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West Orange engineers outline Safe Routes to School PIC March 30; DOT grant pays design and construction, town reimbursed
Summary
Consultant Tom Lamato of GPI briefed council on a Safe Routes to School project funded through NJDOT. He said the preliminary engineering phase ends with a public information center on March 30, that the program reimburses design, construction and administration and that the project will include solar programmable advanced‑warning signs and required ADA ramp upgrades, with final construction likely in 2027.
Tom Lamato of engineering firm GPI told the West Orange Council the Safe Routes to School project is concluding preliminary engineering and will hold a public information center (PIC) on March 30 for residents within 200 feet of proposed improvements. Lamato said the federal program (administered by NJDOT) reimburses design, construction and construction administration costs to the township, while requiring extensive environmental and categorical‑exclusion documentation. He emphasized the town will be fully reimbursed but that the paperwork and design steps are intensive.
Project features described included solar, programmable advanced‑warning crosswalk signs that can be pre‑programmed to school calendar times and overridden via an app; coordination of sign timers across intersections within a limited communication distance; and required evaluation and upgrades of accessible ramps in project areas. Lamato said the signs will be capable of app overrides for early dismissals or snow days and that the township requested additional intersection signage in a later grant round after DOT denied an earlier scope change.
Timeline and outreach: Lamato said more than 400 notices were sent to nearby property owners and that the PIC will display large aerial maps for each intersection. After the PIC and finalization of the categorical exclusion document, the project will advance to final engineering and then to construction procurement and work that is likely to extend into 2027. Lamato cautioned that this is not a quick municipal aid job; the federal process typically takes longer and involves additional administration.
Councilors asked practical questions — how signals coordinate with existing hanging flashers, whether the program mandates mail‑order pharmacy equivalents (asked during the previous presentation and answered there), and whether signage could be expanded in future grant cycles. Administration said the town will assist with notices and social‑media postings for the PIC and coordinate school outreach to reach parents.
Ending: Lamato encouraged residents to attend the March 30 PIC; the consultant said township staff will forward questions to the project team and incorporate resident feedback into the final engineering package.
