Safety
Making travel safer is a top priority at the NJTPA and it is factored into all aspects of our transportation planning and investment decision-making. The NJTPA analyzes regional crash data and trends to ensure transportation funds are used to improve the safety and reliability of critical infrastructure.
Safety Data Summary
In 2021, there were 667 fatal crashes on all New Jersey roadways, resulting in the loss of 697 lives, a continued increase of over 18 percent from 2020. This included 217 pedestrians and 26 cyclists. Despite accounting for less than 5 percent of all crashes, pedestrians and cyclists accounted for 35 percent of all fatal crashes, reinforcing the plight of the most vulnerable road users.
The NJTPA has undertaken a variety of initiatives that help respond to trends of increasing fatal and serious injuries - including expansion of the Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety education program, expanded funding for Local Safety Program projects, and support for municipalities to address safety through the Complete Streets Technical Assistance program.
The NJTPA also recently adopted its own regional Roadway Safety Performance Measure Targets for 2023 with a data-driven timeline for reaching the goal of zero fatalities by 2050. This timeline is based on five-year rolling averages of five different road safety performance measures, tracking fatal and serious injury crashes. Despite gradual reductions in serious injuries and fatalities between 2007 and 2017, rates significantly increased in the next four years and are projected to increase further for 2023. Reaching the goal of eliminating severe crashes by 2050 will rely on increased investment in creating a safety culture through a holistic Safe System Approach.
In 2020, the NJTPA collaborated with partners from federal, state, regional, county, local, public and private agencies to update the statewide
Strategic Highway Safety Plan, which establishes a framework of emphasis areas and strategies for implementing safety improvements over the next five years. The NJTPA also partners with its subregions; local, county and state agencies; the
Transportation Management Associations (TMAs); safety and public health organizations; academic institutions; and other entities to improve pedestrian safety through its Street Smart NJ initiative.
The NJTPA uses Safety Conscious Planning, which integrates safety into all phases of transportation improvement planning and development.
The NJTPA continues to focus on important engineering projects to improve safety outcomes, including on-going safety related initiatives such as the
Local Safety Program, which administers federal funds for safety improvements at high-crash locations on local roads.
The NJTPA’s
High Risk Rural Roads Program provides set-aside federal safety funds to address travel safety needs in rural areas. The NJTPA has invested more than $164 million into 131 projects since the Local Safety and High Risk Rural Roads programs began. Among other safety-related programs at the NJTPA:
- The NJTPA monitors progress in meeting safety targets as part of performance-based planning.
- NJTPA supports and promotes complete streets which are streets designed for all users, all modes of transportation, and all ability levels.
- In partnership with NJDOT, NJTPA offers Road Safety Audits to towns and counties in the NJTPA region.
- NJTPA's seeks to improve safety in goods movement including studying hazards involving truck parking and rail grade crossings.
At the federal level, the
Federal Highway Administration Safety Program seeks to reduce highway fatalities by making our roads safer by addressing all “4Es” of safety: engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency medical services.
For additional information on regional and state safety plans, organizations and initiatives,
click here.