Help Us Identify These Victims

For the most part traffic fatalities are covered in newspapers and on TV. But a few have seemed to fall through the cracks. If you have any news links or details of these tragedies please reply in the comments section.

1 Driver, Gloucester City - Interstate 676 MP 2-4-17
2 Pedestrian, Randolph Township - Reservoir Dr 1-13-17
3 Pedestrian, Pennsauken Township - Route 70 2-7-17
4 Driver, Parsippany Township (Mount Tabor), Simpson Ave  1-2-17
5 Driver, Woodbridge Township, Route 9 1-8-17
6 Elderly Pedestrian, Haddon Township (Westmont) 1-13-17
7 Pedestrian, Paterson, Illinois and Trenton Ave, 1-16-17
8 Pedestrian, Lakewood Township, Route 9 1-13-17
9 Passenger, Verona Borough, Pompton Ave (Rt. 23) and Claridge Ave 1-24-17

New Ideas To Make New Jersey's STROADS Safer For All

Every year the Tri State Transportation Campaign publishes the Region's most dangerous roads for walking report and Route 130 in Burlington County consistently makes the list. Between 2009 and 2013 57 pedestrians were reportedly hit by motorists on the corridor between Bordentown and Pennsauken but 14 of them (25%) were killed.

Many urbanists and pedestrian safety advocates identify Route 130 as an exemplary case of what urban planners now call a STROAD.  Charles Marohn of Strong Towns defines it better than I could in this article.

"A STROAD is a street/road hybrid and, besides being a very dangerous environment (yes, it is ridiculously dangerous to mix high speed highway geometric design with pedestrians, bikers and turning traffic), they are enormously expensive to build and, ultimately, financially unproductive"

The New Jersey version of a STROAD is particularly hazardous. They feature jug handles that function like mini on-ramps, menacing anyone walking or biking along a STROAD. Those eponymous Jersey Barriers do a wonderful job preventing head on collisions but they replaced medians for pedestrians to wait and have proven to be deadly for wildlife. The Tri State Transportation Campaign found that STROADS were responsible for 70% of the pedestrian deaths in New Jersey.

As for Route 130 The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is currently conducting a corridor wide study that builds upon the Commission's 2012 report of the bewildering 130/206 merge in Bordentown Township. The 130/206 report offers some interventions that for the first time shows in an official government document a tangible effort to tame the STROADS of New Jersey.

If we are serious about Vision Zero, complete streets and quality of life in New Jersey then we need reimagine STROADS as attractive Multi Way Boulevards. Route 130 in Delran is an area where serious pedestrian and motor vehicle crashes have occurred. Converting the 6 lane STROAD to a Boulevard would make it safer walk and bike along and across the highway, while reducing conflicts. There is already enough right of way here to accommodate everyone safely without creating gridlock.

Multi-Way Blvd with service road for commercial access and bike lanes.

Route 130 Today

Death by Walking Fuels Increase in NJ Traffic Deaths.

According to the NJ State Police 563 people were killed by motor vehicle crashes in 2014, a 4% increase from 2013. However people in cars and on bicycles actually saw slight declines. There were 170 people killed by motor vehicles while walking in New Jersey, a 28% increase. Pedestrians now account for 30% of all fatalities in New Jersey but as the US Census American Community Survey shows only 3.1% of the residents walk to work.

Sources: NJ State Police and US Census American Community Survey
*Census includes Taxi and Motorcycle riders

Inattentive driving (distracted?), impaired driving and speeding were the primary factors for 73% of all fatal crashes. Traffic deaths take their greatest toll on older New Jerseyans, more than 50% of the victims were aged 50 and over.


The societal and economic losses of traffic fatalities is almost impossible to comprehend. The National Highway Safety Administration estimates that in 2010 the economic and societal costs of each traffic fatality was about 6 Million dollars, which tallies up to a $3.4 Billion loss for the State of New Jersey in 2014, nearly equal to NJDOT's entire transportation budget.

Non-ADA Compliant crosswalk on Route 130 at Holy Cross High where
20 year old Christal Smith was killed by a red light runner in 2013

A Vision Zero approach to road safety has been successfully implemented in Sweden, reducing fatalities by 50% since 1970. In Sweden a resident has a 1 in 38,000 chance annually of dying in a crash, while in New Jersey resident has a 1 in 16,000 chance**.

