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Emerson council asks county for raw data before weighing Kinderkamack Road speed change
Summary
Faced with a county request to lower a segment of Kinderkamack Road to match Westwood, Emerson council members requested the county’s traffic and crash data before considering an ordinance to change the borough speed limit.
Emerson officials on Dec. 17 declined to act immediately on a county proposal to lower the speed limit on a portion of Kinderkamack Road and asked borough staff to obtain the county's raw traffic and crash data before making a decision.
The county and Westwood reportedly proposed aligning speed limits where the roadway crosses municipal borders; Rob Hermanson said Westwood plans to lower its speed to 30 mph in the adjacent jurisdiction and the county asked Emerson to do the same "to make it consistent." Council members noted the borough had not received a formal traffic study and asked staff to request raw counts and crash statistics so the council could evaluate whether a change would address a documented public-safety problem.
Rob and borough staff agreed to request the county and sheriff's office data and bring it back to the governing body. Council members emphasized they wanted evidence — such as accident rates or speed counts — before considering an ordinance to change a locally posted speed limit.
