Meeting Description: NJ Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Council (BPAC) meeting. Location: Voorhees Transportation Center New Brunswick, NJ

Transcription

1 Meeting Description: NJ Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Council (BPAC) meeting Date: June 6, 2007 Location: Voorhees Transportation Center New Brunswick, NJ Participants: See attached list Prepared by: Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University Introduction VTC staff welcomed and introduced participants and thanked them for attending the June BPAC meeting. The key meeting agenda topics included a presentation from Pam Fischer, director of the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety (NJDHTS) and a presentation from Sheree Davis, section chief of the NJ Department of Transportation Office (NJDOT) of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs. BPAC members were also given an opportunity to share relevant updates with the group. Presentations NJDHTS update related to pedestrians and bicyclists Pam Fischer, director of NJDHTS (Please refer to Ms. Fischer s presentation slides for more detailed information). Ms. Fischer explained that the NJDHTS is one of nine divisions of the NJ Department of Law & Public Safety, which is under the NJ Office of the Attorney General. The prime mission of the NJDHTS is to reduce fatalities, injuries and property damage on the roads of New Jersey resulting from traffic crashes. To achieve its mission, the Division utilizes federal funding as a tool to offer traffic safety programs relating to education, enforcement, and engineering. Ms. Fischer emphasized that the NJDHTS is the voice of traffic safety in the state and one of her main goals as the Division s director is to increase awareness of traffic safety related issues, keeping in mind that simple, consistent messages most often effect behavioral changes. With specific regard to pedestrian & bike safety, Ms. Fischer noted that both are key elements of the Division s 2007 Highway Safety Plan, with $929,215 available in funding for education &

2 enforcement. Program emphasis areas include management; pedestrian safety campaigns that are often targeted to children, senior citizens & non-english speakers residing in locales with high incidences of pedestrian crashes; helmet safety awareness initiatives; bike safety campaigns, which are often grassroots in nature and include bike rodeos and safety clinics; and pedestrian improvement projects in targeted locales, such as sites in Essex and Hudson counties. Program management is divided into three geographical regions North, Central and South Jersey. Each region has a program development specialist and a highway safety specialist dedicated to assisting in the development, implementation and monitoring of ped/bike programs. Additional funding for bike & pedestrian programs comes from police traffic services & community traffic safety program grants, which totals over $2 million. To help get the safety message out, NJDHTS employs various strategies, including traveling via a safety cruiser vehicle to bring programs and materials directly to local communities. The Division also issues monthly radio public service announcements to disseminate a consistent message about their comprehensive enforcement and education initiatives. One particular area of focus has been on increasing awareness among the state s Latino community regarding child vehicle safety seats and various pedestrian and bicycle initiatives. The NJ Department of Community Affairs and the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development has assisted the Division with these efforts. New initiatives at NJDHTS include the following: In 2008, non-profit organizations can begin applying to NJDHTS to receive funding for efforts that align with the Division s comprehensive Highway Safety Plan. Currently, only government entities are eligible to apply for such funding. The Shore Communities: Think Safety program is designed to promote a clear message regarding pedestrian, bicycle and boating safety in south Jersey, since there is an increased potential in shore communities in the summer for bike-pedestrian/automobile conflicts and boating accidents. The Think Safety theme will be communicated through aerial banners, posters, parking meter decals and magnetic signs on public safety vehicles. The Atlantic City Pedestrian Task Force was created due to the high incidence of pedestrian crashes that occurred in the city in Specifically, there were 139 pedestrian crashes, resulting in 153 injuries and 2 pedestrian fatalities. In addition to the Division, the Task Force includes stakeholders such as the Mayor s Office, Police Department, Health Safety Office, casino representatives, area bus companies and jitney services. The Task Force has a $42,000 grant to perform educational and enforcement activities this summer in the city, with many of the efforts targeted to reducing the incidence of jaywalking and increasing the number of motorists obeying the yield to pedestrians law. The Newark Walk Safe Pilot was created due to the high number of pedestrian related injuries occurring in the city in Specifically, 644 pedestrian injuries occurred in Newark in 2005, representing 10% of all such injuries in New Jersey. The UMDNJ is leading the initiative and has partnered with the Mayor, Police Department, Board of Education, charter schools and others to use a $25,000 grant with matching funds to teach 2

