Amid Concerns, Pedestrian Safety Presentation Planned In Morristown

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The Morristown Council has recently been inundated with resident concerns about pedestrian and motorist safety in certain sections of town.

In an effort to bring attention and awareness to those issues, the Morristown Department of Public Safety will host a presentation on driver and pedestrian safety in collaboration with Avenues in Motion.

The presentation is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and will be held at the Marion Sally Resident Center at Manhattan Village, which is located at 23 Clyde Potts Drive, in Morristown.

To learn how to register for the presentation, click here.

According to the town council, several residents have contacted both council member Nathan Umbriac and Town Administrator Jillian Barrick, expressing concern about crossing at the new roundabout.

"One of the problems is there are no signs that say slow down for that roundabout and people are hitting that roundabout fast right now and they are not educated to slow down," council member Sandi Mayer said.

Earlier this fall, the Morristown Council addressed motorists' concerns about the new roundabout at Morris and Spring Streets, as well as concerns about bike lanes throughout town.

"I've noticed driving down Speedwell, sort of in the third ward, people are now using it as parking and they are blocking those bike lanes, which is now forcing the bikes even more into the road than they were before," Mayer said.

According to Mayor Tim Dougherty, Morristown was not aware or notified in advance that the state was planning on adding the new bike lanes on Speedwell.

Speeding and road safety have been brought to the council's attention several times in the last year. This past fall, resident Mary Morse reported excessive speeding on Continental Avenue, claiming that drivers speed down South Street, ignoring the crosswalks that are in place.

Read more: Speeding Concerns Once Again Raised At Morristown Council Meeting

Earlier this summer, resident and Morristown High School teacher John Madden petitioned for tighter Grant Street speed limits on multiple occasions.

Wednesday's presentation is being held in collaboration with Avenues in Motion, a nonprofit organization based in Morris County.

Avenues in Motion is one of New Jersey's eight Transportation Management Associations (TMAs).

The nonprofit has been serving the area since 1986, first as Morris County Rides and then as TransOptions before finally changing their name to Avenues in Motion this April.

The organization provides support and educational programs to communities, businesses, schools and other groups on issues related to transportation safety, the environment, along with sustainable commuting options.