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Bloomfield Avenue safety raised as residents cite rising crash totals; council says county talks and study underway
Summary
A Verona business owner cited rising crash counts on Bloomfield Avenue and urged immediate action; the mayor and council said the road is under county jurisdiction, noted a Boswell Engineering study and promised continued coordination with Essex County and local policing.
A local business owner urged immediate attention to pedestrian and traffic safety on Bloomfield Avenue, telling the Verona Township Council that Boswell Engineering recorded 88 crashes in 2023, 125 in 2024 and 141 in 2025 on that stretch.
"Residents and business owners are experiencing these dangers every day," Josh Jacobs told the council, describing near-miss incidents and asking what immediate steps would be taken to reduce crashes and protect customers and pedestrians.
Council response: The mayor and council noted Bloomfield Avenue is a county road. The mayor said the town has commissioned Boswell Engineering to study whether a 25 mph speed limit is appropriate on county roads and that Verona is in ongoing conversations with Essex County about enforcement and traffic-calming measures. The mayor also invited the police chief to brief the council this summer on enforcement activity.
Why it matters: Jacobs and others said rising crash counts are harming residents and local businesses and urged more visible and structural safety measures (flashing crosswalks, meaningful speed reduction, additional signals). The council said its authority is limited on a county road but said it will press the county and pursue policies (such as a complete streets policy) that support lower speeds and safer design.
Next steps: Council members asked administration to continue county talks, consider adopting a complete streets policy to bolster safety requests to the county, and arrange a police briefing on enforcement steps taken along Bloomfield Avenue.
