Hudson County Executive Craig Guy was joined by Congressman Rob Menendez and members of the Vision Zero Task Force on Saturday at the heavily traveled, JFK Boulevard and Manhattan Avenue intersection in Jersey City. The Task Force is expected to present findings on ways to make Hudson’s roads safer for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists by the end of the year.
“As Vision Zero Chair, it has been, since the very beginning, my goal to eliminate roadway deaths in Hudson County. And through this safety demonstration project, I am fulfilling my commitment to trying out all possible safety measures to ensure county roads are safe for all who use them,” said Hudson County Executive Craig Guy. “I understand the importance of investing in safe streets and in the communities that need it most now and for future generations. Today, we are focusing on the best ways to provide safe streets for all. This is critical to Hudson County residents, it is critically important to my administration, and it is the mission of the Vision Zero Task Force I created.”
The Vision Zero Safety Demonstration Project tests permanent solutions to improving walking, cycling, driving, and the use of public transportation on roadways. These solutions include hardened center lines and speed bumps to encourage slower and safer turns. In addition, the project expands existing measures that are currently used on county roads including ‘No Turn on Red’ signs, curb extensions using cost-efficient materials, and traffic signal timing to prioritize the safety of pedestrians crossing the roads. The traffic calming measures constructed at the corner of JFK Boulevard and Manhattan Avenue will be in place for about two weeks and will be used for gathering useful data for the Vision Zero Action Plan.So far, through the efforts of Congressman Rob Menendez (D-District 8), $480,000 in federal funds have been secured for the project, with much more money expected in the future.
Since August of 2023, when the Vision Zero Task Force was established, the team has been meeting monthly as a collaborative effort between all stakeholders in Hudson County. The Vision Zero Action Plan will be announced by the end of this year.
