10 Crashes In One Week Leads to Lower Speed on Schooley's Mountain

If a majority of members of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders approve, the speed limit on Schooley’s Mountain Road will officially be reduced from 35 miles per hour to just 25 miles per hour.

That vote will come on Jan. 28, but the signs have already been put along the roadway after Washington Township saw seven crashes in the span of a single week between James Trail and Maple Avenue. Another three crashes were recorded on the northern side of the mountain in the area of Cataract Park during the same time frame.

Those crashes, however, did not occur on the recently milled section just south of Camp Washington Road, a piece of roadway that saw a record number of crashes in 2014.

In January’s spate of crashes, road conditions have been slippery at times, but not impassable. Some motorists involved in the crashes told police there was too much salt on the roadway, which lead to the county coming out with a street sweeper to remove it.

As a result of the crashes, the speed limit signs were erected last week, but are not yet enforceable. That won’t come until the Freeholders approve the drop in speed on the 28th.

The roadway is owned by the County of Morris but patrolled by Washington Township Police, which, in the past, has resulted in difficult dealings and communication between town and county.

“We’re trying to collaborate (with the county) to fix this,” Washington Township Police Lt. Doug Compton said. “Something has to be done. Hopefully this move works.”

Pictured: Recently installed speed limit sign on Schooley’s Mountain Road just south of James Trail.

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