Woodbridge Police Department & North Jersey Transportation
Planning Authority Announce 2019 Street Smart Woodbridge Pedestrian
Safety Enforcement & Education Campaign
Woodbridge, NJ – Mayor John E. McCormac, in conjunction with the Woodbridge Township Police Department (WPD) and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), today announced the kick-off of the 2019 Street Smart Woodbridge pedestrian safety/motorist enforcement and education campaign.
Mayor McCormac and Lois Goldman, Director of Long Range Transportation Planning at the NJTPA, noted that the Street Smart Woodbridge campaign – a collaborative effort between the WPD and the NJTPA - represents a multi-agency, highly visible public awareness and traffic enforcement initiative geared to improve safety at pedestrian crossings and reduce accidents and fatalities due to inattentive and/or aggressive driving. “Whether you’re walking, driving or cycling, pedestrians and drivers must be constantly on vigil, checking speed and observing stop signs, crosswalks, walk and don’t walk signals,” said Mayor McCormac. “If everyone heeded these critical signs, crashes could be prevented and lives saved. The message may seem simple, but it is vitally important.”
This campaign comes at a great time as April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month,” said Goldman. “In the few seconds you take your eyes off the road to read a text message or make a phone call, you could cause a crash. We want everyone to remember to keep their heads up and their phones down.”
“The WPD will be enforcing pedestrian laws for the safety of all roadway users,” said WPD Director Robert Hubner. “WPD officers (uniformed and plain clothes) will target enforcement efforts on motorists who fail to obey New Jersey’s laws requiring them to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk, as well as pedestrians who jaywalk or violate traffic safety rules and regulations. Officers will also address speeding, illegal turns and distracted and inattentive driving and walking, which contribute to pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes.”
The WPD introduced the Street Smart Woodbridge enforcement initiative targeting pedestrian safety and motorist behavior six years ago – most recently in March 2016. The WPD was one of the first police departments in the state to take a pro-active stance utilizing the “Cops-In-Crosswalk” program at various high-intensity pedestrian crosswalks, downtown shopping areas and popular walking paths with a high volume of pedestrian activity and vehicle traffic. Additionally, the WPD’s Pedestrian Awareness Education & Enforcement Street Smart Woodbridge campaign has worked hundreds of man-hours on routing patrols during peak pedestrian travel times, stopping motorists to provide pedestrian awareness education information and to issue citations to motorists who fail to STOP (not yield) for pedestrians and distracted driving.
The WPD Traffic Enforcement Division has aggressively targeted pedestrian safety. In 2016 there were 68 Motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrians, 50 sustaining injuries and two resulting fatalities. In 2017, there were 56 motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrians, 44 sustaining injuries and two resulting in fatalities. 2018 recorded 67 motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrians, 47 sustaining injuries and two resulting fatalities. To date in 2019, the WPD recorded 15 motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrians, 10 sustaining injuries and zero fatalities.
Mayor McCormac and NJTPA Director Goldman announced Street Smart Woodbridge from the Main Street pedestrian crosswalk at the heavily-travelled New Jersey Transit Train Station in downtown Woodbridge. (TheWoodbridge NJT train station serves more than 1,700 New York-bound commuters each day and is one of the busiest stops on NJT’s North Jersey Coast line). Representatives participating in the multi-agency Street Smart Woodbridge announcement include: Charles Kenny, Middlesex County Freeholder and NJTPA Board Member; Robert J. Hubner, Director, WPD; Joseph Nisky, Deputy Director, WPD; Captain Scott Kuzma, Chief Law Enforcement Officer, WPD; Sgt. James Chessere, Traffic Enforcement Division, WPD; Bill Neary, Keep Middlesex Moving; Lt. Laura Callahan, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office; David Gregor, Middlesex County Comprehensive Traffic Safety Program; FrankNeary, AAA Mid-Atlantic; Kate O’Connor, Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey; Diana Starace, Robert Wood Johnson/Safe Kids Middlesex County; Councilwoman Nancy Drumm; Karen Barnes, Executive Director, Woodbridge Metro Chamber of Commerce, along with representatives from Middlesex County law enforcement and traffic safety agencies.
Visit the Woodbridge Township web page at: www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us or www.njtpa.org for more information on the Street Smart Woodbridge pedestrian safety initiative.
