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Westfield council mourns cyclist killed Aug. 4, renews focus on bike-and-ped improvements
Summary
The mayor and council marked the death of a bicyclist and highlighted planned bike-and-pedestrian improvements, including dedicated lanes to the train station, pedestrian-first signals and an upcoming county Safe Streets grant review.
Mayor Brindle told the Town Council of Westfield that the town is mourning the death of a bicyclist and reiterated a focus on bicycle and pedestrian safety projects. "I once again extend our deepest, deepest condolences to his family," Brindle said of Wazhi Abdul Haq, who the mayor said was killed while bicycling on North Avenue on Aug. 4.
The mayor framed the tragedy as underscoring "the urgent need to improve bicycle infrastructure," and reviewed elements the town had already incorporated from its bike-and-pedestrian plan, adopted in February 2019. Those elements include dedicated bike lanes to and from the train station, new bike lanes under the South Avenue underpass, a proposed mobility hub with bike and scooter parking at the South Avenue station, and safety-focused intersection treatments, including pedestrian-leading intervals at 10 key intersections.
Brindle also said the council awaits recommendations from Union County's Safe Streets for All grant process and urged residents to advocate for dedicated bike lanes, noting the town has been working with the county on pilot lanes up East Broad Avenue. Brindle thanked local cycling and advocacy groups for a recent memorial ride and the installation of a ghost bike; participating organizations listed by the mayor included Families for Safe Streets New Jersey, Union County Connects, the Nikhil Badlani Foundation, Bike for Life, Ride and Pedal Movement, and Vision Zero New Jersey Alliance.
Why it matters: the council tied a recent fatality to broader policy steps the town is pursuing to reduce crashes and improve active-transportation connections to schools and transit. Brindle did not propose new ordinances in the remarks but highlighted capital and design features the town plans to pursue and to coordinate with the county.
The council also said it anticipated the county grant recommendations would provide additional opportunities to strengthen bicycle policy and infrastructure on county roads that run through Westfield. No formal action or new funding allocations were approved at the meeting on the subject; the remarks were delivered as part of opening comments.
