CREST HAVEN – The engineering firm that conducted a traffic safety study for the South Jersey Transportation Safety Organization has identified six areas in Cape May County that are priority locations at which to try to reduce crashes with fatalities and serious injuries.
According to project manager Dave Kuhn of GPI Engineering Services, a contractor for the county that worked with the South Jersey Transportation Safety Organization in developing the safety plan, the goal is to have a 50% reduction in fatal and serious-injury crashes by the year 2050.
At the Nov. 26 meeting of the county commissioners, Kuhn asked the board to accept a five-year Local Road Safety Plan targeting county and municipal roads, and specifically those identified as priority areas.
“The actionable plan focuses on where crashes happen,” he said.
The plan is designed to take a multifaceted approach toward reducing fatal and serious-injury crashes. GPI Engineering formed a steering committee that includes municipal and county officials and is chaired by Cape May County Engineer Robert Church. The committee will remain in place through the summer of 2029.
The study identified the six priority areas as:
- Stone Harbor Boulevard/Court House Dennis Road (CR 657), south of Bayberry Drive to north of Timberlea Lane in Middle Township.
- Breakwater Road (CR 613), from Bayshore Road (CR 603) to east of Shunpike Road (CR 644) in Lower Township.
- Landis Avenue (CR 619), from 69th to 52nd Street and the 78th Street intersection in Sea Isle City.
- New Jersey Avenue (CR 621), from Rio Grande Avenue to Glenwood Avenue in Wildwood.
- Court House-South Dennis Road (CR 657), from Acorn Lane/Goshen Road to the Middle/Dennis border.
- Hoffman Mill Road, Hands Mill Road, Woodbine Avenue, Webster Street (CR 550), from the Cumberland County line to north of Grant Avenue in Dennis Township and Woodbine.
Kuhn said GPI Engineering began developing a schedule for the safety plan in fall 2022, with the first stakeholder workshop held in January 2023. Other workshops were held in November 2023 and June 2024, followed by the public presentation on Nov. 26. The plan is expected to be completed in December, when the commissioners could adopt a resolution accepting the plan.
The plan includes a list of common causes for serious crashes, of which the four receiving the most emphasis in the plan are lane departure, drowsy/distracted drivers, aggressive drivers and pedestrian and bicycle crashes.
Kuhn went over what he called “systemic treatments” – generally low-cost – at the priority locations, which include installing chevron signs at 81 locations. Chevrons are essentially arrow signs that indicate a curve in the roadway. The plan also includes upgrading marked crosswalks at 104 locations so they are more visible. In addition, there will be updates of existing traffic signs at nine locations and pedestrian crossings installed at five intersections.
The safety plan also calls for behavioral strategies, including spreading awareness via social media, including municipal websites; enhancing public awareness, including that of seasonal visitors, on subjects such as avoiding the use of handheld devices and making everyone aware of pedestrian and bicycle laws; and running educational programs in the schools highlighting ideas such as the consequences of speeding and aggressive driving.
Behavioral strategies also include increased enforcement, particularly at hot-spot intersections, and positive reinforcement, such as reward tickets for kids who are wearing their bicycle helmets.
Cape May has had a program for many years where officers would stop kids on bikes and give a reward ticket for wearing a helmet. The tickets could be redeemed for an ice cream cone or a slice of pizza, for example.
Kuhn said the plan aims to implement the changes and strategies over the next five years, culminating in the summer of 2029.
“We will provide assistance with grant applications, and communication with stakeholders will continue,” he said.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