3 Newark s children pedestrian safety and the rules of the road based on a school-age curriculum model created at the University of Miami. The program will be piloted at the New Horizons Community Charter School and will likely be rolled out to Newark s public schools in the school year. Ms. Fischer emphasized that this program will afford the opportunity to measure the success of the interventions implemented. The Pedestrian Enforcement workshop is a joint effort between the Voorhees Transportation Center, DHTS, DOT and the NJ Traffic Officers Association. This program is a Train-the-Trainer style initiative targeted to police departments and focuses on encouraging driver yielding behavior. The first training session will be held on June 13 th at the Voorhees Center and it will include topics such as identification of problem areas in the community, selection of enforcement sites, design of a comprehensive enforcement program, and preparation of all materials including warning flyers, education flyers and press releases. Each attendee will receive a comprehensive training kit that includes materials on pedestrian laws and safety statistics and relevant videos, PowerPoint presentations, etc. Washington State developed the program and it has been highly effective throughout the country. Mr. Walia noted that a case study of program implementation in Essex County s 22 municipalities will likely be undertaken by VTC, with assistance from the Essex County Prosecutors office. He stressed that when pursuing such programs, it is important to notify local courts so they do not dismiss any ticket violations presented before them that were issued during program sting operations organized by the local police. Ms. Fischer added that an evaluation mechanism will be developed to make it possible to study and monitor changes in driver/pedestrian behavior and pedestrian safety, following program implementation. NJDHTS is also assisting with various legislative initiatives. One particular piece of legislation is being advocated by parties including VTC, NJDOT and Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski and Assemblywoman Linda Stender. The legislation is modeled after a similar Washington State law and is targeted at changing New Jersey s 50-yr-old statute related to motorists yielding to pedestrians. Specifically, the bill would alter the current statute language so that it no longer reads motorists must yield to pedestrians in crosswalk but rather, motorists must stop and remain stopped for pedestrians in the crosswalk. In addition, the legislation requires that drivers making a Right Turn on Red must yield to pedestrians and includes an assumption clause indicating that drivers, not pedestrians, are at fault in a given car/pedestrian collision. Fines for violating the law would increase to $200, with half of that money directed to a Pedestrian Safety Education and Enforcement Fund. Ms. Fischer noted that the bill has generated an overall positive response and already has several Senate sponsors. She added that if the bill is passed, a statewide education campaign will be needed to generate awareness for the law change and the DHTS, with partners including the Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Commission and AAA, will be prepared to assume responsibility for that task. Utilizing simple visuals and a clear, consistent message will be paramount to the success of any such campaign and she reported that Martin Robins of VTC is currently working with Washington State to 3

4 request the latter share their excellent visual diagrams and other aids related to this law for use in public relations/media materials and in targeted publications such as New Jersey s driver s manual, AAA publications and commercial public service announcements. In terms of leadership on the topic of pedestrian safety, Ms. Fischer concluded by reporting that the NJDHTS is working so that the current Governor s Highway Traffic Safety Policy Advisory Committee also serves as the State s Pedestrian Safety Commission, eliminating the need for two distinct advisory bodies. One of the charges of the Committee will be to study, examine and review the state of pedestrian safety in New Jersey and make recommendation for improvement. Ms. Fischer advised the BPAC to feel free to contact her and her staff on any pedestrian/bicyclerelated issue via phone, or the Division s website, Comments & Questions Leigh Ann Von Hagen, VTC, remarked that more bicycle training opportunities should be made available for children, as Bicycle Rodeos do not offer true training and asked if the Division would be supportive of such efforts. Ms. Fischer agreed and noted that the Division would be open to collaborating on such opportunities. Ms. Von Hagen also noted that outreach efforts to the Hispanic population regarding bicycle safety and rules, particularly on topics such as the dangers of riding without bike lights and on the wrong side of the road, should be more actively pursued. Ms. Fischer acknowledged Ms. Von Hagen s comments and concern on this topic. Finally, Ms. Von Hagen commented on the issue of drivers disregarding crossing guards. She asked if perhaps there should be higher fines instituted for crossing guard related violations. Ms. Fischer responded that perhaps the law(s) relating to crossing guards could be reexamined and clarified. She recommended that interested parties reach out to organizations such as the NJ Insurance Council and the NJ School Boards Association. Ken Aloisio, Bergen County Planning, expressed concern that his county cannot proceed with implementation of traffic calming measures without consent of the state Attorney General s Office since they have not yet approved the Traffic Calming chapter of the DOT manual. Sheree Davis, NJDOT, clarified that the NJDOT is still working on the Traffic Calming chapter and that responsibility does not lie with the Attorney General s Office. It was suggested that Mr. Aloisio draft and send a letter to NJDOT regarding this issue. Charles Carmalt, Carmalt Transportation Planning, noted his satisfaction that the NJDHTS is working on a host of pedestrian safety initiatives and expressed support for the pending legislation mentioned by Ms. Fischer. He added that increased enforcement related to pedestrian safety issues must be pursued and stated that efforts should also be taken to ensure that law enforcement officials and emergency response personnel abide by the traffic laws they are supposed to enforce. Ms. Fischer responded that everyone must be a role model in such an effort and remarked that the Governor is very much onboard with this issue, particularly as it relates to speeding by law enforcement. 4

