By Kevin Coughlin
Pedestrian safety is a two-way street.
That’s the word from officials who on Tuesday rolled out an educational- and enforcement campaign aimed at pedestrians and motorists in Morristown, where stepping off a curb can be a risky business.
Starting on April 1, 2016, a promotional blitz in local bars, schools and public venues will warn pedestrians about jaywalking. Motorists will be urged to slow down and yield to people in crosswalks. And both groups will be reminded about the dangers of texting when their eyes should be on the road.
Morristown police will issue warnings for the first two weeks, followed by “two weeks of solid enforcement,” said John Ciaffone, president of TransOptions, a nonprofit commuter advocacy organization spearheading the campaign for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
It’s the first “Street Smart” campaign in Morris County, following similar efforts in Washington Township in Warren County and Newton in Sussex.
In all, a dozen New Jersey municipalities will be sharing about $500,000 in federal grants this year for traffic safety education programs, said Mary K. Murphy, executive director of the NJTPA, the agency responsible for disbursing the federal dollars.
“We have higher-than-average numbers of pedestrian injuries and fatalities,” Murphy explained.
GRIM NUMBERS
The numbers paint a grim picture in America’s most densely populated state.
Some 166 pedestrians and 17 bicyclists were killed on New Jersey streets last year, Murphy said.
Nearly 750 pedestrians died, and 17,000 were injured, between 2010 and 2014. That’s one fatality every two-and-a-half days, and an average of 11 injuries every single day, she said.
So far this year, 34 pedestrians perished in accidents statewide, according to State Police statistics.
In Morris County, 774 pedestrians were involved in crashes in 2015, Murphy said.
The danger is keenly felt in Morristown, where a “walkable” downtown has helped make the county seat a popular destination.
Between 2013 and 2015, some 52 pedestrians here were involved in accidents. One of them died.
The problems aren’t all caused by out-of-towners, either.
Mayor Tim Dougherty, who has made traffic safety a priority this year, said 58 percent of these pedestrian accident victims hailed from Morristown, while 37 percent of the motorists were local.
Nearly half of those struck in Morristown were in marked crosswalks; about one-in-five of the accidents involved pedestrians who were jaywalking, according to TransOptions.
Changing habits won’t be easy, the Mayor said.
“I have been guilty of it,” he said of jaywalking. Now, Dougherty said, he sticks to crosswalks, and limits his mobile communications to a hands-free mode.
Texting typically takes about 5 seconds. For a driver doing 55 mph, the distraction is equivalent to traveling the length of a football field wearing a blindfold, Murphy said.
‘VITAL SIGNS’
While the program’s focus is saving lives, it can have side benefits as well, noted Morris Freeholder Director Kathy DeFillippo.
Safer streets make downtowns like Morristown’s more attractive for shoppers, restaurant-goers and theater patrons, she said.
They also reduce some of the trauma that wears down the trauma team at Morristown Medical Center, said nurse Renay Durling-Grover.
“Every one of these tragedies has a lasting impact on our medical professionals…I can say with certainty that our team members never get used to the tragedy surrounding a pedestrian struck, particularly because we know they are avoidable.”
The hospital saw pedestrian injuries surge by 37 percent from 2014 to 2015, she said.
A majority of victims were between ages 40 and 60, she said, adding that statistics indicate more than half of such incidents are the pedestrians’ fault.
And speed kills. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle doing 40 mph only has a 20 percent chance of surviving. At 20 mph, the pedestrian’s odds improve to 95 percent, the nurse said.
“So we need to slow down, and we need to pay attention,” said Durling-Grover, who endorsed the Morristown Street Smart slogan, “Check Your Vital Signs.”
Murphy said about $20,000 will be spent on the Morristown campaign, which includes postures and brochures in English and Spanish.
About $9,000 of the total will go towards police overtime for enforcement, said Police Chief Pete Demnitz.
“I feel everyone should be responsible for their own safety. It’s a shame that law enforcement has to get involved because people won’t. But now, we’ll be involved 100 percent,” the chief said.
The trouble does not tilt heavily toward motorists or pedestrians, said Capt. Darnell Richardson.
“It’s a combination of both– including bicyclists,” he said.
But Lt. Matt Rawding said it’s harder dealing with pedestrians than with motorists, who have a clearer understanding of the rules of the road.
“We give a lot of warnings,” Rawding said. “Our job as police is to keep people safe.”
‘HEADS UP, PHONES DOWN’
The NJTPA reported sharp reductions in pedestrian accidents on Long Beach Island and Jersey City after Street Smart programs there.
Those who ignore the warnings may feel some pain in their pocketbooks.
According to the Morristown Violations Bureau, fines for motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians can range from $100 to $500– and that’s not counting insurance surcharges if the Division of Motor Vehicles assesses points against their drivers licenses.
Penalties for illegal use of handheld devices while driving can range from $239 in fines to loss of driving privileges. Pedestrians who step into a vehicle’s path may face fines exceeding $200, depending on the judge, according to the violations bureau.
A Camden lawmaker has introduced a bill that would fine pedestrians $50 if they are convicted of using a smartphone while crossing the street.
Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco, (R-25th Dist.), who attended Tuesday’s kickoff in Morristown, said that’s going too far.
“We tend to legislate things to death in New Jersey. We need more things like this,” Bucco said of the public information campaign. “Whenever you put a lot of cars and people on the streets, it’s a cocktail for disaster.”
This sounds like a great program, but is anyone reviewing the layout of the crosswalks and traffic signals that litter Morristown streets. It seems there is no efficiency in either and the placement of many of the crosswalks and signals make very little sense which causes additional danger. A great start to this program would be to assess the flow and placement of crosswalks and signals to make Morristown a safer place to drive and walk.