Madison to Decrease Speed Limit on Central Ave. After Neighbors Raise Alarm

The Borough of Madison announced on Tuesday that the speed limit on Central Avenue will be lowered from 35 to 30 miles per hour. The decision comes on the heels of a petition signed by 208 local residents demanding safer streets.

The decision to lower the speed limit was made County based on speed surveys conducted by the Madison Police department.

“Traffic speed is an issue in many streets in Madison,” Jessica Van Tassell, one of the petition’s organizers told Patch, “but nowhere is it as worrisome as in upper Central, where nothing shields the pedestrians from the cars.”

Central Avenue (County Road 608) is on the north side of the Borough of Madison and connects the high school, Madison Recreation Complex, a day care center and a handicapped development center to the center of Madison while passing an elementary school and terminating at State Route 124, Van Tassel noted.

The Morris County Department of Planning and Public Works will take several steps to ensure lower speeds, namely increased traffic enforcement and review of the traffic signals at Fairview and Central. Other measures include:

Installation of pedestrian and handicap crossing signage.

New parking restrictions at crosswalks to increase visibility.

Narrowing the upper portion of Central Avenue by building a sidewalk out of a portion of the pavement.

Narrowing the lanes on Central Avenue between Brittin Street and Ridgedale Avenue. The new lanes will be painted on the street.

“Combined with the new signage and markings and the posting of the crossing guard planned by Madison, this should be a relief for all parents sending their children to the high school or the elementary school,” Christine Sherman, a member of the petition committee stated to the neighborhood committee.

“It amazes me that the town especially was so receptive to our concerns, and makes me proud to live in Madison,” Grace Kim, another member of the committee and a new resident said.

“The entire neighborhood pulled together behind the traffic issue,” Jessica Van Tassel added. “This common quest fostered a great sense of solidarity among all of us, making ours an even better neighborhood than before.”

A Message From the Central Avenue Neighborhood Committee

The petition committee as a whole would like to thank the borough government and the police department for their responsiveness and their efforts on behalf of the Central Avenue neighborhood, as well as the county for the time and resources spent studying the issue and moving towards the speed limit reduction and better safety conditions.