Traffic volumes and traffic deaths in Sweden are on opposite trend lines.

Recently New York City and San Francisco have adopted Vision Zero policies. While much of the early discussion in NY and SF has been around education and enforcement the Swedes have attained much of their success through improving the infrastructure as quoted in this article in the Economist.

Planning has played the biggest part in reducing accidents. Roads in Sweden are built with safety prioritised over speed or convenience. Low urban speed-limits, pedestrian zones and barriers that separate cars from bikes and oncoming traffic have helped. Building 1,500 kilometres (900 miles) of "2+1" roads—where each lane of traffic takes turns to use a middle lane for overtaking—is reckoned to have saved around 145 lives over the first decade of Vision Zero. And 12,600 safer crossings, including pedestrian bridges and zebra-stripes flanked by flashing lights and protected with speed-bumps, are estimated to have halved the number of pedestrian deaths over the past five years.

Completes Streets policies have been aggressively promoted to counties and municipalities by NJ DOT, but while many local governments have adopted policies few have been willing to implement changes. Vision Zero is the broader reaching goal that provides clarity and accountability for strategies like complete streets policies as well as targeted education and enforcement.

**Traffic fatalities divided by total population

Route 82 Pedestrian Improvements Project Public Meeting in Union

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Route 82 (Morris Avenue) Pedestrian Safety Improvements

Public Information Center
Wednesday, November 13, 2013 from 4:00 – 6:30 PM
Union Township Municipal Building
1976 Morris Avenue, Union

Please come at a time that is convenient for you. You will have an opportunity to review
exhibits, ask questions and discuss issues with representatives of the NJDOT and our design
consultant.

Project Overview
Route 82 (Morris Avenue), from Caldwell Avenue to Lehigh Avenue, has a pedestrian crash rate greater
than the statewide average. As part of the Pedestrian Safe Corridor Program, several specific
measures were proposed to improve deficiencies and remove obstacles that prohibit safe walking
through the 2+ mile corridor. Nine signalized intersections and thirty-six total intersections were
studied and advanced to Concept Development Alternatives.


View Larger Map

NJTPA Kicks Off Street Smart NJ Pedestrian Safety Campaign

Street Smart NJ is a public education, awareness and behavioral change campaign being piloted in five New Jersey communities – Hackettstown, Jersey City, Long Beach Island, Newark, and Woodbridge.  The campaign uses outdoor, transit, and online advertising, along with grassroots public awareness efforts and law enforcement to address pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

Street Smart NJ emphasizes educating drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists through mass media.  It complements, but doesn’t replace, other state and local efforts to build safer streets and sidewalks, enforce laws and train better roadway users. In other words Street Smart NJ is part of the "Education E" of the four prong approach to road safety - Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation.

While the bestreetsmart.nj website offers safety tips for all road users, the emphasis in the pilot safety campaign is pedestrian safety. More than 1/4 of all fatal traffic crash victims in the state are pedestrians.

The campaign is coordinated by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) and supported by federal and state funds, with funding/in-kind contributions from local partners.

 The Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety pilot campaign is scheduled to run for approximately four weeks in the late fall of 2013 (Hackettstown, Jersey City, Newark, Woodbridge) and in early summer of 2014 (Long Beach Island).

Street Smart NJ - Pedestrian Safety Zone

Assembly Members Singleton and Conaway Roll Out Pedestrian Safety Bills

Assemblymen Troy Singleton and Herb Conaway, Jr. M.D. (both D-Burlington) have introduced an ambitious three-bill package including a vulnerable road user bill to boost pedestrian safety throughout the state, particularly in Burlington County where Route 130, considered the state's most dangerous corridor, is located.

On March 18th 20 year old Christal Smith of Delran was struck and killed in the crosswalk on Route 130 with the walk signal in front of Holy Cross High School. Then on April 8th 44 Year Old David A. Lee was critically injured crossing at a similar crosswalk on Rt. 130 at Millside Rd.

The legislative package Singleton and Conaway introduced this week will sharply stiffen fines and penalties for pedestrian-related motor vehicle crashes in order to help fund what they view as the three critical E's to improving pedestrian safety - education, enhanced engineering and enforcement.

Why were 3 Wayne boys crossing Rt 46 on a train trestle?

