New Speed Limit After ‘Many Woes’ On Montclair’s Grove Street

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Grove Street is about to get a little bit slower… and it may just save a life, officials say.

Earlier this week, the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders unanimously approved a resolution that consents to a five-mph speed limit reduction for the entire length of Grove Street in Montclair.

The April 11 resolution coincides with Montclair’s recently adopted municipal ordinance passed Nov. 13, 2017, to reduce the speed limit on Grove Street from 35 mph to 30 mph as recommended by a speed study report, a freeholder news release stated.

Montclair Mayor Robert Jackson said that “Grove Street will be safer for everyone as a result.”

According to a joint freeholder statement:

“Grove Street, known as County Route 623, is an urban minor arterial roadway under Essex County jurisdiction. The corridor is primarily residential and is characterized by mixed residential, retail, restaurant, and school uses. The recommendation to reduce the speed limit comes from a speed limit reduction evaluation conducted by the Sam Schwartz Consulting firm of Jersey City, New Jersey. The 2016 evaluation, determined the proposed reduction to 30 mph would ‘improve the safety of the pedestrians and the vehicular traffic along Grove Street.’ As a main thoroughfare in Montclair, Grove Street has known many woes of traffic incidents including the recent fatalities of Maya Moar, a 26-year-old au pair from Holon, Israel, who was struck on Grove Street in February; and Montclair State University Adviser and Montclair resident Mary DeFilippis, who was struck in June of last year. Residents have complained the problems are a combination of speeding, poor lighting on the street, and a lack of means to force drivers to stop.”

• See related article: DeCamp Bus Strikes, Kills Montclair Au Pair From Israel
• See related article: Montclair Woman Dies After Bloomfield Driver Hits Her With Car
• See related article: Montclair Teenager Struck By Car On Grove Street

Freeholder President Brendan Gill, a Montclair resident, said that it’s imperative the safety of Essex County motorists and pedestrians remains a top priority.

“By reducing the speed limit on one of Montclair’s main thoroughfares, we are taking an important step towards increasing public safety while being mindful of the needs of our communities,” Gill said.

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