Governor Corzine awards pedestrian safety grants

New Jersey will invest $6 million in local pedestrian safety improvement projects

(Trenton) – Reiterating his commitment to improving pedestrian safety, Governor Jon S. Corzine today announced that the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will award $4 million in Safe Routes to School grants and $2 million in Safe Streets to Transit grants.

“These programs are critical components of New Jersey’s five year pedestrian safety program.” Governor Jon S. Corzine said. “Providing kids and commuters with safe facilities to walk and ride their bikes can encourage mass transit use, improve quality of life and prevent childhood obesity.”

NJDOT’s 2008 Safe Routes to School initiative will provide grants for projects in 33 municipalities in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $300,000. The grants will be used for local projects designed to encourage children to walk and bike to school, including the creation of safer walkways, bikeways and street crossings near schools.

New Jersey's Safe Routes to School Program helps communities develop and implement projects that encourage walking and bicycling to school while enhancing the safety of these trips. The program increases pedestrian safety awareness among motorists and schoolchildren. Safe Routes to School also improves environmental health and quality of life by reducing traffic jams and air pollution. In addition, Safe Routes to School improves pediatric health by providing regular physical activity.

The Safe Streets to Transit program helps counties and municipalities improve access to transit facilities and all modes of public transportation. The initiative will provide grants to 15 municipalities statewide that will help install and upgrade sidewalks, pedestrian barriers and improve lighting and drainage on roadways upon which transit facilities are located.

In 2006, Governor Corzine created a five-year, $74 million initiative to improve pedestrian safety throughout New Jersey by encouraging motorists to share the road with pedestrians through engineering, education and enforcement. The initiative included $15 million over five years for the Safe Routes to Schools program and $5 million for the Safe Streets to Transit program.

The Safe Routes to School grantees are listed here.

The Safe Streets to Transit grantees are listed here.