Council adopts Complete Streets policy, pursues Safe Routes to School grant for Ridgewood Avenue
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Council unanimously adopted a Complete Streets Policy committing future road projects to accommodate all users — pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders and people with disabilities — and separately authorized the Planning & Development Department to apply for a state Safe Routes to School grant to fund safety improvements along Ridgewood Avenue between Clark Street and Darwin Place, a corridor near the high school, post office and train station that a borough traffic study found had a high volume of reported accidents from 2017 to 2020.
On the evening's claims/bills resolution authorizing roughly $3.29 million in warrants, the recorded vote listed Councilor Hughes — who formally offered the resolution, as is customary for the Finance Committee chair — as abstaining, while Councilors Lefkovits, Law, Mans and Morrow voted aye; Councilor Lisovicz was absent for the entire meeting. Every other resolution that night passed unanimously among the five councilors present.
Council authorized a five-year renewal of the borough's membership in the Morris County Cooperative Pricing Council, running through September 2026, approved $29,335 for new in-car camera hardware for the Police Department from Motorola Solutions, and approved a $9,238 emergency contract with Speedy Sewer, Drain and Plumbing Service to repair a broken sewer line on Sommer Avenue. Council also released a performance bond posted by Glen Ridge Developers, LLC for improvements at Block 72, Lot 2.01, conditioned on the developer posting a $10,457.46 two-year maintenance bond and settling outstanding escrow payments before final inspection.
Resident Elizabeth Baker of Hillside Avenue urged the council to fund the Shade Tree Commission's plan for the trees along Ridgewood Avenue between Watchung and Bay. Police announced that Sgt. Roberts' name would be added to the fallen officers memorial that week, and the Borough Clerk reviewed procedures ahead of the upcoming municipal election.
What to watch
- Outcome of the Safe Routes to School grant application for the Ridgewood Avenue corridor
- Glen Ridge Developers' performance-bond conditions (posting the $10,457.46 maintenance bond and settling escrow) before final improvement inspection
- Upcoming municipal election, for which the Borough Clerk reviewed procedures