Street Smart NJ Kicks Off For The Summer Season On Jersey Shore

BEACH HAVEN, NJ - Summer traffic at the Jersey Shore. Sometimes it's not always easy just to cross the road, or spot a pedestrian on a crowded street.

Street Smart NJ kicked off its summer pedestrian safety campaign with news conference on July 2 in Beach Haven, the latest Long Beach Island community to join the program.

“We hope that this campaign will help raise awareness about pedestrian safety during the busy summer months,” Beach Haven Police Chief James Markoski said. “Our officers will be reminding drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to be safe by avoiding distractions and following the law.”

Other Long Beach Island communities participating in the campaign are Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township and Surf City. Additional shore communities participating include Atlantic Highlands, Avon-By-The-Sea, Bay Head, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Little Silver, Long Branch, Manasquan, Monmouth Beach, Point Pleasant Beach, Rumson, Sea Bright, Toms River and Union Beach.

The campaign will also advertise at NJ TRANSIT train stations in Belmar, Bradley Beach, Long Branch and Point Pleasant Beach and on buses along the Jersey Shore.

Street Smart NJ is coordinated by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. The mission is to change pedestrian and motorist behaviors through education and enforcement. The program began in 2013 with five pilot sites and now includes more than 70 community partners.

And the program works. Evaluations of previous campaigns found a 40 percent reduction in drivers failing to yield to crossing pedestrians or cyclists and a 28 percent reduction in pedestrians jaywalking or crossing against the signal.

The campaign focuses on five goals.

Drivers are reminded to stop for pedestrians and obey speed limits. Pedestrians are urged to use crosswalks and wait for the walk. A fifth message - heads up, phones down - reminds everyone to avoid distractions.

Beach Haven police will hand out coupons for free Slurpees provided by 7-11's "Operation Chill" community outreach program to pedestrians and bicyclists who they see obeying the laws.

Local police and volunteers in participating communities will also distribute safety tip cards to highlight the state’s pedestrian laws and Street Smart NJ’s messages. Area businesses will display posters and other materials with safety messages, coasters, cup sleeves and table tent cards.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has designated New Jersey a “focus” state for the high pedestrian fatality and injury rate. From 2011-2015, 765 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes and more than 22,000 were injured, according to the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. Pedestrians accounted for 28.7 percent of people killed in vehicle crashes during those years, nearly double the national pedestrian fatality rate.

Street Smart NJ's goal is to involve more than 100 municipalities across the state.

“We now have more than 70 communities working with us on this vital campaign,” said NJTPA Acting Executive Director Mary D. Ameen. “We have all the tools a community needs to run a campaign on our website, BeStreetSmartNJ.org. I encourage every municipality to join us in working to make our roads safer.”

For additional information on Street Smart NJ visit bestreetsmartnj.org.

Photo: Courtesy of Beach Haven Police Department