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New Jersey

Wharton, New Jersey, Walk to School Day.

New Jersey SRTS Program
Managed by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), New Jersey’s federally funded Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is the source for state coordinator contact details, federal SRTS funding amounts, SRTS applications and guidelines, and state SRTS program information.

New Jersey DOT SRTS Coordinator
Elise Bremer-Nei
(609) 530-2765
elise.bremer-nei@dot.state.nj.us
www.state.nj.us/transportation/community/srts/

Click on any of the menu items below for more information:
New Jersey SRTS Federal Funding
Application Guidelines
State Advisory Committee
State Outreach Programs
Evaluation Methods
Success Stories
New Jersey Partner Affiliates
Legislation and Policies

New Jersey SRTS Federal Funding
New Jersey’s SRTS funding totals $15,930,009 and includes the following annual apportionments:

Application Guidelines
On May 8, 2009, NJDOT awarded $5.4 million in federal SRTS funds, providing grants for projects in 37 municipalities, in amounts ranging from $16,000 to $300,000. 32 infrastructure projects were funded at over $3.8 million and 12 non-infrastructure projects received more than $540,000.

New Jersey awarded their first cycle of grants in July 2007. The NJDOT received 274 applications for over $75 million in projects. $4.15 million was awarded to programs in 30 municipalities. NJDOT announced the second round of SRTS grants in December 2008. 20 infrastructure projects were funded at over $3.5 million and 11 non-infrastructure projects received more than $430,000.

New Jersey has now awarded more than $13.5 million in federal-aid SRTS grants for projects and programs in 84 towns and 192 schools. Every county in the state is now home to at least one SRTS project.

For more information, please see New Jersey’s SRTS program.

State Advisory Committee
NJDOT’s Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs convened a Technical Advisory Committee in 2001 to investigate ways to implement SRTS and utilized consultant resources to help develop a statewide program. A SRTS Strategic Plan was prepared by the NJDOT with assistance from The National Center for Bicycling and Walking, The RBA Group, and The Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University.

The New Jersey SRTS Coalition was formed with the official launch of the SRTS program in 2006, made up of members of the former Technical Advisory Committee as well as representatives from various state and county agencies, local advocacy groups, and non-profits. The Coalition, which meets twice a year, is asked to give direction and feedback on progress of the statewide program and to monitor the progress of the program according to the NJ SRTS Strategic Plan. See http://www.njbikeped.org/body.php?page=interest_srsc.

State Outreach Programs
Representatives from the NJDOT Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs have spoken about SRTS at numerous conferences around the state for several years. In 2005, a demonstration program was conducted in three towns. In the fall of 2006, a series of open houses was held to promote the overall program and explain the grant application process. These open houses were run again in early 2008 with the help of New Jersey’s eight Transportation Management Associations (TMAs).

New Jersey piloted the level two training from the National Center for SRTS in 2007 to local program coordinators and their partners. Local Leadership Workshops were held again in 2008 and a Federal-Aid Workshop for Grant Recipients was offered in May of 2009. Walking School Bus Training has taken place in three towns to date and plans for Walk to School Day Training are in the works.

The Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) at Rutgers University is working with NJDOT to evaluate their success in reaching those most in need of SRTS funds. VTC also runs a SRTS list-serv and a help desk. The VTC produces a Who’s Who Guide for SRTS in New Jersey and a newsletter, Safe Routes Scoop, twice a year. VTC is also assisting NJDOT—along with the RBA Group and the National Center for Bicycling and Walking—with an Urban SRTS Demonstration project in three NJ cities.

Evaluation Methods
Applicants who are awarded NJDOT SRTS project and program funding are required to submit pre- and post-implementation data on travel behavior and attitudes. The required data is gathered using the National Center for Safe Routes to School Student Arrival and Departure Tally Sheet. A Parent Survey has been modified from the National Center’s original and is available in the Getting Started section of the NJDOT SRTS web site. VTC will be tabulating survey results for NJDOT.

Success Stories
Borough of Netcong, NJ - Reversal of Bike Ban - July 2009
Wharton, New Jersey: Innovative Student Involvement

New Jersey Partner Affiliates
Find out which organizations in your state have pledged their support for the Safe Routes to School movement. New Jersey Partner Affiliates.

Legislation and Policies
Stop for Crossing Guards
Effective August 1, 2007, fines for failure to comply with a school crossing guard signal to stop were increased to not less than $150 for a first offense. For a subsequent offense the operator shall be fined not less than $300. (N.J.S.A. 39:4-80.1)

Double School Zone Fines
A bill was introduced in January 2006 [S999 (Buono)], which would allow municipalities to double fines for moving violations in school zones, but it has not moved forward.

Pedestrian Crosswalk Laws
In addition, legislation is currently being crafted to strengthen New Jersey’s pedestrian laws, including requiring drivers to “stop and remain stopped” for pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Statewide Health Initiatives
Safe Routes to School has been included in the New Jersey Obesity Prevention Action Plan and the Governor’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative [http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/approved/20060918.html], both announced in 2006.