5 Pedestrian Safety: A Priority for New Jersey Sheree J. Davis, NJDOT Bicycle & Pedestrian program coordinator (Please refer to Ms. Davis presentation slides for more detailed information). Ms. Davis shared the following statistics: Since 2001, over 500 pedestrians have been killed on NJ roadways. NJ averages over 5,000 pedestrian injuries per year. NJ ranks 10th in the nation for pedestrian fatalities. Over 21% of all traffic fatalities on NJ roadways involve pedestrians. Nationally, a pedestrian is killed every 2 hours, and 1 is injured every 8 minutes. Pedestrian related crash and fatality rates are the highest in the state s urban locales. Interestingly, 3 out of 4 pedestrian fatalities occur at non-intersection locations. When the circumstances surrounding pedestrian injuries or deaths were examined, it was noted that: Most fatalities occurred in darkness (60%) Most injuries occurred in daylight (64%) Most common fatal pedestrian maneuvers o Crossing at non-intersections 37% o Crossing at intersections 18% o Walking on road with traffic 5% 23% of all pedestrian crashes involve children between 10 and 19 years of age. Three of NJDOT s main goals related to improving pedestrian safety include: 1. Enhancing mobility and access by constructing contiguous sidewalks. 2. Making it safer and easier to cross at intersections by enhancing crosswalks and pedestrian signals. 3. Altering driver behavior through implementation of traffic calming measures. The NJDOT s approach to addressing pedestrian safety involves examining the issue from the perspective of the three E s engineering, education and enforcement. Engineering Improvements: The NJDOT is making engineering improvement to state, county and local roadways Enhanced Education: The NJDOT is working to do more to educate school children, the driving public and those who use walking as a form of transportation and recreation. Stepped up Enforcement: The NJDOT is working to ensure NJ s driving public is aware of the laws that relate to pedestrian rights. Ms. Davis emphasized that Governor Corzine is committed to this issue and has allocated over $70 million to targeted programs such as Safe Routes to School and to pedestrian safety improvements in New Jersey over the course of the next five years. This figure represents the largest dedicated capital investment in the nation focused on pedestrian safety. 5

6 Safety through Engineering. Specifically, the Governor has pledged over a 5 year period to invest: $50 million in pedestrian safety improvements $15 million in grants towards the Safe Routes to School initiative $5 million to improve routes to transit stations and bus stops $2.5 million to establish a Pedestrian Safe Corridor program There is also a commitment to review the current access permit process and incorporate pedestrian safety improvements when considering access permits on state highways. NJDOT is also committed to incorporating future pedestrian safety improvements into all of its appropriate projects. Safety through Education. Specifically, the following changes are anticipated by fall 2007: Develop statewide driver education curriculum Add pedestrian information to the NJ Driver Manual Incorporate pedestrian safety laws into MVC driver tests Safety through Enforcement. The Governor wants to crack down on drivers who do not obey pedestrian safety laws. From March 2006 to February 2007, 2,838 tickets were given to drivers who did not yield to a pedestrian(s) in a crosswalk. The Division of Highway Traffic Safety will continue its grant program that helps local law enforcement enforce pedestrian laws. Also, a Statewide Safe Passage Task Force has been established to examine innovative ways to improve pedestrian safety. Local law enforcement is critical to pedestrian safety enforcement efforts. Since two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities occur on local and county roadways, NJDOT needs to continue their partnership with municipalities, which includes offering them resources to enforce the laws that are critical to ensuring the safety of pedestrians. Safe Routes to School: An Update The federal Safe Routes to School Program provides education, enforcement and engineering support for projects that support and encourage safe walking and bicycling to school. This past year, over 271 applications were received from NJ schools seeking Safe Routes funding. For this funding cycle, approximately $3 million in grants will be awarded and the next solicitation is expected in September Safe Routes to Transit: An Update This effort is designed to improve access and mobility for pedestrians around bus, train and light rail stations. Recommendations for projects to be funded are currently under review with the NJDOT Commissioner. Pedestrian Safe Corridor Program Locales designated for this initiative are selected based on their motor vehicle and pedestrian accident history. Thus far, three corridors have been selected to be evaluated by Pedestrian Safety Impact Teams, who have been and will continue to be deployed to examine the targeted areas and to suggest fast track improvements and recommendations. The three corridors identified thus far are: 6

