Message from Councilman Roshan (Roc) White | September 5, 2025
With the 2025-26 school year beginning yesterday, Scotch Plains is once again filled with all the excitement and anticipation that comes each September. It remains a key objective of the Township Council, as well as the Administration and the Scotch Plains Police Department, to ensure our roads are as safe as possible for our children, families, educators and residents.
As we saw yesterday, there is now an influx of people walking and riding their bicycles to and from our schools. Recognizing the volume of increased traffic for Back to School, we continually ask the police department to identify new ways to ensure even safer streets in Scotch Plains.
Police Chief Jeff Briel has been an excellent partner. He is reminding residents of important safety protocols to ensure the well-being of our students and the entire community, as our streets are now filled with the morning and afternoon rush to the public, private and parochial schools in our area.
We are asking for continued vigilance and cooperation from everyone, especially motorists. As always, we will work together to protect our children and ensure a safe environment for learning and growth.
This year, we have added a new crosswalk, as well as “no parking” signage, on Mapleview Court, a residential road off Hetfield Avenue that connects to the back path of McGinn Elementary School. As you can imagine, many children walk along Mapleview Court and we want to make it as safe as possible.
Our police department has also increased street patrols during the morning and afternoon arrival/dismissal times around the schools to help with the flow of traffic and ensure that all pedestrians are following the rules to maximize safety.
Moreover, we have installed pedestrian crossing signs at the intersection of Westfield Road and Grand Street, a residential neighborhood between Route 22 at Westfield Avenue. We have added another crossing sign, as well, at Westfield Road and Evergreen Avenue, which is right next to Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School.
These new safety initiatives were proposed by the police department with the strong support of the town’s Administration.
The police are continually examining at other side streets in Scotch Plains that are commonly being used as pass-throughs, especially when school is in session, and identifying other traffic-calming initiatives as we work together to make the roads as safe as possible for our students at the community at-large.
If you believe a particular intersection or other area of town needs additional traffic-calming measures, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Police Department at 908-322-7100. Also, for the latest emergency notifications, regarding any potential hazards or concerns in our area, please make sure to sign up for First Alert.
My best wishes to all of our students, educators and support staff as we kick off an exciting new school year in Scotch Plains.
