Westfield residents press council for bike, pedestrian safety after cyclist’s death; officials pledge signage, county talks

Dozens of residents and regional cycling advocates urged the Westfield Town Council on Tuesday to take immediate steps to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians after the Aug. 4 death of cyclist Wajid Abdul Haq on North Avenue.

The urgency of the public comments came from multiple speakers representing local and county cycling groups, family members of the victim and long-time residents. John Pisco, president of All On Cycling Club of New Jersey, said New Jersey’s safe passing law requires drivers to “always give at least 4 feet of space when passing” and urged the town to install MUTCD-approved signs to put the rule in front of road users. “By installing these official road signs throughout our community, we will significantly increase driver awareness and save lives,” Pisco said.

The request was echoed by Steven Dunn, president of Union County Connects, and by multiple local cycling organizations including Bike for Life. Speakers described repeated near-misses on Westfield streets, cited the town’s 2019 Bike & Walk Master Plan and asked the council to implement protected or striped bike lanes, starting with corridors identified in the plan.

Mayor Brindle and council members acknowledged the grief and concern expressed at the meeting and described ongoing work. Councilman Healy said the town had placed shared-bike markings on Prospect Street and created “bike oasis” facilities with racks and repair stations, and he urged continued public pressure on county officials. Town Administrator Jim Gilbreath said the town has an outstanding request to Union County to add bike lanes on county roads and noted the county’s current Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant work could produce a countywide lane policy that would allow Westfield to move faster. “We’ve had this standing request to the county for the past two years,” Gilbreath said, adding that the town has offered to fund and maintain lanes if the county grants approval.

Officials said the town has taken several targeted steps: signing and placing some “4-foot passing” educational material on the town website, participating in county SS4A planning, installing shared-lane markings on Prospect Street and creating covered bike parking at the high school and downtown. Council members and staff did not vote on any new ordinance or immediate lane striping at the meeting.

Speakers pressed two specific near-term actions: request county placement of the MUTCD-approved safe-passing sign at the North Avenue location marked by a ghost bike, and a town effort to increase MUTCD-spec signage on town roads. Council members encouraged residents to keep pressure on county commissioners and said they plan to attend the county meeting on Sept. 18 to press for action.

Town staff and the council emphasized county jurisdiction as a practical constraint: many major corridors residents identified—North Avenue, South Avenue, Central Avenue and East Broad—are county roads. Officials said coordination with the county is required to place signs or restripe those streets.

The meeting did produce no new town ordinance or binding direction to reallocate capital funds; speakers and council members characterized the evening as the start of renewed public advocacy and intergovernmental talks. Several residents asked the council to prioritize implementation of the 2019 Bike & Walk Master Plan recommendations.

The council recommended continued public outreach, repeated requests to the county, and potential small, local pilot projects the town can implement on municipal streets to demonstrate the safety benefits of striping and signage. Council members invited cycling advocates to continue working with staff on targeted proposals.

The council closed public comment and moved on without a formal vote on signage or lane implementation; officials said they would continue conversations with Union County and would revisit specifics once county policy guidance and funding opportunities from SS4A are clearer.