Speed Limit Reduced To 25 MPH Throughout Scotch Plains Downtown

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — As students begin returning to school in the coming weeks and streets will be filed with additional cars and pedestrians, the Scotch Plains Police Department is preparing new traffic and safety measures.

The first day of school in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District is Wednesday, Sept. 7, and the township is expecting an influx of residents walking and riding their bicycles in town. As a result, the police are reducing the speed limit to 25 mph for the entire downtown area in Scotch Plains, as well as taking a number of other safety precautions.

According to a message from Councilman Matt Adams, the new speed limit will include East Second Street, which then turns into Westfield Avenue and Plainfield Avenue as drivers head east toward Westfield.

"For traffic control and safety, we believe in the strong need for uniformity, especially in such a busy part of Scotch Plains," Adams wrote.

The Township Council is particularly focused on Plainfield Avenue where officers continue to place radar signs to further slow down passing vehicles, as well as solar-powered pedestrian crossing signals with push buttons to activate them.

"The Police Department is actively identifying more locations to install these solar crosswalk signs, as they have added an important level of safety wherever students tend to cross," Adams said.

Based on community feedback and traffic analysis, Adams said the Police Department are also installing a red/yellow blinking light at Rahway Road and Raritan Road. Speed humps are also being added in the area of Winding Brook Way to reduce speeds and increase the safety for children in that residential neighborhood.

In the past couple of years, Adams said the Police Department has also recommended the installation of speed humps on residential roads in town that are common short cuts for motorists avoiding main roads, such as on Henry Street, Myrtle Avenue and Willow Avenue.

If you believe a particular intersection or other area of town is in need of traffic-calming measures, residents are encouraged to contact Adams or the Police Department for review.

The Township has also contracted an outside-staffing company to ensure a "strong and steady" number of crossing guards this school year.

"A number of residents have contacted me, asking for more crossing guards on our streets," Adams wrote. "I have worked closely with these residents and the Police Department to get coverage at these newly identified crossings. The new staffing model not only offers a dramatic increase in efficiency, it also allows us to add monitored crossings without worrying about staffing shortages at the main school crossing intersections."

Other safety measures that were put into effect this year include adding a new officer to the Scotch Plains Police Department and adding a new ambulance to supplement the Rescue Quad. Adams said there is also a plan for a new "state-of-the-art" emergency services headquarters.

Here are some safety precautions that residents are told to keep in mind this back-to-school season:

• Slow down, and pay attention to your surroundings, please. Attentive driving saves lives. Shaving a couple of minutes off your commute is not worth risking the safety of others. Give yourself enough time to get there safely.
• Lock your doors, and bring your key fobs inside. Auto theft remains a significant problem throughout our region. Do not make your vehicle enticing to a would-be thief. Follow the Police Department’s advice and include checking that your vehicles are locked as part of your evening routine each day.

• If it sounds too good to be true, or too far out to be legit, your instincts are probably correct. Our local police blotter is littered with examples of individuals who have been victimized by fraudsters. Avoid falling prey to a financial scam by verifying the legitimacy of an offer or solicitation. If you cannot verify it on your own, call the Police Department, an officer will be dispatched to help. Sometimes just saying that you will call the police to look into the legitimacy of something will wind up scaring away a thief with nefarious motives. Never give out personal information over the phone, and only use verified e-commerce websites.

• Perhaps most important of all, if you see something say something. There is never anything wrong with being 100% sure. Coming from a law enforcement family, I have heard this manta repeated throughout my life and it has shaped me for my current role as a councilman. Our community’s valued public safety professionals are trained to skillfully look into reports of suspected problems. You can be rest assured that every call will be answered. The recent thwarting of a coordinated car theft ring that was attempting to operate in our town by our Police Department is a prime example of our effectiveness.

You can read the councilman's full message here.

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