Wasatch Front officials cite New Jersey street-safety designs as templates for local "quick-build" projects

Officials who participated in a late‑April street‑safety tour of Hoboken and Jersey City told the Wasatch Regional Council Active Transportation Committee on June 10 that many of the design elements they saw could be adapted locally as low‑cost demonstration projects.

Committee staff lead Hugh Van Wagenen of the Wasatch Front Regional Council opened the discussion, saying the tour allowed members to “experience and learn about street safety” in denser cities where officials report long stretches with no traffic fatalities. The visitors highlighted protected bike lanes, temporary “quick‑build” demonstration projects and incremental upgrades made every time a street is repaved.

Why it matters: committee members said the trip showed how cities can test ideas with cones and paint before making permanent, costly changes. That approach, they said, can help build public support and reduce the political risk of taking parking or curb space.

Councilwoman Ellen Burrell of Cottonwood Heights, who attended the tour, summarized seven takeaways she has circulated to colleagues, including designing multiuse promenades that balance safety, affordability and aesthetics; using daylighting to improve intersection visibility; and piloting reduced residential speed limits. “Human life is sacred,” Burrell said, urging use of Vision Zero goals; “It is possible to achieve 0 vehicular fatalities and reduce serious injury,” she added.

Parametrix engineer John Nichols, who joined the tour, said the New Jersey cities relied heavily on low‑cost treatments early in projects. “Getting something down and getting it out there is really important,” Nichols said, noting organizers frequently began with cones, moved to a quick‑build phase with paint and bollards, and then hardened the design with permanent curb and pavement changes.

Several speakers emphasized that demonstration projects rarely began with unanimous public support but that ridership and approval tended to increase after people experienced the changes. The group also discussed the potential role of e‑bikes and e‑scooters. Mayor Ken Phippen, who spoke about Hoboken's dockless and e‑assisted bike networks, said, “I learned that I like the e ones better,” and recommended trying temporary installations first before larger investments.

Committee members urged tailoring demonstrations to local contexts and noted that not all treatments in dense East Coast cities are appropriate for suburban and lower‑density Utah communities. Burrell and others warned about demonstration designs that can create unforeseen pedestrian hazards and said temporary devices should be chosen to avoid moving pedestrians into unsafe crossing locations.

The committee said lessons from the tour will inform upcoming local pilot projects, including ideas to use temporary bollards, curb extensions and targeted speed‑management designs at specific intersections. No formal policy action or funding decision was taken at the June 10 meeting; members described the trip as informational and suggested staff follow up with project proposals for future agendas.