Simple!  There is absolutely no other way for the kids to walk or bike between the area neighborhoods and towns.

If you haven't heard, over the weekend two boys were hit and killed by an NJ TRANSIT train and another injured as he jumped off the trestle bridge to avoid getting hit (Read the informative and well written article from The Star-Ledger).  This tragedy happened at where I 80, NJ 23 and US 46 all intersect.  This interchange is locally know as the "Spaghetti Bowl" due to its seemingly endless and dizzying expanse of twisting, turning off-ramps and clover leaves.  Unfortunately this interchange was built in an era when no consideration was given to the needs of pedestrians or bicyclists looking to travel between the surrounding neighborhoods.  Even more unfortunate, at least one of the possible alternative crossings was given a major renovation within the past 15 years with nary a consideration given for anything other that the efficient flow of motor vehicle traffic.


View Location of Wayne double fatal NJ TRANSIT crash in a larger map

If you take a close look at the above map I prepared, you can see that there are no practical routes for miles around for non-motorized road users looking to travel north or south over both I 80 and US 46 anywhere near the NJ 23 corridor. 

Federal bicycle and pedestrian funding in danger!

The message below comes from our allies at the League of American Bicyclists.  Our readers should note that New Jersey policy makers have long seen the value in providing bicycle and pedestrian project funding but the loss of federal monies would still be a major blow to the efforts of creating safer streets for those that walk or bike in New Jersey.

Lawmakers threaten to end Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Rec Trails Programs.	Take Action!
Contact your Senators and Representative today!
Key Congressional leaders are attacking Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational trails and are taking steps to cut off dedicated federal funding for bicycling and walking. House Transportation Chairman John Mica (R-FL) announced today that his transportation bill will eliminate dedicated funding for bicycling and walking, including Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program, and discourages states from choosing to spend their dollars on these activities that are “not in the federal interest.”  Chairman Mica’s statement that these programs remain “eligible” for funding is worthless; without dedicated funding for these three programs, they are effectively eliminated. Things on the Senate side are not much better. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the lead Republican negotiator on the transportation bill, declared that one of his TOP THREE priorities for the transportation bill is to eliminate ‘frivolous spending for bike trails.’  This is in direct conflict with Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) commitment to maintain dedicated funding for biking and walking.  However, the Senate is working towards a bi-partisan solution, and Senator Inhofe’s comments mean funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs is at risk of total elimination. Help protect Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails. Contact your Members of Congress and tell them to reach out to Senators Inhofe, Boxer, and Congressman Mica to urge them to continue funding for these important bicycling and walking programs. Need some good facts to bolster your argument?  Read on:

Op-Ed: "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This July 4th, our Nation will celibate these greatest of Thomas Jefferson's words.  They are the cornerstone of our freedoms and were the thrust of our fledgling Nation's Declaration of Independence ratified 235 years ago today.  I think that it goes without question that all Americans will agree that nothing is more American than Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  These "inalienable Rights" that all "are endowed by their Creator" cannot not be infringed upon no matter what peaceful and legal endeavor one so chooses.

However as someone who regularly walks and rides a bike, I cannot help but wonder if these rights, do not apply to me when I travel using these modes.  As a free American, I hereby declare that I demand the return of my rights of "Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" no matter what legal form of travel I so choose.

Life - I demand the right to walk or ride my bicycle on the public right-of-way free of the real fear that my life is in imminent danger due to:

• roadway engineering that continues to ignore the practical needs of bicyclists and pedestrians.
• the poor driving skills of the operators of motor vehicles and the government agencies that continue to allow these incompetent persons to legally operate said motor vehicles with impunity.
• laws, police and a legal system that regularly ignore the rights and the sanctity of life of bicyclists and pedestrians, even when a bicyclist or pedestrian is killed or injured due to the carelessness or even wanton recklessness of a driver of a motor vehicle.

Liberty -

• I demand the liberty to walk or ride my bicycle from anywhere to anywhere, within reason, by a route using the public right-of-ways that is safe, convenient, relatively direct and that is at least of equal distance to that which the driver of motor vehicle may travel.
• I demand that the government agencies that are charged with developing and maintaining the public streets and roadways, build said streets and roadways with proper contemporary bicycle and pedestrian facilities that encourages the liberty of movement of those not driving a motor vehicle.
• I demand that no other person, law enforcement or other government official question this right of liberty no mater the location of were one is legally traveling on the public right-of-way, or the time of day or night that one chooses to travel on the public right-of-way.

