Township Considers Ordinance To Set Speed Limit On Walnut Avenue At 25 MPH

In an effort to curb speeding on the stretch of Walnut Avenue between North and Lexington avenues, the Cranford Township Committee is planning to approve an ordinance on Aug. 16 that will set the speed limit on this stretch of road at 25 miles per hour.

At the present time, the speed limit in front of the Cranford Library is 25 miles per hour, but further down the road, motorists are permitted to drive 35 miles per hour when school is not in session. During school hours, the speed limit is reduced to 25, with flashing signs alerting drivers to the change, according to Sgt. Gerard Quinn of the Cranford Police Department.

Quinn, who said the Police Department has no official comment on the Township Committee's proposed ordinance, said he isn't aware of any chronic problem with speeding in that area, and police routinely take measures to curb speeding throughout the municipality.

"I'm aware of no ongoing problem on Walnut Avenue," Quinn said.

In response to concerns from residents on Walnut Avenue in the past, there have been traffic studies and police have implemented measures ranging from radar patrols and flashing speed limit signs to checkpoints.

The impetus for the speed limit effort, Mayor Dan Aschenbach said, was conerns raised by neighbors on that street after the Cranford Community Center was built.

"This is second time we have done this process. The time before, the ordinance had to go to state for state approval," Aschenbach said, adding that this time, it only needed county approval.

"People have to realize Walnut goes through residential areas and cars just have to slow down," Aschenbach said.