ARTICLE: Safety Isn’t Just a Priority—It’s The Foundation Of Our Campaign

By Sean Keagan Foley | Published in the Union County Hawk, October 10, 2024

As a Garwood councilman, I have made it my mission to focus on what matters most: ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. From investing in our police and fire departments to enhancing pedestrian safety and addressing mental health challenges, I’ve dedicated my tenure to making Garwood a safer, stronger, and more connected place for all. I am running for re-election because I believe we can do more to achieve these goals—and I have the vision and experience to make it happen.

Public safety starts with ensuring that those we trust to protect us have the necessary tools. When I became Finance Chair, I discovered that our police and fire departments were using radio equipment over three decades old—unreliable and outdated technology, putting both responders and residents at risk. I prioritized funding to replace this aging equipment with state-of-the-art communications technology, so our first responders can respond faster and more effectively in an emergency. This modernization is not just a practical necessity; it’s a commitment to the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect ours.

However, safety is more than just emergency preparedness; it’s about how we move, walk, and connect as a community. One of my key priorities has been improving pedestrian safety and creating a more walkable, family- friendly Garwood. I advocated for extending sidewalks along West Street as well as a pedestrian signal and crosswalk at the intersection of South Avenue and West Street, one of our busiest roads, to protect families, children, and seniors crossing to access local businesses and amenities. The sidewalks have been installed and our engineer is currently working with the council to bring the crosswalk to fruition. These are just a few small pieces of a broader plan to make our streets safer and more welcoming.

We need more than crosswalks—we need a network of safe sidewalks and traffic-calming measures that reduce speeding and make every corner of Garwood walkable. I’ve proposed implementing curb bump-outs and bike lanes to further slow down traffic and encourage safe, shared use of our streets. I also want to investigate the use of accessible pedestrian signals at our busiest intersections to make it safer for our visually impaired residents and visitors.

Throughout my two campaigns and the “Walking Garwood” initiative this past year the most common concern I heard is speeding. Speeding remains a major problem in our town, and I’ve heard from residents in nearly every neighborhood about this ongoing issue. It’s time for a comprehensive approach to tackle speeding head-on. I propose the creation of a “Safe Streets Committee” composed of residents, police, and traffic safety experts to analyze problem areas and recommend effective solutions, from rumble strips to improved signage and enforcement. By working together, we can develop targeted strategies that make our streets safer for everyone. The only way to reduce this issue is a community collaborative approach. I am confident we will move in a direction that keeps our streets safer.

Thank you Garwood.