Pursuit of Happiness -

• For those of us that choose to walk or bike for recreation and/or transportation, these activities are often for us, "the pursuit of Happiness."  For myself, few of the good things in life are more fulfilling and full of joy than a long and challenging bicycle ride on the public roads that pass through the beautiful New Jersey countryside.  Unfortunately, rarely does a ride go by where a stressful incident does not occur due to one or more of the reasons already listed above.  As such I demand that not only our government but our fellow citizens do all that is reasonable to preserve this right.  In return, I swear to do all in my power to defend this right for my fellow Americans as long as their pursuits are peaceful and do not have other detrimental effects upon our society.

Enjoy your Fourth of July but remember that the continued enjoyment of these three most basic American rights will only be preserve so long as citizens of this Great Nation continue to remain vigilant.

Take the National Walking Survey

This comes to WalkBikeJersey from the folks at America Walks.  Please take the time to take their survey.

Please take the National Walking Survey today!

Help America Walks learn more about who walks, and why we walk.  

This survey will take only 5 minutes to complete and results are anonymous.

The National Walking Survey results will help walking advocates understand what motivates avid walkers, and what keeps others from walking more. Once the data is analyzed, America Walks will tell you what we've learned to help promote walking in America. 

America Walks encourages the broadest possible participation in the  

National Walking Survey.  Please feel free to post, tweet, and forward this message. 

For more information, contact us at info@americawalks.org.

Thank you, in advance, for your participation.

Carter Headrick

America Walks Board President

 

Click here to take the survey NOW!

Christie Admin. announces $7.6 million in Local Aid grants

33 grants to be awarded through four Local Aid programs

The following is a verbatim copy of the NJDOT press release with the same above title.  Readers should note that monies awarded from all four individual grant programs are helping to pay for projects intended to make improvements for bicyclist and pedestrians almost exclusively. -Ed.

(Trenton) - The Christie Administration today announced that the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will award 33 grants worth a total of $7.6 million to municipal and county recipients through four Local Aid programs.

The state-funded grants will support projects that competed for FY 11 funding under the Transit Village, Centers of Place, Bikeways and Safe Streets to Transit programs, each of which falls under New Jersey’s $200 million Local Aid program. A total of 237 submissions competed for the funding.

Tri-State releases Most Dangerous Roads for Walking - 2011

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign released its third edition of its report titled The Region's Most Dangerous Roads for Walking (2011).  Included with the 10 page report are a series of factsheets for each county in the area that the TSTC covers along with links to interactive Google maps showing the locations of the crashes and the hotspot roadways.  New Jersey gets special consideration by TSTC as it is the only state to have the crash data for all of its counties broken down.  


This map Middlesex Ped Fatals 2007-2009 is a sample of the interactive maps produced by TSTC.

While another superb report by TSTC, I have two small nits to pick with the rankings and the report itself.

Pedestrian deaths are always more than just statistics

I was reading The Star-Ledger today (yes, real newsprint) and came across the tragic story of the life and death of Joao Silva written by columnist Barry Carter.  It was so touching that I felt must be shared with you all.  Stories like this, that put a real human face on the statistics we hear about everyday, are important to remind us what's at stake.

Silva was the chef at St. Philip's Academy who had a knack for sneaking healthy vegetables into the school lunches without the kids ever noticing.  He was hit and killed while crossing Central Ave in a crosswalk directly in front of the school, as he walked to work back in early November.

Barry Carter's story about Joao Silva and his memorial service can be found here.

The original story about the fatal crash can be found here.

Teaneck looking for local input on bike/ped plan

The following comes to us from good folks at the Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University via their New Jersey Bike Ped Listserv (Go to https://email.rutgers.edu/mailman/listinfo/nj_bikeped to sign up. It's open to all interested parties and is a great place for announcements but you won't get spammed emails everyday.)

All Teaneck residents -- especially bicyclists and pedestrians -- are encouraged to attend the Planning Board Meeting on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 8:00 PM at the Teaneck Municipal Building, 818 Teaneck Road for a presentation regarding the Teaneck Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Study. The plan was prepared in cooperation with both the Township of Teaneck and Bergen County, with assistance from the New Jersey Department of Transportation - Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs. The goal of the study is to increase the use of bicycle and pedestrian travel in the township, thereby improving personal health, traffic conditions, and the natural environment.

