FREEHOLD – The Borough Council in Freehold Borough has taken action to re-establish crosswalks that officials said were inadvertently removed during a repaving project on West Main Street (Route 537).
West Main Street is under the jurisdiction of Monmouth County.
On Feb. 18, council members adopted an ordinance that will establish pedestrian crosswalks at the following intersections and locations:
• Across Barkalow Avenue 600 feet west of the intersection of Patten Street and 400 feet east of the intersection of Michael Lane;
• Across Broad Street on the northern side of the Club Place intersection;
• At Dutch Lane Road, beginning at a point 1,407 feet east of the centerline of Broadway;
• Across West Main Street on the eastern side of the McLean Street intersection, 588 feet west of Throckmorton Street;
• Across West Main Street on the western side of the Brinkerhoff Avenue intersection, 95 feet west of Yard Avenue;
• Across West Main Street at the eastern side of the Lincoln Place intersection, 107 feet west of Manalapan Avenue.
According to the ordinance, several longstanding crosswalk locations were inadvertently removed during the repaving project and although the crosswalks had been in existence for many years, not all of them were included in the borough’s ordinance as designated approved crosswalks.
Through the ordinance, the crosswalks that were removed will be reinstated and designated as approved crosswalks.
The ordinance states that the public has long been using those crosswalks with no adverse consequences and that the Freehold Borough Police Department has recommended their inclusion in the schedule of approved crosswalks.
“The mayor and council have determined it is in the public interest to revise the ordinance pursuant to the recommendation,” the ordinance states.
In other business, council members authorized the renewal of a shared services agreement with Monmouth County for emergency dispatch services provided by the communications division of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.
The agreement for the police communication services will be effective for a three-year period to Dec. 31, 2022, according to a resolution, after which it may be renewed by the borough and county.
As stated in the resolution, borough officials have found that the agreement will be beneficial to residents.
According to the agreement, Freehold Borough will pay the county $197,305 for the communication services in 2020 and the annual fee is subject to a 1.5% increase for each following year.