Lakewood Chaveirim reached out to YWN to share the following message with the community. Shabbos Chanukah is one of the busiest travel times for Lakewood families. Hundreds of families make their way out of Lakewood, heading to Brooklyn, Monsey, upstate etc. Chaveirim urges travelers to take preventive action to avoid much heartache, as in the past years many have not had such pleasant Shabbos Chanukah memories.

Tips:

• Make sure to lock all doors of your home & leave some lights on to make it look like you are home.

• Make sure your vehicle is ready for the trip! Check air pressure on tires. Make sure your oil change is up to date. Make sure your windshield washer fluid is full & winterized.

• Leave early, most Rabbonim pasken you have to give yourself double the amount of time to get to your destination.

• Avoid Squankum road, many travelers leaving Lakewood use Squankum road as their exit point, it’s a one lane road that cannot accommodate another few hundred cars. Alternatives would be Cedarbridge avenue, County line road- Lanes Mill Rd., Route 70, or Route 9 to the 195 East. All these will take you to the Garden State Parkway.

• Travelers are urged to follow all traffic laws, the HOV lanes are designated for vehicles with 3 passenger or more only. The NYPD has been enforcing this heavily lately, getting pulled over can cost you a lot of money, time, and Agmas Nefesh.

• In the event you get stuck, or if you see that you will not make it to your destination on time for Shabbos, please call the Lakewood Chaveirim hotline at 732-370-2229 as soon as possible. Their Shabbos Program can assist drivers with alternate routes that may be less congested, as well as a Shabbos host as a last resort. However the earlier the call comes in the better chances of assistance are.

Wishing the whole community A Freilechen Chanukah, a Gut Shabbos and a safe trip!

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)