Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH A. LAGANA
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Enhanced Crossing and Crosswalk Pilot Program in Bergen County.
 
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing an Enhanced Crossing and Crosswalk Pilot Program in Bergen County.
 
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
 
1. a. The Department of Transportation shall establish a three-year Enhanced Crossing and Crosswalk Pilot Program in Bergen County to improve pedestrian crossings and crosswalks at intersections that are the most dangerous for pedestrians, as determined by the Commissioner of Transportation.
b. At the intersections selected by the Commissioner of Transportation for participation in the pilot program, the commissioner, in conjunction with the county and municipality having jurisdiction over a street at the intersection, shall make changes to the intersection to improve the safety of pedestrians crossing the roadway at the intersection. Changes that may be made to the intersection include, but are not limited to:
(1) installing additional lighting at or near the intersection or at or near the crosswalks at the intersection;
(2) installing additional signs or replacing existing signs at or near the intersection or at or near the crosswalks at the intersection;
(3) adding additional roadway markings or repainting roadway markings to distinguish the crosswalks at the intersection;
(4) using additional traffic calming measures at or near the intersection;
(5) changing the design of the intersection; and
(6) any other changes designed to improve the safety of pedestrians crossing the intersection.
c. Any changes made to an intersection pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall conform to the standards prescribed by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.
 
2. The Commissioner of
Transportation shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor and,
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature
containing an evaluation of the pilot program. The first report shall be
submitted no later than one year after the effective date of this act.
Thereafter, subsequent reports shall be submitted annually for the duration of
the three-year pilot program prescribed by this act. The final report shall
provide a comprehensive review of the pilot program, including, but not limited
to, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the pilot program, a discussion of
extending the pilot program to other counties in the State, and any other
information the commissioner determines to be relevant to the report.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the final report required pursuant to section 2 of this act.
 
 
STATEMENT
 
This bill requires the Department of Transportation to establish a three-year Enhanced Crossing and Crosswalk Pilot Program (pilot program) in Bergen County. The pilot program is to be created to improve pedestrian crossings and crosswalks at intersections that are the most dangerous for pedestrians, as selected by the Commissioner of Transportation (commissioner).
At the selected intersections, the commissioner, in conjunction with the county and municipality having jurisdiction over a street at the intersection, is to make changes to the intersection to improve the safety of pedestrians crossing the intersection. Any changes made are to conform to the standards prescribed by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways. Finally, the commissioner is required to prepare and submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature evaluating the pilot program.