Carnage in NJ the Traffic Fatality Count

As of November 17th
535 Deaths vs 532 in 2016
Drivers - 296 (58 motorcyclists)
Passengers - 75 (2 motorcyclists)
Pedestrians - 148
Bicyclists - 16
Source - NJ State Police

Some Victims from this Week
Michael Nierstedt, 29 Jersey City Off Duty Firefighter Killed as a passenger on Paterson Plank Rd in the City
Kassidy Bush, 15 A Palmyra High School Student killed as a passenger from a crash during a Route 130 Police Chase. The driver of the stolen vehicle a 17-Year-Old boy was reported in critical condition.
Jose Furtado An owner of a Dunkin Donuts in Paterson killed by a driver as he was sweeping leaves from the drive-thru lane of his own store.
Matthew Muklewicz a motorcyclist who was killed by a suspected drunk driver on Route 1 in Edison

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of victims of traffic violence. New Jersey needs a comprehensive Vision Zero Policy. 

A Similar Map of Bicycle and Pedestrian Fatalities in Massachussetts

A short presentation on the Intersection of Vision Zero and Complete Streets in New Jersey

Here is the presentation that I gave at the NJ Complete Streets Summit in New Brunswick on the intersection of Vision Zero and Complete Streets.

Vision Zero and Complete Streets by BCGP on Scribd

In Memoriam - New Jersey's List of 2017 Traffic Victims as of May 6th

As of May 6th, 164 people have lost their lives in Motor Vehicle Crashes in New Jersey.

Children on Foot

Dominick Michael Cecere, 17

Jenna Marie Griffin, 13

Terry DiFalco, 13 

Elderly Persons on Foot

Joseph Stanco 67

Srogi B. Grazyna, 65

Unknown Male, 65

Edgard Cruz, 67

Gloria DaCruz, 89

Unknown, 65

Dr. Jan Huston-Pryor, 66

Brian A. Saverino, 70

Marie Tauro, 80

Bettina Scordley, 83

Persons on Foot

Dorcas Frimpong 52

Carlos Quezada, 26

Dawn Fisher, 42

William Rivera, 60

Joseph Kowalski, 41

Gupar Bola, 58

Jose L. Espiridion, 38

Josette Morales, 47

Caleb J. Serrano, 32

Thomas G. Langolis, 35

Jason Duvilla, 33

Kenneth Voropay, 63

Gina Russomanno, 57

Lea Pringle, 39

Thomas Snow, 52

Megan Villanella, 34

Christina Cooper, 42

Glen Fleming, 49

Melvin Thomas, 57

Melanie Girandola, 52

Perets Schinerman, 61

Brian Paoletta, 43

Myriam Roman, 83

Russel Maffai, 57

Julius Franklin, 60

9 Unknown

Persons on Bicycles

William Nash, 57

Sylvia L. Frazer, 55

Susan L. Kinnan, 57

Unknown, 38

Persons on Motorcycles:

Randolf English, 42

Anthony Evans Jr, 18

Kedar Boyce, 25

Paul Borges, 37

Jason Hutchison, 37

Mikalai Monak, 46

Michael Doney, 58

John Rolick, 65

Jeffrey Ramirez, 29

Steven Boden, 31

Crystal Unis, 34

Xiaole Fu, 21

ATV

Sam DeGregorio, 26

Nicholas Cunningham, 14

Passengers in Motor Vehicles

Joseph Sauro, 67

Colleen Burgos, 39

Rene Munoz, 29

County Road 651

Zaira Rijos-Laureano, 37

Shimoon Khan, 52

Joel Patrone, 22

Danielle Nicole Allen, 38

Chaquana Little, 28

Carol Maccri, 73

Peiran Shi, 20

Darlene Gindhart, 52

John Asmat, 40

3 Unknown

Drivers of Motor Vehicles

Keely Blaney 18

Ronald Hurless, 70

Devonte Brooks, 21

Joel Rone, 32

Gary Lee Smith, 71

Deveiba Martinez, 49

Todd Gersh, 43

Jack DeCarlo, 75

Latasha Grant, 43

Sean Doerr, 29

Larry Haywood, 50

Kyia Fredericks, 25

Michelle Levine, 61

Gerard Haburay, 63

Maddie Everett, 76

Shane Stewart, 25

Harold Barnett, 86

Juan Rojas, 42

Robert Johnson, 73

Kevin Hogan, 42

Joshua Austin, 28

Steven Kahn, 75

Fred Egerton, 64

Shaukat Bhatti, 54

Michael Black, 51

Russell Pepperess, 90

Paul Pankley, 69

James Esposito, 73

Joshua Rivas, 21

Malaga Road

James Varga, 67

Richard Blevins, 29

Robert Piotti, 51

Laura Russo, 63

Kenny Dale, 21

Glen C. Dafcik, 57

Michael Stoddard, 49

Syed Hussain, 66

Jessica Baker, 31

Mohamed Charles, 37

Steven Sharkey, 39

Shakur Loyal, 18

Betty Wylie, 73

Alicia Montello, 25

Gary Sliker, 37

Raymond Andreola, 28

Miguel Mendoza-Chong, 31

Addam Knowlson, 22

Nancy L. Rees, 78

Purcell Livingston, 51

Larry Helwig, 72

Brian Fani, 25

Darleen Marshall, 52

Frankely Guiterrez

Aleksander Klos, 17

John Fahey, 51

30 unknown

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

Vision Zero - Tracking All Traffic Fatalities In New Jersey

We at the Walk Bike Jersey Blog are dedicated to the concept of Vision Zero. Last year 608 lives were lost on NJ roads. That is 608 too many. To help understand the scope of this ongoing tragedy we are hosting the 2017 NJ Traffic Fatalities Map. It is based on the daily accident (crash) report from the NJ State Police Website and news reports and will be updated several times a month.

To learn more about Vision Zero and efforts going on elsewhere in the US and the world visit the Vision Zero Network.

WalkBikeJersey co-author Andy Besold continues to keep the WalkBikeJersey Facebook Page up to date https://www.facebook.com/WalkbikejerseyBlog/

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