Union Co. Mayors Band Together To Improve Route 28 Traffic Safety

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Mayors of Cranford, Garwood, Westfield, Scotch Plains and Fanwood have teamed up to mitigate traffic circulation problems along the Route 28 and South Avenue Corridors — roads that intersect all five towns.

The five mayors, dubbed the Mayor's Consortium, are working collaboratively on master plans, redevelopment plans and general zoning to improve mobility and public safety along the shared corridor that serves over 90,000 Union County residents.

"Each town is poised for growth driven by our desire to drive sustainable economic development and main street revitalization while advancing and embracing our affordable housing obligations," the mayors stated in a press release.

The mayors involved include Kathleen Miller Prunty of Cranford, Sara Todisco of Garwood, Shelley Brindle of Westfield, Joshua Losardo of Scotch Plains and Colleen Mahr of Fanwood.

The consortium's guiding principle is that "development in one town impacts the mobility and fortune of other towns along the corridor." Route 28, or North Avenue, and South Avenues are considered state arterials — or high capacity roads that sit below freeways or motorways — and are the main roads traversing these give towns.

These roads also serve as a primary connector between the cities of Elizabeth and Plainfield, which are major employment centers for Union County residents.

“Our five municipalities represent a strong investment corridor of destination towns and
attractive residential communities,” Fanwood Mayor Mahr said. “Their proximity to
New York City and the Hudson River waterfront, easy access to interstate highway routes, and
convenient location along the NJT Raritan Valley Line make them some of the most appealing
commuter communities in the State of New Jersey.”

Exact parameters that the consortium covers include North and South Avenues from the Garden State Parkway in Cranford to Terrill Road in Scotch Plains. According to the press release, the mayors intend to develop plans to address current and projected future congestion and safety issues, including reducing traffic, improving the vehicular experience and encourage safe pedestrian bike and public transit activities.

Here are some specific goals of the consortium:

• Encourage and enable safe walking, biking, and multimodal transportation along the corridor
• Identify mobility standards that can be applied consistently across each town
• Identify alternate routes and modes of transportation to mitigate congestion/reduce car traffic
• Identify shared service opportunities to support corridor growth
• Identify locations for appropriate traffic calming measures, intersection improvements or road diets to facilitate movement

Many other Union County officials have also been included in the consortium's planning efforts.

The consortium and county officials held their first meeting on April 21, where Transportation Planning Manager Liza Betz agreed to spearhead this initiative on behalf of the county and seek. to implement a comprehensive study of the corridor by early 2023.

“We are grateful to Union County officials for their participation in our discussions and
willingness to help identify solutions that can be economically scaled when looking at a
collective approach,” Westfield Mayor Brindle said. “The logical approach is to ensure our concerns are addressed holistically as we work together to solve the congestion and mobility challenges in this region.”