West Orange Township commences Main Street Improvement Plan

West Orange Township and the Downtown West Orange Alliance started the Main Street Improvement Plan roadway and traffic pattern project on the city’s Main Street as part of the Complete Streets Initiative, the town announced Oct. 19.

The Complete Streets Initiative is a pedestrian safety plan developed by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, geared at designing roadways that account for the safety of all pedestrians, vehicles and bicycles.

West Orange will receive up to $10,000 in technical assistance for Complete Streets projects, awarded by the NJTPA. It’s one of eight cities to receive this assistance.

Road milling, repaving and restriping of Main Street from Park Drive North to the border with Orange will change the road’s current four lanes into two lanes, allowing for additional parking, slower traffic and added safe access for pedestrian and cyclists.

Such work is known as a “road diet.”

Our hope is that residents and visitors along Main Street are able to slow down, stay safe and better enjoy our community.

“We are looking forward to the better management of our Downtown Main Street,” said DWOA Executive Director Megan Brill in a prepared statement. “We hope residents and visitors to Main Street are better able to park their cars and enjoy the many businesses located in our Downtown corridor with enhanced transportation safety.”

West Orange Township Pedestrian Safety Committee Chair Jerry Guarino said his organization has been working with the County Engineering Department to secure this roadway management plan. “Our hope is that residents and visitors along Main Street are able to slow down, stay safe and better enjoy our community,” he said.