Can New Jersey Fix These 10 Deadliest Intersections?

New Jersey officials plan to improve 10 intersections along state highways that have been the scene of more than two dozen fatal pedestrian accidents in recent years as part of a broader effort to better traffic safety in the wake of a significant increase in fatalities.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced the work during his State of the State speech earlier this month, when he also said the state will be revising its driver education programs. The day before the speech, the governor signed a law creating the Target Zero Commission, whose goal is eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2040.

Murphy pledged to “make New Jersey’s roads safer” and said that by the end of the year, the state would “overhaul our state’s ten most dangerous intersections to keep our families safe and to help prevent avoidable tragedies.”

Crash data, accident analysis

State officials reviewed crash data for pedestrian fatalities on state highways for 2018-2022 and identified the 10 Murphy referred to as being the most dangerous, according to Stephen Schapiro, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

The list includes three intersections along US 1&9 in Elizabeth, two each on Route 129 in Trenton and Route 9 in Old Bridge and three along Route 27, two in Franklin in Somerset County and one in Roselle in Union County. All are slated to be upgraded with smart-signal technology or other measures designed to reduce accidents.

Central Jersey intersections slated for upgrades

The number of fatalities is for the period 2018-2023.

An NJ Spotlight News analysis of fatal accident reports from the State Police found that 11 people died between 2018 and 2023 in the milelong stretch of US 1&9 in Elizabeth just south of Newark Airport that is being targeted. The intersection of East Grand Street was the site of five deaths, including three pedestrians and one cyclist.

North Jersey intersections slated for upgrades

The number of fatalities is for the period 2018-2023.

The two Trenton intersections, at Lalor Street and Cass Street, have been the site of eight fatalities, all pedestrians.

Pedestrian and bicycle safety advocates applaud the effort, as fatalities spiked in recent years. Between 2023 and 2024, total traffic fatalities rose by 14% and pedestrian deaths increased by nearly a third, according to state officials. Last year, 694 people died on New Jersey’s roads, including 225 pedestrians and 25 cyclists, according to data from the State Police. So far this year, 27 people have died, including seven pedestrians.

NJ traffic fatalities

The number of people (in vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists) killed by year over the last decade.

‘Not a complete list’

Sangeeta Badlani, co-founder and spokesperson for the Vision Zero New Jersey Alliance, said the effort is a good start and noted that more than half of fatal crashes occur on state-controlled roadways.

“It’s encouraging to see attention being given to high-injury locations,” said Badlani, who is also founder of the Nikhil Badlani Foundation and Families for Safe Streets New Jersey.

“However, it’s important to note that this is not a complete list. There are many more intersections that need to be addressed in our communities, and we must also consider not just intersections, but entire corridors identified on the ‘high-injury network’ map that the NJ Target Zero Commission will produce, showing the road segments with the highest concentrations of fatal and serious-injury crashes.”

What’s being done

To improve pedestrian safety at the intersections, the DOT plans to install measures that include extending the duration of red lights, also known as the “Jersey Extension,” and passive pedestrian detection systems.

The systems use 360-degree cameras and radar to detect vehicles in the intersection and vehicles approaching the intersection too fast as the signal turns red. If vehicles are detected, the signal remains red for all approaches, allowing the vehicle in the intersection to clear it, to help mitigate crashes.

The same 360-degree cameras passively detect pedestrians or cyclists waiting to cross the roadway and activate the walk signal. Another safety system known as leading pedestrian interval technology gives pedestrians a head start in the intersection before parallel traffic gets the green light. The cameras continue to detect and monitor the pedestrian or cyclist in the crosswalk and keep the light red if a person needs more time to cross. These systems have been proven to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities for both vehicles and pedestrians.

The state tested the first Jersey Extension system at three high-incident intersections on Route 129 in Trenton — at Lalor Street, Cass Street and Hamilton Avenue. Since installing these countermeasures in the fall of 2022, crashes involving pedestrians have been reduced by more than half, Schapiro said.

Trenton intersections slated for upgrades

The number of fatalities is for the period 2018-2023.

Because the stretch of roadway already has smart-signal technology, other work will be done along Route 129 in Trenton.

“NJDOT plans to restripe the crosswalks at the three intersections to widen them, which will provide more visibility and a larger buffer zone,” Schapiro said. “The department will continue to monitor the intersections to make adjustments and other enhancements as necessary to improve the operational performance and safety of the intersections for all users — pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.”

Other measures

While the cost to improve each of the targeted intersections will differ, they are each likely to average about $100,000. Funding could come from the Transportation Trust Fund, Schapiro said. The state is also working to get all local law enforcement officials to submit accident reports electronically, which can make it easier for state transportation officials to target improvements. More than 90% of agencies already submit their reports electronically.

The DOT will host a roundtable with staff, road safety experts and bike and pedestrian advocates on Feb. 10 focused on identifying and implementing transportation safety enhancements.

In his State of the State message, Murphy also called for Senate passage of a bill (A-4765), which passed the Assembly without dissent last month, to require driver education programs and tests to include information about a driver’s responsibilities when approaching and passing pedestrians and cyclists.

And the new 13-member Target Zero Commission will be working on a plan, which must be completed within a year, to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2040.

“The Commission will need to take a comprehensive ‘Safe System Approach,’ which emphasizes redundancy and traffic calming measures that make the street safer for all users,” said Badlani, whose 11-year old son died in a car crash. “The action plan they produce must involve meaningful collaboration between agencies and with advocates in order to be successful in bringing an end to traffic fatalities and serious injuries by the target date of 2040.”

This story is courtesy of NJ Spotlight. Maps by Colleen O’Dea