IT TAKES A VILLAGE. Our Children. Our Streets. Our Community.

Hi all, we’ve reached 64 signatures on this petition—thank you so much for your support! Thanks for being part of this!

 Bergenfield  Friends and Neighbors,
For four years, every resident seat on the Traffic Safety Committee has sat empty. This isn't theoretical anymore — it's something residents have had to show up and raise in person, at the podium, in front of the full Council, asking directly why. We've done that more than once now. The answer hasn't changed. The seats are still empty.

Why we keep showing up: Officials have told us, on the record, that "there is no need to have residents involved in public safety-related matters." But OPRA data tells a different story — 107 pedestrians and cyclists struck since January 2022, 16 of them this year alone. A committee without residents in the room isn't "working fine." It's working without the people who actually walk and bike these streets — our kids included.

To be clear — this isn't an attack on Police. Events like Bike with a Cop matter, and we're glad they happen. Officers spending a Saturday teaching kids bike safety is a good thing, full stop. But a photo op isn't a substitute for a seat at the table when real policy gets decided. We can thank the department for outreach and still demand the structural seat back. Both things are true.

What real resident involvement looks like: It really does take a village — and Bogota just proved it with their own Recreation Committee, with a plain, open invitation: "Bring your questions. Share your ideas. Or simply learn more. Your participation matters." That's not a radical ask. That's just letting residents in the room for the decisions that shape our kids' everyday lives.

This is where you come in. A petition signature matters, but right now we need more. We need residents calling their Council members directly and asking, point blank: where do you stand on refilling these seats? Officials respond to pressure, and pressure means numbers — both on this petition and on their phones.

What you can do today:
Sign the petition if you haven't yet.
Call or email your Council member — ask directly where they stand on reinstating resident seats.
Share this with neighbors. It takes all of us — the louder this gets, the harder it is to ignore.  Let's keep going.