Like many parents, there’s nothing I love more on these beautiful spring days than taking my toddler, Emmett, out in the stroller to explore our beautiful parks and playgrounds. Westfield’s charm is in its Downtown, its neighborhoods, and its welcoming green spaces. But all too often, that joy is interrupted by apprehension when we approach certain intersections or try to cross certain streets. I find myself quickly shuffling across and worrying whether we’re just one distracted driver away from becoming another statistic.

I know I’m not alone. The number one issue people raise with me when I knock on doors is fast, reckless driving on their residential streets that should be quiet and safe. The second most common concern? That parents feel forced to be full-time Uber drivers for their children because walking or biking to school, sports, or a friend’s house just doesn’t feel safe enough for them to get there on their own. When our streets are not improved, it puts us at risk, clogs our roads with traffic, and chips away at the very character that makes Westfield special.

I will build on the strong foundation laid by our Public Safety Committee and the great work accomplished by our Police Department. For years they enlisted community feedback, independent consultants, and the NJ Department of Transportation to put together a plan to address these issues. They’ve set the foundation and I will work to ensure the town and the Police Department have the funding, staffing, and tools they need to continue that critical work. I’ll also make sure that the street safety plans—ones that have been thoroughly researched and shaped by community input—are put into action, not just shelved and forgotten.

We can imagine—and create—a better future for Westfield. A town where every street feels like a charming, tree-lined lane. A town where parents don’t have to rearrange their entire lives just to make sure their kids get safely from Point A to Point B. A town where we no longer open the local paper or scroll through neighborhood forums to learn that another neighbor was struck while trying to cross the street they’ve lived on for decades.

We don’t have to accept danger as the status quo. Better, safer, calmer streetscapes are within reach. We just have to believe they’re possible—and take action to achieve them. I’m ready to do the work. I hope you’ll join me in imagining what our neighborhoods can be, and making Westfield the safe, walkable, and charming town it deserves to be—for Emmett, for your family, and for all of us.

Drew Pecker

Candidate – Ward 4 Westfield