Town Council: The Big Question

Question 4: What question do you find yourself being asked most frequently by prospective voters and how do you handle it?

Kevin J. Ryan: The conversations and email exchanges with Verona residents have in the past involved taxes, town budgets, open fields and other quality of life issues such as improving the overall appearance of the town.  These topics have now been eclipsed by what I will call “safe streets ” concerns in Verona.  The tragic death of Megan Villanella and the critical injuries to her brother that were caused by a car going out of control on Lakeside Ave brought renewed attention to safety on all streets in town for pedestrians, bike riding and motorists. Many of these issues have existed for years and unfortunately, it does often take a tragic accident to bring the focus back on the overall problems that exist.

I am not going to comment on the specifics of this accident since it is still involved in a legal process but as the Mayor, I have had conversations with the Town Manager, Township Engineer and police officials as to steps we can take to make the streets safer. Many of our traffic concerns involve county roads such as Bloomfield Ave, Lakeside Ave and Fairview. With this in mind, the mayor and council directed the manager, police chief and town engineer to meet with county officials to discuss what steps could be taken to make streets safer for everyone. This meeting has taken place and the discussion is ongoing.

Chief Stern has also informed me that April is “National Distracted Driving Month.” Police will be targeting driver behaviors that distract from safe driving, such as talking and texting on handheld cell phones. The Verona police have also been issuing more tickets for speeding violations.

Mr. Cavallo, members of the police department and I also recently attended a meeting at the Essex County Police Academy that focused on traffic safety on what is being called “The Bloomfield Ave Corridor Campaign.” Representatives from all the suburban towns along the avenue as well as state and county officials attended. The focus of this meeting was how to improve pedestrian safety along the avenue.  I encourage everyone to go to www.bestreetsmartnj.org for information on steps that are being considered. The Verona police are discussing options and a plan to address “safe streets ” initiatives specifically related to town problems. I am ready to offer my support to any reasonable steps to address the safety issues that local police and county officials identify.