Petition Started In Montclair: Make Church Street Pedestrian-Only

MONTCLAIR, NJ — “Church Street has been and will continue to be a go-to place for me, but it also needs to be safe and enjoyable.”

That’s the sentiment that’s powering a petition to the Montclair Town Council on Change.org, which seeks to make Church Street in Montclair “pedestrian only.” More than 100 people have signed the online petition since its launch.

Here’s the argument from the original poster, Lucy Ziesing:

“Church Street has been and will continue to be a go-to place for me, but it also needs to be safe and enjoyable. We, as residents of Montclair, should be able to enjoy a stroll or a meal on Church Street without having to worry about cars speeding past. I propose to close Church Street off to thru traffic, beginning with summers. Every summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Church Street would be pedestrians only. Exceptions would be made for delivery trucks during a designated period of time, Monday-Friday.

“By making Church Street pedestrian only it will allow restaurants and shops to extend their outdoor space, it will ensure people's safety, and it will make Church Street an even more popular destination. Plus, with all of the new construction and hopes of drawing more people to Montclair, a pedestrian only Church Street will allow for everyone to enjoy a day in town safely.

“In order to ensure that absolutely no cars can access the street, I also propose installing two automatic rising bollard barriers on either side of the street.

“If making Church Street pedestrian only is successful during the summer months, perhaps it can be made a year-round, permanent, pedestrian-only street.”

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