7 Market St./Ferry St. Newark Route 70 - Cherry Hill Route 27 Roselle/Linden/Elizabeth Safety Impacts Teams have already been deployed to Newark and Cherry Hill. Results included 3,000 feet of sidewalk, 49 curb cuts, and 6 new crosswalks being installed in Cherry Hill. In Newark, the city completed 50 percent of the team s recommendations on their own and the NJDOT Commissioner has awarded $500,000 to Newark to continue implementation. The Route 27 team was deployed on April 24 th and their recommendations are currently under review. The next corridor to be examined is Route 71 in the towns of Avon, Bradley Beach and Neptune. Other Projects Ms. Davis reported that DOT is also working closely with the legislature to address pedestrian safety as a top priority and is working with the Office of Legislative Services to craft legislation that would strengthen Title 39 in terms of pedestrian protection. She added that efforts must be undertaken to work with prosecutors so they do not permit offenders, especially repeat offenders, to plead to a lesser charge when they have incurred a violation involving a pedestrian. Ms. Davis emphasized that Governor Corzine is also committed to improving pedestrian safety within the DOT, through means such as changing the way the Department conducts business and institutionalizing pedestrian and bike safety as a goal in all of the Department s projects. The NJDOT is also committed to retrofitting the existing transportation infrastructure to facilitate improved pedestrian safety. Ms. Davis concluded her presentation by noting that many pedestrian and bicycle related projects and initiatives are advancing through NJDOT, with funding and schedules. Questions, Comments & Updates John Boyle, The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, noted there is a marked absence of bicycle and pedestrian projects listed in the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for the New Jersey counties covered by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), DVRPC. In contrast, the Pennsylvania counties covered by the DVRPC have about $40 million in the TIP for bike/ped projects. Ms. Davis responded that the MPOs need to include more such projects in the TIP so that the NJDOT can address them. Ms. Von Hagen remarked that it might be valuable to examine pedestrian improvements specifically targeted to senior citizens. Ms. Davis responded that the Pedestrian Improvement program would cover such improvements. Ms. Von Hagen later remarked it might be worthwhile for the BPAC to consider forming a subcommittee to examine the topic of complete streets. Mike Kruimer, East Coast Greenway, reported that the mural project in New Brunswick along Rt. 18 on the path commonly referred to as The Trench, was becoming an attraction but that the conditions on the trail are still inadequate. 7

8 Bettina Zimny, RBA Group, noted that the Wharton Safe Routes to School program was featured in the recent League of Municipalities newsletter. Also, the Raritan Township Bicycle Master Plan was featured in the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) newsletter. Concluding Remarks Mr. Walia thanked BPAC members for their participation and indicated he would be in touch regarding upcoming meeting dates. The group then proceeded on a field walk to examine the pedestrian and bicycle facilities at the new Neilson Street/New Street intersection, which is part of NJDOT s larger Route 18 improvement project. 8

9 Meeting Participants Ken Aloisio, Bergen County Planning John Boyle, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia Charles Carmalt, Carmalt Transportation Planning Emilia Crotty, Bike New York Sheree Davis, NJDOT Regina DelVecchio, Baker Corporation Pam Fischer, NJDHTS John Hayes, Morris County Div. of Transportation Richard Kerr, NJ Transit Anne Kruimer, East Coast Greenway Alliance Mike Kruimer, East Coast Greenway Alliance Charu Kukreja, Somerset County Walter Lane, Somerset County Gordon Meth, Greenman Pederson, Inc. Jack Molenaar, Rutgers University Wayne Shelton, South Jersey Traffic Safety Alliance Sarah Weissman, Transportation Safety Resource Center Jim Yeager, Baker Corporation Karen Yunk, FHWA Bettina Zimny, RBA Group VTC Staff Andrew J Besold Peter Bilton Andrea Lubin Leigh Ann Von Hagen Ranjit Walia 9