The presentation will include an overview of existing conditions, as well as the proposed recommendations for improvements in Teaneck for bicycle and pedestrian travel. Following completion of the study, the Study Task Force hopes that the plan will be adopted by the Planning Board as a component of the Teaneck Township Master Plan. All members of the public are encouraged to attend.

To obtain more information about the plan, please access the Teaneck Bicycle-Pedestrian plan Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/Teaneck-Bike-and-Ped-Facebook or contact Steven Wong at swong@mbakercorp.com


--
New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Rutgers University
33 Livingston Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Telephone: (732) 932-6812
Fax: (732) 932-3714

http://www.njbikeped.org

Rutgers' John Pucher and VT's Ralph Bueler do it yet agian

I've said it before but when John Pucher speaks, the bike/ped world listens. While his latest work with his protégé Ralph Buehler, now at Virginia Tech, is not revolutionary, it is none-the-less a comprehensive update of the comparative analysis work that Pucher (and now Beuhler) have become famous for. This latest paper titled "Walking and Cycling for Healthy Cities" is a feature article in the UK journal Built Environment. An e-copy of the journal issue can be found here and a free copy of a plain text version of the article from John Pucher's webpage can be found here.

The abstract of this article is as follows:

Walking and cycling are the healthiest ways to get around our cities, providing valuable physical activity for people on a daily basis. These forms of active transport also generate indirect public health benefits by reducing the use of automobiles, thus diminishing air, water, and noise pollution and the overall level of traffic danger. This paper provides a broad overview of the role walking and cycling can play in making our cities healthier. First, we summarize the scientific evidence of the health benefits of walking and cycling. Second, we examine variations in walking and cycling levels in Europe, North America, and Australia. Third, we consider the crucial issue of traffic safety. Finally, we describe a range of government policies needed to encourage more walking and cycling: safe and convenient infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks, bike paths and lanes, and intersection crossings; traffic calming of residential neighbourhoods; integration with public transport; land-use policies that foster compact, mixed-use developments; people-friendly urban design; improved traffic education; strict enforcement of traffic regulations; and reductions in motor vehicle speed limits.

Essentially, much of their work looks to compare the difference countries make in investments in walking, biking, transit, education and polices, and then find corresponding correlations in walking, biking and transit use rates, obesity rates, crash statistics, etc.. Their work in making the argument for investments in walking and biking (and transit and good urban form) is quite compelling.

An example of Pucher's and Buehler's comparative analysis work from a previous publication. Not surprisingly the USA always has the lowest rates of walking and cycling while being the fattest and most dangerous to walk and bike, amongst many other dubious distinctions.

Previous WalkBikeJersey articles on New Jersey's and Rutgers' own John Pucher can be found here and here.

Bergen County Prosecutor calls hit & run pedestrian crash "vehicular homicide"

In an interview on NJN News on Monday, January 3rd, the Bergen County Prosecutor, John Molinelli is calling the hit-and-run crash that killed Dr. Paul Kudowitz "vehicular homicide." According to the report, Dr. Kudowitz was crossing Broad Avenue at 5:30 on December 24th as he was walking home from a Friday night prayer service at his daughters house for the Jewish sabbath.  Police found parts from the vehicle that hit Dr. Kudowitz and are looking for a mid 1990's Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban or extended cab truck that is either white or cream in color.

It is interesting to note that the Prosecutor is talking vehicular homicide at this moment without even knowing much about the driver.  Usually the only time this charge is used in a fatal pedestrian or bicycle crash is when the driver is drunk, otherwise impaired or in the act of committing a crime.  The NJN report says that Broad Ave were Dr. Kudowitz was struck and killed, is marked at only 25mph but that drivers routinely speed on this roadway.  This would seem to indicate that the prosecutor may be taking the likely speed of the vehicle into account in considering such a charge (pedestrians hit at 25mph are very likely to survive a crash).  Undoubtedly the driver will also be charged with hit-and-run along with any other charges.

