Mayor Warren Cooper and Police Chief Al Kurylka announced on May 11, 2015 that the Borough of Frenchtown is participating in a new pedestrian safety education campaign to reduce pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes in New Jersey. The local collaboration, “Frenchtown Street Smart” includes the Borough, local volunteers and HART Commuter Information Services, the local non-profit dedicated to sustainable transportation.
This campaign will focus on reinforcing four key behaviors to improve safety. Motorists will be reminded to obey posted speed limits and stop for pedestrians in crosswalks (as required by New Jersey law). Pedestrians will be reminded to use crosswalks. Both motorists and pedestrians will be encourage to avoid distractions, such as talking or texting on a cell phone.
“Everyone has a role to play in pedestrian safety,” says Mayor Warren Cooper. “Frenchtown’s participation in this program is based on our interest in keeping Frenchtown a safe, walkable community,” he adds.
“Approximately 4,000 vehicles travel the Uhlerstown-Frenchtown bridge daily,” says Chief Al Kurylka. “That is a significant volume of traffic traveling through the heart of our downtown,” he notes. “Keeping pedestrians safe is a top priority and we welcome a campaign like this to raise awareness of both motorists and pedestrians.”
The Street Smart Frenchtown awareness campaign includes a street banner on Bridge Street, posters, displays and information cards distributed throughout town to reinforce the four key behaviors noted above. Students from Frenchtown Elementary School have created lawn signs to promote the messaging and various forms of social media will be employed to spread the word.
Law enforcement officials will also monitor key locations for the safety of all roadway users. “We’ll be interacting with motorists to make sure they know and obey the law and stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk,” said Chief Al Kurylka. “We’ll also be reminding pedestrians to use crosswalk or cross at intersections and not jaywalk.” Officers will also address speeding and distracted driving and walking, which often contribute to pedestrian-related crashes.
Businesses, organizations and individuals interested in helping to promote the Frenchtown Street Smart message in Frenchtown or in bringing a Street Smart campaign to their community may contact Liz Usmiani, liz@harttma.com or call 908-788-5553, or visit www.harttma.com/streetsmart