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Residents press council on Wanaque Avenue speeding and parking; mayor, police outline enforcement limits
Summary
Local business owners and residents urged action on speeding, parking meter abuses and crosswalk safety along Wanaque Avenue. The mayor said enforcement is limited by county jurisdiction but pledged increased patrols and county outreach; the police chief pointed to a current traffic study and camera use limitations.
Several downtown business owners and residents used the public‑comment period to press the borough for faster action on speeding and parking along Wanaque Avenue, where speakers described repeated near‑misses, blocked short‑term parking and the safety risk to children crossing to local parks.
Randy Pratt, owner of Randy's Homemade Ice Cream, told the council: "What I've heard this evening sounds fantastic... The main purpose of why I'm here tonight is what's happening in front of my ice cream shop on Wanaque Avenue. I'm noticing way too many incidents with cars speeding up and down Wanaque Avenue." Pratt said long‑term parking by the same vehicles frequently occupies the 15 customer spots outside his shop and urged stricter enforcement and potential meter changes.
Resident Charlene Strafone said she is worried for her 12‑year‑old daughter and described repeated near misses at a local crossing: "I've seen so many times when I've been there... near misses to the point where I'm honestly very concerned." She asked whether the footbridge repairs will be completed in time for the school year and suggested speed humps or additional oversight as possible solutions.
Mayor (speaker 1) said enforcement is complicated because Wanaque Avenue is a county road and many design or parking controls require county approval, but he pledged to coordinate with the police chief and county officials to seek mitigations such as flashing pedestrian mats, targeted patrols and a possible county-funded resurfacing project that could include pedestrian safety improvements. The police chief said a recent traffic study (July 22–28) showed average speeds near 22.3 mph with 80% of vehicles under 25 mph, and said a new study is underway; he also explained that the borough's cameras cannot be used by themselves to issue moving‑violation citations without ordinance or statutory changes.
Council members and staff discussed practical enforcement options including targeted sting operations and the use of camera footage to investigate reported long‑term parkers, while noting existing statutory limits on tactics such as tire‑marking. The mayor asked the public to report suspected long‑term parking so officers can review cameras and pursue enforcement when supported by the footage.