All too often in the past, drivers who speed and kill pedestrians, are usually not even charged with anything or are given a slap on the wrist when they are charged with "failing to yield to a pedestrian," which is a couple of points and a few hundred dollar fine.  This is truly a cheap price to pay for taking a life.  In hit-and-run situations, if there is no other criminality, the driver will usually just be facing the hit-and-run charges with the minor "failing to yield to a pedestrian" charge.  While hit-and-run is a serious crime, it is secondary to the primary offense.  If the driver stops, they usually weren't charged with anything in the past, even if they were speeding.  It seems as if attitudes are changing, at least when pedestrians are rundown by motorists.

To see the NJN News report for yourself follow this link, click on "Monday" and advance to time stamp 14min 15sec.  The link will only be good for a week as there are no longterm online archives for NJN News and there is no way to directly embed the video here.

December a bad month for pedestrians in New Jersey

As we celebrate the holiday season with our families and friends, and begin to reflect on this past year, there will many families questioning the blessings of this season as they deal with the tragic and seaming senseless loss of loved ones killed or injured during December.

I bring this up today because I picked up my local weekly paper and read about an 86 year old man who was killed crossing US 1 at an intersection in North Brunswick I often use to cross the highway when riding my bike around town. Wanting to see if I could find out more about what happened to this poor gentleman I did a quick search for the term "pedestrian" in the local New Jersey news. Unfortunately the number of pedestrian crashes I came across was very disheartening. On top of that, I noticed that a vast majority of the victims were either over the age of 60 or children.

However, what is the equally disturbing is continued tone, in many of the stories, that seem to blame the victim, along with forum comments that do so outright. Yes! Many times pedestrians can make foolish moves. We've all seen people that seem to willfully dare us to hit them while we are behind the wheel. And we've all have come close to making big mistakes on the road whether on foot, on a bike or in a car. However, being a pedestrian wearing dark clothing is not a crime nor should it ever be a a quick and easy excuse for a driver in a crash (admittedly, crosswalks with lighting to maximize a driver's ability to see pedestrians are far and few). And merely trying to cross a certain street at a certain location during a certain time is also not a crime but actual comments like, "Only a fool would attempt to cross the highway at the time of day" (source) continue in the on-line forums.

Only thing that we can do is to keep trying to make New Jersey a safer place for those who get about without a car. Hopefully the New Year will prove better then the last.

The story links are below:

Elderly pedestrian is struck, killed on Route 1 in North Brunswick
The Star-Ledger • Monday, December 13, 2010

Pedestrian fatally struck by carjacked vehicle in East Orange during police chase is identified
The Star-Ledger • Friday, December 17, 2010

After being hit by car, Bayonne woman on the mend
The Jersey Journal • Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Sadly, another death on the road
Daily Record • Monday, December 20, 2010

Dover, NJ: Pedestrian struck crossing Route 46
Daily Record • Monday, December 13, 2010

Manchester pedestrian dies from injuries suffered in accident
Asbury Park Press • Monday, December 20, 2010

Marlton woman, 42, hit by car on Route 70
Courier Post • Thursday, December 23, 2010

Pedestrian struck outside Hillsborough Municipal Complex
Courier News • Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Hillsborough accident seriously injures pedestrian, 46, on Route 206
Courier News • Saturday, December 18, 2010

Ewing pedestrian suffers broken leg; pinned under car after icy collision
The Times of Trenton Thursday, December 2, 2010

Pedestrian hit by car remains hospitalized
The Record • Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Pedestrian struck by car dies from injuries
Wayne Today • Thursday, December 16, 2010

"Pedestrian hit by alleged drunk driver"
Belleville Times • Friday, December 17, 2010

East Rutherford resident killed over the weekend
South Bergenite • Tuesday, December 21, 2010
(comments informative)

"West Milford boy, 12 injured crossing road"
Suburban Trends • Sunday, December 19, 2010

Lakeland student remains at trauma center
Suburban Trends • Wednesday, December 15, 2010
(approximate crash site)

Pedestrian struck in Fair Lawn
The Record • Saturday, December 4, 2010

2 teen pedestrians struck by car in Fair Lawn
The Record • Thursday, December 2, 2010

Three teens hit by vehicles in Ridgewood on Friday afternoon
The Ridgewood News • Friday, December 3, 2010

Red Bank and Ocean Township move forward with bike/ped plans

Greater Media Newspapers, The Hub and The Atlanticville both reported about progress in bicycle and pedestrian plans in Red Bank and Ocean Township respectively in the past 7 days. Both preliminary plans were done by the firm Urban Engineers, headquartered in Philadelphia but with an office in Cherry Hill, and funded by NJDOT. The news reports seem to indicate that recommendations for Red Bank seem to focus around bike lanes, sharrows and better crosswalks while those for Ocean Township are for trails, sidewalks, some bike lanes with an emphasis of provided safe routes to schools and parks. For more details read the articles linked above.

