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Atlantic County hears plan to target crash hotspots, asked to endorse zero-fatalities goal
Summary
South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization presented a countywide Local Road Safety Plan and asked the commissioners to pass a resolution endorsing a goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 and to make the plan eligible for US DOT implementation grants.
Jennifer Maron, executive director of the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization, told Atlantic County commissioners the plan aims to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on county and municipal roads across four counties and to support grant applications that can fund safety projects.
"The local road safety plans focus on eliminating fatalities, serious injuries, on your county and municipal roads," Maron said during the presentation. Dave, a consultant with GPI working on the project, asked the board to support the plan and endorse "a goal of 0 fatalities and serious injuries by 2050," which would make the plan eligible under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program for future implementation grants.
The plan uses both hotspot and systemic analyses of crash records (New Jersey DOT data from 2017–2021) to identify emphasis areas and priority locations. Presenters said the steering committee recommended four emphasis areas: lane departures, pedestrians and bicyclists, intersections and aggressive drivers. They also described a list of priority corridors and intersections across Egg Harbor Township, Pleasantville, Northfield, Hamilton Township, Buena Vista Township and Port Republic, and a systemic set of recommended treatments including mid-block crossings, crosswalk additions and upgrades.
Presenters emphasized the recommendations are location-based priorities rather than fully designed projects. The consultants proposed a five-year implementation horizon, ongoing steering-committee oversight and consultant support for grant applications and supplemental studies.
During a question-and-answer exchange, several commissioners pressed presenters on scope and data currency. Presenters said the plan intentionally focuses on county and municipal roads and generally excludes state highways because those are state jurisdiction; however, systemic recommendations can still be applied at municipal locations. The presenters also acknowledged their crash dataset covered 2017–2021 and said more recent local police or county Office of Traffic Safety data could be used to refine priorities.
Commissioners and others raised concerns about pedestrian behavior and education; SJTPO representatives noted a non-motorized grant from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety and described ongoing education and media campaigns (radio and television PSAs, school programs) aimed at reducing pedestrian fatalities, which they said run higher than the national average in New Jersey.
The board was asked to adopt a resolution of support so the plan becomes eligible for implementation funding; commissioners did not record a final vote on that single resolution in the presentation segment, but presenters said they will continue to work with county staff and stakeholders to refine locations and support grant applications. The plan will remain a "living" document to be updated as new data and funding opportunities become available.
