passed on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Councilman Philip Weisbecker opposed the support, saying he wants to see something done with the trestle to enable two cars to pass. He pointed out that in 2002 state engineers inspected the trestle and called it very dangerous. Weisbecker said he has been in touch with state legislators about the problem and Assemblyman Alex DeCroce agreed to hold meetings with the state Department of Transportation and New Jersey Transit to make officials of those agencies understand the problem must be dealt with. “That trestle was built in 1892,” Weisbecker said. “It may be sound but we have to be concerned with the safety of people who use it.” Councilman Robert Nolan agreed the only leverage the township has is to oppose the repairs, but Councilwoman Marilyn Lichtenberg pointed out there could be other safety issues being addressed by the railroad. Township Clerk Antoinette Battaglia said she heard from Dominic Citrelli of the DOT that federal money has been appropriated for the work and the railroad will lose the nearly $1 million if repairs are not made soon. She said the trestle is not part of the repairs slated by the railroad. Council President Joseph Smolinski said, “I don’t want to hold up the repairs because of the narrow trestle. It’s hard to believe the railroad would do anything to change the trestle.” Smolinski added the road could be straightened. “If we straighten the road people would have visibility,” he said, adding, “I don’t want to jeopardize the grant.” The problem with straightening the road is that the land on both sides is owned by the City of Newark as part of its watershed property. Weisbecker suggested the council address the possibility of straightening the road after the first of the year. He warned that a serious accident is bound to occur there. “People shouldn’t have to approach the trestle honking their horns and praying.” Ada Erik of the township first aid squad said there are up to two accidents a week at the trestle, especially in rainy weather. She said that although the West Milford Squad takes the calls, the vast majority of people involved in these accidents are from Vernon Township’s Highland Lakes section.