A “Street Smart NJ” pedestrian safety education campaign aimed at reducing pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes in the Borough of Califon kicked off on April 16, 2018. Street Smart NJ is a collaborative effort between public, private and non-profit organizations, funded and managed by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA).
Street Smart NJ encourages five key behaviors to improve safety:
- “Heads Up; Phones Down”
- “Use Crosswalks”
- “Wait for the Walk”
- “Obey Speed Limits”
- “Stop for Pedestrians”
Signs, posters, banners, tip cards and other safety messaging materials are on display throughout the community to reinforce these messages. E-blasts, social media, school and community presentations are also being used raise additional awareness about pedestrian safety.
The campaign is being coordinated by HART, the Borough Council, and the Washington Township Police Department, the policing agency for the Borough of Califon. The campaign will run through the end of May 2018.
“Califon is a walking community,” said Mayor Daniel. “Our children walk to school. Residents can walk to the post office, churches, shops and eateries. “Visitors come to Califon to enjoy our quaint community. Keeping everyone safe while on foot is a high priority,” he adds.
“Throughout the safety campaign, police officers will be enforcing town speed limits and interacting with motorists to make sure they know and obey the law and stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk”, said Police Chief Jeff Almer. “We’ll be reminding pedestrians to use crosswalks, cross at intersections, and not jaywalk.”
The campaign comes at a significant time. New Jersey is ranked 6th in the nation in pedestrian fatalities, according to 2014 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The federal government has designated New Jersey a “focus” state – placing an extra emphasis on aiding the state in combating its higher-than-average pedestrian fatality rate and providing funding for this campaign.
“Street Smart NJ is an important initiative that is making New Jersey streets safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists,” said Hunterdon County Freeholder Matt Holt, who serves as First Vice Chairman on the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority Board of Trustees. “Street Smart not only saves lives, it improves the overall quality of life for residents. This is a great program and I encourage all of our towns to participate.”
The Califon initiative is the seventh Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety campaign conducted in Hunterdon County. Previously, campaigns were conducted in Frenchtown, Flemington, Town of Clinton, Lambertville, and High Bridge. More than 60 communities across the state have participated in Street Smart NJ since the program’s inception in 2013.
Street Smart Training
Based on HART’s experience in conducting Street Smart campaigns, HART received additional funding from NJTPA to partner with TransOptions TMA to provide training to other TMAs and interested stakeholders on how to run a successful Street Smart campaign.
Six (6) trainings have been held to date. HART has conducted training sessions for other Transportation Management Associations as well Garfield, Fort Lee and Westwood. A regional training session is scheduled for late May 2018.
More information about Street Smart Hunterdon County NJ