On Monday, January 13th Governor Phil Murphy signed the Target Zero Commission Bill into law. The new law appoints representatives from 10 State Agencies and all 3 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to deliver a Target Zero Action Plan to the state legislature within a year and issue reports on progress annually. New Jersey is the first state to enact a legislative-appointed body to address a goal of zero traffic deaths.
Getting the bill from being written to becoming law took two and a half years. In late 2023 the bill was poised for a vote but we along with our partners at the NJ Vision Zero Alliance opposed the changes that would have watered down the bill and the sponsors pulled it before a final vote. Fortunately, the bill was reintroduced with the new legislative session last January. The reintroduced bill included language that eliminated advocates as voting members. Late last year, the State Senate approved an amendment to the bill that forbids the recommendation of using red light cameras, a proven safety countermeasure. While these amendments were somewhat of a disappointment, the structure and intent of the bill remained intact.
Here is our statement on the passage of the bill from our Executive Director Chris Gale which was included in the Governor’s Office Press Release
“The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia applauds the passage of the NJ Target Zero Bill, a significant step towards eliminating traffic fatalities and ensuring safer roads for all. The signing of this bill reminds us of our beloved colleague and fellow cyclist, Andrea Gonzalez, who was tragically killed by a driver in Cherry Hill, NJ, in October 2023. Her loss and the many other lives lost due to crashes with vehicles moves us to keep this urgent issue at the forefront and we are committed to working alongside New Jersey lawmakers to achieve zero deaths on our transportation network.”
Smart Signals at the 10 Most Dangerous Intersections
On Tuesday Governor Murphy honored Sangeeta Badlani, founder of Families for Safe Streets NJ at his final State of the State Address. He also announced that smart signal technology will be deployed at the 10 most dangerous intersections in the state. Data indicates that pedestrian crashes were reduced by 50% at Route 129 and Lalor St in Trenton after the same technology was deployed NJDOT reports.
Automated Red Clearance Extension and Passive Pedestrian Detection/Extension System in Elizabeth, NJ.
We applaud this first step and look forward to seeing the expansion of this signalization enhancement. However, redundancy is key for the Safe Systems Approach to traffic safety. The technology should be ready-made to include automated red light and speed surveillance, but it will require state legislation. The long-term solution needs to include physical improvements to the intersection to slow drivers down.
We look forward to working with NJDOT and the Target Zero Commission to ensure that a timely and effective Target Zero Action Plan is submitted and implemented by the State.
Top Photo: Members of Families for Safe Streets New Jersey witness the signing of the Target Zero Commission Bill into law. From Left to Right Pam O’Donnell (Larry O’Donnell, 51 and Bridget O’Donnell, 5 – 2016), Larry Kleinz (Emma Kleinz, 17 – 2023), Sangeeta and Sunil Badlani (Nikhil Badlani, 11 – 2011), Wendy Kukowski (Oscar Zanoni, 44 – 2020)