Traffic Engineering & Safety

sharrow on the roadwayTraffic safety is an ongoing concern and the Bureau routinely reviews accident history for evidence of safety deficiencies within the Township's local road network.The Engineering Bureau supports the Township's "complete streets" policy through inclusive design. Key to fully implementing this policy will be the development of a town-wide plan that will set the framework for design of future roadway improvement projects.

What is Montclair doing?

Montclair's approach to managing traffic safety employs the three "E"s of Education, Enforcement and Engineering. On the enforcement front, traffic safety concerns, such as parking violations and speeding are first addressed through the enforcement of motor vehicle laws. We work with the Montclair Police Department to assess locations they have identified through their enforcement activities as having potential for safety improvements,

On the education front, Montclair has a very active “Safe Routes To School” or SRTS task force, who have been charged with development and implementation of measures to encourage walking and bicycling to schools, identifying and mapping preferred walking and cycling routes; as well as identifying needed infrastructure improvements. Montclair has received two Federal SRTS grants for education/encouragement; enforcement and engineering (infrastructure) initiatives at all public K-8 schools.

Finally, under engineering, we routinely review and assess accident (crash) history for evidence of safety concerns we may not otherwise be able to identify. Results of these assessments are used to identify safety improvements to be incorporated in road projects or issues in need of more immediate attention.

We also manage the “Neighborhood Traffic Calming” program, which was established in response to growing concerns regarding vehicular speed on our streets, The program employs non-traditional ways of addressing speeding and “cut-through” traffic, through a participatory process for residents to bring their concerns to the attention of Township officials and to work together to develop solutions. A petition by residents triggers a study and design process to develop measures to address their concerns. Speed control measures in the form of speed “humps” or “tables” (sometimes known as sleeping policemen) have been successfully implemented on many Township streets.

The Engineering Bureau has also collaborated with community groups, such as Bike&Walk Montclair, a bicycle and pedestrian advocacy group, Montclair State University and the Partners for Health (formerly Mountainside Health Foundation) to develop and implement pedestrian and bicycle-friendly projects.

Why are we doing it?

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, there were 6.3 million crashes in 2003, 33% of which resulted in death or injury and more than half (55%) of which occurred on roads with speed limits of 40 mph or less. In 2000 (the latest year for which these statistics are available), NHTSA reported that motor vehicle crashes cost over $230 billion nationwide or $819 per capita. At that time, New Jersey ranked second in per capita cost at $1,110 – second only to the District of Columbia. By investing in reducing the frequency and severity of motor vehicle crashes and better facilities for walking and cycling, we are reducing the accumulated cost of these crashes and hopefully, creating a safer environment that encourages more people to leave the car at home and walk or bike to their destination.

Documents

Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program Brochure

Traffic Calming Petition

Traffic Volume Data

External Links:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)