Council backs NJDOT’s preferred Upper Raritan Avenue ‘road diet’ alternative

The Highland Park Borough Council adopted a resolution supporting the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s preferred alternative for an Upper Raritan Avenue road diet while emphasizing the borough’s intent to pursue additional safety measures such as a reduced speed limit and more controlled pedestrian crossings.

Council President Stephanie Kim Tohar described the preferred alternative as reducing vehicle lanes to one in each direction, adding bicycle lanes on both sides and including a center turn lane to accommodate left turns from driveways and side streets. The center turn lane was presented as a response to concerns that motorists might otherwise use bike lanes to bypass waiting vehicles.

Tothar said the resolution reflects prior work with NJDOT and that partial implementation — striping and signage between the roadway curves — could be expedited this year; full implementation, including ADA sidewalk upgrades and right-of-way work, would come in a later phase (projected 2027–2028 in the meeting report).

The resolution was included on the consent agenda and carried with a unanimous roll call. Council members also reiterated the borough’s commitment to petition for a lower posted speed limit along Raritan Avenue and to request additional marked crossings, both of which the resolution notes as council priorities.

The council did not provide project-level design or funding details during the meeting; NJDOT remains the implementing agency for state-owned roadway work.