Title
Dept/ Agency: Engineering
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Adopting a Policy
Purpose: Adopt and Support the City of Newark’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan, dated February 2016
Additional Information:
Deferred 7R4-a 050416
Deferred 7R4-a 051816
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WHEREAS, in 2011, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) designated the City of Newark as a Pedestrian Safety Focus City due to pedestrian fatality rates exceeding the national average. Cities are identified as pedestrian focus cities if they have more than 20 average annual pedestrian fatalities or a pedestrian fatality rate greater than 2.33 per 100,000 population; and
WHEREAS, in addition to training and technical assistance related to pedestrian safety, the FHWA recommends that each pedestrian focus city develop and implement a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan to identify where to address pedestrian safety issues with the goal of reducing the frequency and severity of pedestrian crashes; and
WHEREAS, the FHWA provided Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds through the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) for development of the City of Newark’s a Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, this plan is a collaborative effort between the City of Newark and the NJTPA with input from stakeholders and the community; and
WHEREAS, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan’s intent is two-fold: to serve as a guide for city staff to prioritize locations of greatest concerns, and also to inform the public where the city intends to focus its efforts; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan is both a data-driven and a community driven plan that provides a roadmap for reducing pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries throughout the City of Newark; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan:
• Identifies the high crash locations (both intersections and corridors) from five years of crash data.
• Includes input from stakeholders and the community.
• Provides a toolbox of strategies incorporating the three E’s of Safety: Engineering, Education and Enforcement.
• Provides screening methods to identify future locations for safety improvements.
• Provides implementation recommendations for safety improvements at high crash locations.
• Provides a bicycle master plan.
• Recommends funding opportunities and partnerships.
WHEREAS, the short-term goals of the City of Newark’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan are to:
• Adopt a Vision-Zero Policy.
• Implement low cost, high impact city-funded engineering safety improvement efforts at high crash locations identified in the plan.
• Adopt the Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety education campaign as a continuing effort for the city.
• Perform targeted enforcement details at high crash locations identified in the plan.
WHEREAS, the long-term goals of the City of Newark’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan are to:
• Accelerate the downward trend in annual pedestrian fatality rates with the goal of reaching zero by 2025.
• Create a Transportation Safety Committee.
• Secure federal funding for safety improvement projects at the high crash locations identified in this plan.
• Implement the bicycle master plan by 2025, which includes approximately 90 street miles of bike lanes.
WHEREAS, the Department of Engineering, Division of Traffic and Signals, is seeking a Resolution of Support for the City of Newark’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan, dated February 2016.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council hereby supports the City of Newark, Department of Engineering, Division of Traffic and Signals Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan, dated February 2016.
2. A copy of the City of Newark’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan shall be filed in the Office of the City Clerk by the Director of Engineering.
STATEMENT
The Municipal Council hereby supports the City of Newark, Department of Engineering, Division of Traffic and Signals Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plan, dated February 2016.