Finally! After several years of advocating for this bill, the Senate and the Assembly unanimously passed the Target Zero bill (A1476). We would like to thank our partners at the Vision Zero New Jersey Alliance and all the advocates who persevered to get this bill passed. The bill now heads to the Governor’s office for signature.
The Commission, if employed as intended by the legislation, could fundamentally change the State’s current piece-meal approach to traffic safety:
- Coordination of plans and actions by 13 Commission members representing departments responsible for transportation, health, safety, law enforcement, and the environment
- Requiring the commission to meet with key stakeholders, advocates, and experts
- Applying the FHWA-recommended Safe System Approach (with five key elements – Safer Roads, Safer road users, Safer Vehicles, Safer Speeds and Post-Crash Care) which emphasizes the design of roadways including sidewalks, crosswalks, shoulders, and trail crossings; bicycle and scooter parking; and access to transit, schools, and parks
- Focusing on inclusion and equity for all road users
- Encouraging active transportation and mass transit as safe and viable forms of transportation for people of all ages and abilities
- Creating a publicly accessible data website that includes traffic crash data and a high-injury network of roadways in the State
Image: A memorial for Crossing Guard Bruce Morlack, 75 in Burlington NJ. Morlack died on December 6th holding 2 children back in the middle of the street from a speeding driver and then struck and killed by the following driver.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Finally, a Promise to End Daily Deaths on NJ Roadways: Target Zero Commission Bill Passes
On December 19th, our state legislature made a promise to every New Jerseyan – to eliminate roadway fatalities and serious injuries throughout the state by 2040.
This promise is embodied in the Target Zero Commission Bill (A1476/S361), passed unanimously by both houses. The Vision Zero NJ Alliance now calls on Governor Murphy to prioritize signing the bill into law without delay, in order to start the new year with a commitment to state leadership in ending traffic violence.
2024 was an incredibly painful year for New Jersey families, who have seen 674 of their friends and loved ones killed, from children in crosswalks, to the crossing guards tasked with protecting them, to young hockey stars, and so many others. And sadly the worst may still be yet to come, as we know that the holidays are a particularly dangerous time of year on our roads.
Once signed by the governor, this legislation will be the first in the nation to bring together 13 state agencies to develop a comprehensive, data-driven action plan using evidence-based strategies to get to zero by 2040. It will analyze physical transportation designs at the most dangerous locations with a focus on the equitable treatment of all transportation users, ensuring that the most vulnerable – children, seniors, pedestrians, cyclists, and communities disproportionately impacted – are prioritized.
The science is clear – through proven safety countermeasures, every road death and serious injury in our state is preventable, and every delay costs us more lives.
Governor Murphy, moved by the recent deaths of two crossing guards in as many weeks, has called for a collaborative approach to improving school zone safety to protect crossing guards and children throughout the state. Through the Target Zero Commission, New Jersey can now take a similarly collaborative, proactive approach toward safeguarding everyone, at all of our dangerous intersections.
We look forward to Governor Murphy signing this crucial bill promptly, before the New Year, so that the Commission can begin its work.
