Essex County Freeholders to Reduce Speed Limit on Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange into Verona – TAPinto.net
(Newark, NJ) – During its Wednesday, December 19, 2018, meeting at the Hall of Records, the Essex
County Board of Chosen Freeholders, in a unanimous vote approved a Resolution consenting to the
reduction of the speed limit on Pleasant Valley Way within the vicinity of West Orange High School and
Kelly Elementary School, in West Orange.
This Resolution coincides with the town’s recently adopted Ordinance passed on October 16, 2018, reducing the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph.
Pleasant Valley Way, also known as County Route 636, is a high traffic arterial roadway under Essex County jurisdiction. The street stretches from open areas with little to no foot traffic, in the vicinity of Turtle Back Zoo and South Mountain Reservation, to a mixed residential, retail, and concentrated pedestrian environment that ends at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue in Verona.
With West Orange High School and Kelly Elementary school at the center of this corridor, the Board of Freeholders
acted in accordance with the West Orange Town Council in an effort to protect county citizens from the
dangers of high speed traffic accidents, while being in compliance with School Speed Zone limits.
Freeholder President Brendan W. Gill, along with the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, has
prioritized addressing issues regarding transportation and pedestrian safety. The recent tragedies in
Montclair, Millburn and throughout Essex County have garnered the Board’s focus and attention. As
President Gill stated, “In light of the recent string of pedestrian accident fatalities throughout Essex
County, the Board of Freeholders is prepared to enact any and all measures that can be taken to protect
our citizens, especially children and young people, from the dangers of traffic accidents. Working with
Mayor Parisi was a great experience. We will continue to keep lines of communication open on
improving safety in our communities.”
“Road safety is one of the most important roles any township faces,” said Mayor Robert Parisi who stands
in unison with the Board. “The decreased speed limit will give both motorists and pedestrians the
opportunity to see each other and reduce accidents.”
Traffic safety has always been a hallmark of Freeholder President Gill’s public service agenda. In 2013,
he sponsored a Resolution Establishing and Adopting an Essex County Complete Streets Policy. The
Complete Streets Policy provides a comprehensive multi-modal network of transportation options to
provide safe access for all users. The policy ensures all improvements ruminate the recommendations of
Complete Streets first and consider connections for Safe Routes to Schools, Safe Routes to Transit,
Transit Villages, as well as trail crossings and areas or population groups with limited transportation
options.
The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders will continue to treat the safety of Essex County citizens
as a priority of the highest order.