Speed Limit Lowered For Busy Street In Montclair: 'We Share Same Goal'

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A new speed limit for a busy road in Montclair just got a green light.

On Wednesday, the Essex County Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to approve a lower speed limit on Grove Street: 25 miles per hour.

The lower speed limit was previously passed by the Montclair Township Council. However, because Grove Street (County Route 623) is a county-owned road, Montclair needed the county’s approval to enact an ordinance amending the speed limit.

That approval has now been given.

Commissioner Brendan Gill, a lifelong Montclair resident who has been involved in other traffic safety efforts in the township, said the new speed limit on Grove Street will make the roads safer for everyone.

“Thank you to the residents who made their voices heard on this issue, and to the leaders of Montclair who put it into action,” Gill said. “We will continue to explore solutions with our municipal partners to make our neighborhoods safer places to live and raise a family.”

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. also said the new speed limit for Grove Street is a good idea.

“We all share the same goal of making our streets safer for children walking to school, residents going to the store or park, and other motorists on the road,” he said.

Montclair’s mayor and deputy mayor both applauded the county’s decision.

“There's no higher priority than creating safe and secure streets for our community, and I'm grateful to see Montclair Township and Essex County working seamlessly together towards that goal,” Mayor Renee Baskerville said.

“Together we have identified Montclair's highest crash intersections, and in addition to reducing speed limits, we are installing bollards and additional solar-powered radar signs in these priority areas,” Baskerville said.

“The county and township will continue to work together to ensure proper enforcement and education of these initiatives, which is paramount to street safety,” Baskerville said.

Deputy Mayor Susan Shin Andersen said the new speed limit will help make a “heavily-trafficked” residential road safer.

“Along with other actions we plan to take such as implementing traffic calming measures, intersection improvements, and education and enforcement, lowering the legal speed limits is an important measure that we believe will improve safety for road users,” the councilwoman added.

This measure is part of a larger effort to increase pedestrian safety with Montclair’s Vision Zero Task Force, which aims to eliminate all traffic related injuries and deaths in the municipality by the end of 2028.

The new speed limit on Grove Street isn’t the only recent traffic change the county commissioners have approved for Montclair. Last year, the board adopted a resolution to allow the town to limit driving speeds on a section of Upper Mountain Avenue to 25 miles per hour.

• See Related: County OKs New Speed Limit For ‘Known Hot Zone’ In Montclair

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