METUCHEN — Borough police will introduce the Slow Down in Our Town campaign on Monday, Oct. 27.
According to Traffic and Safety Officer Robert Belluscio, the campaign will officially launch with a press conference to be held on Norris Avenue at 10 a.m. with borough Mayor Tom Vahalla.
Belluscio told the Sentinel in a previous interview that the goal of the campaign is to address the problem of speeding, especially in school areas and neighborhoods with a lot of children, such as Norris Avenue, one of the main streets Metuchen High School students use to walk home.
The hope is that the signs will reduce the risk of students being struck by a vehicle as they walk home from school. The signs will remain on the street for one week before being relocated to another area.
Metuchen will be joining Edison, Woodbridge, North Brunswick, South Brunswick and Dunellen in the county’s goal of improving the speeding problems within Middlesex County.
Eva Dice, 15, is a sophomore at Metuchen High School. She usually walks home from school and has had problems in the past when crossing the street, especially when a police officer isn’t there to provide assistance in crossing.
“Yes! All the time,” Dice said when asked if she had ever had a problem trying to cross the street because a car wouldn’t slow down. “Most won’t stop when you’re trying to cross the street, and not everyone abides by the speed limit. When there is a cop there, it’s not as bad, but that doesn’t say much for when there isn’t one.”
But Dice mentioned that it’s going to take a lot more than a street sign to slow cars down — it’s going to take enforcement by the police to let drivers know that they’re serious about what the signs say.
“It’s a good idea but will definitely need some serious enforcement,” she said. “Drivers aren’t going to change their habits much just because people have signs in their yards.”
And while Dice hopes that Metuchen policewill back up their new campaign, 15-yearold sophomore Mariah-Lynn Black said she isn’t confident that the campaign will be a complete success.
“I think it has very good intentions, but I don’t know if it’ll work as well as one would hope,” said Black.
Participating in the campaign is as easy as placing a sign on the front lawn early in the morning, when traffic begins, and then taking it off at night.
Anyone interested in participating in the campaign can call Belluscio at 732-632-8546.
Contact Lauren Mortenson at