Council Retains Traffic Consultants, Initiates Crossing Guard Study

The Town Council Tuesday evening decided to retain the town's traffic safety consultant and is in the process of launching a study of crossing guards in town.

Councilwoman Joann Neylan, the chairwoman of the public safety committee, said the committee has asked the police department to conduct a study in the spring of the usage of the town's crossing guards. She said that Westfield has the highest number of crossing guards in the region.

Neylan said the study will look at where the crossing guards are deployed, the traffic at the intersections and other data regarding their jobs. She said the data gathered from this study will help her committee in deciding long term crossing guard policy, including any need to redeploy crossing guards to new intersections town wide or to hire additional crossing guards.

Neylan, in her first report as public safety chairwoman, said the committee has also recommended the retaining of the town's traffic safety consultant, the RBA Group. She said the consultant needs to be retained in order to continue on-going traffic studies which help determine traffic safety upgrades.

She said the consultant played a key role in placing a four way stop at the intersection of Park Avenue and Boulevard last year. Neylan said the consultant will be doing a study of the intersection of South Chestnut and Fourth Street near Gumbert Park in the near future. The Council will formally approve the contract during next Tuesday's meeting. The contract pays up to $14,000 for the year.

"We have continued studies and collecting of data," Neylan said of the consultant.