Kings Rd. Safety Projects Move Forward

The Chatham Borough Council passed two resolutions approving grant applications for transportation modifications in two different areas in town at its Monday night meeting.

Both resolutions call for a grant agreement with the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The first grant, worth $104,075, will go toward improving traffic and pedestrian safety conditions on Kings Road between Lafayette and Division Avenues. The second, titled the Kings Road Preservation Improvement Project, is for pedestrian improvements, including a sidewalk, and totals $144,500.

One group that is in favor of these improvements is the borough’s Safe Routes to School Committee, which looks to reduce the amount of injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists, particularly children, while educating them on the benefits of walking or biking to school.

The committee believes that enhanced safety features for pedestrians and bicyclists will increase the amount of parents who are willing to allow their children to take these alternative transportation methods to and from school, according to group representative Ruth Dekker.

“Basically, what we’re trying to do is encourage kids to walk or ride bicycles to school for either health or safety reasons, as well as for the environment,” said Dekker, who also serves on the borough’s Environmental Commission. “We’re in the assessment phase; we’ve surveyed parents throughout the schools to ask them about the barriers that they see for kids being pedestrians, and where dangerous areas might be in terms of the need for crossing guards, sidewalks or better signage.”

Dekker expressed an interest to work with the borough council, board of education, police department and any other involved entity in order to have a unified plan for improving the streets and educating residents on the benefits of walking or biking.

“It kind of sounds like we’re doing bits and pieces of the same thing,” said Dekker. “If that’s the case, we should look at a unified approach.”

Members of the borough council were in agreement.

“You don’t want to stop this process if it’s making sense, but what makes the most sense for the town?” said Councilman Jim Lonergan.

“I second (Lonergan’s) comment that it really behooves us to work closer together,” said Councilman Leonard Resto. “There’s just so much synergy there, so it just makes sense to work together.”

Safe Routes to School looks to continue in its mission to encourage healthy living and safe roadways after the possible acquisition of these grants. Dekker stated that events like bike rodeos and April’s “Walk to School Week” will continue to encourage these things.

“We want to do those kinds of things to encourage biking and encourage awareness about walking and biking,” said Dekker.