NJDOT supports Stanley
bill prohibiting proximity
of highway ramps to school buildings
(Trenton)-New
Jersey Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Kris Kolluri
today expressed his support for Assembly Bill 856, which will
be considered today by the Assembly Education Committee. The bill,
which is sponsored by Assemblyman Craig Stanley, dramatically
enhances safety near schools by requiring that highway entrance
and exit ramps are at least 1,000 feet from schools serving students
in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
“Assemblyman Stanley’s bill would protect schoolchildren
from the danger posed by vehicles traveling at speeds more appropriate
for highway traffic,” said Acting Commissioner Kolluri.
“This legislation is an important component of the Department
of Transportation’s commitment to safety and will compliment
existing pedestrian safety initiatives, such as Safety First and
the Safe Streets to Schools program.”
The bill is named "Terrell James' Law," in memory of
an 8-year-old who was killed in a tragic 1997 accident that occurred
on a Newark playground located between two highway ramps.
The legislation also prohibits the construction of schools within
1,000 feet of highway ramps. In addition, it requires NJDOT, in
consultation with the Department of Education, to study the public
safety hazards posed by the entry or exit ramps located within
1,000 feet of schools and make recommendations as to how to avoid
or minimize such hazards when designing ramps and abate such hazards
for existing ramps.