"Freehold bike study - NEED HELP"

The below message is from Freehold Councilman John F. Newman. Somehow it ended up in my spam folder so wasn't included in my original notice about the unveiling of the Freehold Borough bike study. If you read on you will get some insights into what the Freehold study has to offer. I've never meet Councilman Newman but it sounds like he's putting his neck out to support cycling so I suggest that we cover his back on this and show up to this meeting.

Subject: Freehold bike study - NEED HELP

Hi,

About one year ago, I was elected as a councilman in Freehold Borough. One issue that immediately reared its head was an ordinance that was passed (before I was sworn in) which required bikes to be parked at bike racks in town, despite a dearth of bike racks.

I railed against this issue, and soon thereafter secured a NJ DOT grant to have a bike-ped study of the town. That study is about to be unveiled to the public for their review and comment, but I am learning of some opposition to the study, namely how it could affect the downtown.

I am reaching out to bicycle advocates so that they can assist me in garnering support to ATTEND the meeting and bring their views of the benefits of a bike-friendly community. Being in Freehold Borough, some items in the DOT study were to link the Henry Hudson trail to the downtown, link the rest of the 1.9 square mile borough to the downtown, and linking the borough to points outside its boundaries, such as the Monmouth Battlefield and other nearby parks. Also, within town is proposed a bike path/trail. This will map out places of historic interest and a tour of Springsteen's Freehold. Of course, the study also takes into account safety of bicyclists and pedestrians.

As noted, there is some resistance. I would appreciate it if you you and your friends could help me by attending the December 20, 2010 meeting. The public portion starts at Freehold Borough Hall at 4:00 until 6:30; then the council meeting starts at 7:00 where a presentation will be made directly to the mayor and council.

Your support and input will be greatly appreciated as well as your comments on the beneficial aspects bike-friendly communities - the concept still has to be sold.

Thank you for your support,

John F. Newman

View Larger Map of the location of Freehold Borough Hall

Freehold to reveal results of NJDOT funded bike/ped study

Around this time last year my colleague here at WalkBikeJersey, John Boyle of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia was rightly incensed about a highly restrictive bicycle parking policy in Freehold Borough and posted a stinging criticism of that policy here on our blog. Well it was my understanding that either from the reading about it here on WalkBikeJersey or by some means of direct communication John got a conversation started about bicycle issues with the borough council.

Now comes word (via a friend who is a member of the Central Jersey Bike Club) that Freehold Borough is about to release a bicycle and pedestrian plan funded by a grant from NJDOT. It shouldn't be forgotten that Freehold is home to the most amazing Metz Bicycle Museum, a true gem of cycling history that literally has international importance.

Below you will find the announcement from Freehold Borough Councilman John Newman about the unveiling of the plan at an upcoming council meeting. WalkBikeJersey will be there to give you a report on the results. I hope the report is as good as some of the others WalkBikeJersey has reviewed lately (1,2) and that bicyclists come out and show support for the project.

The announcement reads:

Hi, my name is John Newman, Councilman in Freehold Borough.

Freehold will be unveiling a study from the NJ DOT on bike and pedestrian safety, etc.; part of the study is making the borough bike friendly and linking the borough to its downtown and to outside the borough, including linking the Henry Hudson Trail to the downtown.

However, the mayor and the rest of council need to be shown that their is support for a bike-friendly Freehold Borough, and that there are benefits for the residents and the businesses. Believe it or not, there is some resistance to a bike-friendly town.

I would very much appreciate it if you could inform your members of the meeting where this plan will be unveiled and ask them to attend and show their support as well as provide comments for improvements.

The meeting is at Freehold Borough Hall, West Main Street, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 20 for comments, and a presentation will be made to the mayor and council at the regular meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Please lend your hand to making Freehold Borough bike-friendly for all.

Thanks,

John F. Newman, Freehold Borough