Somerset County staff presented a Local Safety Action Plan that adopts the Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries, and commissioners were briefed on the plan during the August work session. The resolution to approve the plan (resolution 25-17-08) is on the board’s list for the Sept. 9 regular meeting; no vote was taken during the work session.

Director Robinson said the plan “establishes a framework to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries,” noting it was built on input from county officials and residents and identifies key locations and strategies to improve safety for all roadway users. The plan follows a systems-safety approach endorsed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and was funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Robinson said.

A county agenda summary said priority locations were identified through a high-injury network and that crashes were analyzed by roadway and crash characteristics such as speed limit, roadway width and the presence of vulnerable road users. Commissioners were told the resolution would establish a framework for county and municipal coordination to reduce serious crashes on county and local roads.

Commissioners did not adopt the plan at the work session. Staff indicated the measure will be included on the consent agenda for the Sept. 9 meeting for formal action. The work session was informational; questions from commissioners focused on priority locations and implementation strategies, and speakers emphasized coordination with municipal partners.

The plan’s funding source and endorsement by federal and regional transportation bodies was noted during the briefing. No additional county funding appropriation was authorized during the work session; any implementation spending or capital projects would be subject to later board action and appropriation.