Street Smart NJ, the statewide public awareness and behavioral change pedestrian safety campaign coordinated the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), marked a significant milestone this year, partnering with its 300th community.
With 300 campaigns across the Garden State’s 21 counties under its belt since its inception in 2013, Street Smart NJ has worked with the vast majority of the 566 municipalities in New Jersey, including other partners, such as, colleges and universities, as well as organizations like the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey (BIANJ).
The campaign first was piloted in 2013 and 2014 in five communities:
- Hackettstown, Warren County
- Jersey City, Hudson County
- Long Beach Island, Ocean County
- Newark, Essex County
- Woodbridge, Middlesex County
Street Smart uses public education and enforcement to promote safety travel behavior by people driving as well as walking. It was coordinated in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (NJDHTS). Other critical partners and advocates include the state’s eight Transportation Management Associations (TMA) and organizations like BIANJ, AAA, Safe Kids NJ, and others.
Street Smart is successful in changing the behaviors that contribute to crashes based on evaluations of pilot sites and other locations. Some of the behaviors that can contribute to collisions and crashes include motorists failing to stop for pedestrians crossing the street, and people walking outside of crosswalks and/or against traffic signals.
Campaigns are coming online regularly. Interested in starting your own campaign?
Launching a Street Smart NJ campaign takes planning and collaboration. Campaigns typically run four to six weeks but planning begins months in advance. It starts with a community of key stakeholders, such as police departments, elected officials, other municipal departments or agencies, and community groups.
Staff from the NJTPA are available for presentations to provide an overview of Street Smart NJ campaigns and help communities get started. The state’s eight TMAs are also available to support local campaigns.
Communities and organizations everywhere are invited to use the strategies and materials on Street Smart NJ’s website to create their own campaigns.
There are a few factors to consider before starting your campaign:
- Analyzing data to identify focus areas
- Recruiting campaign partners to help raise awareness of pedestrian safety
- Working with community groups to promote the campaign
- Displaying and distributing information once the campaign is underway
There are several tools available to communities interested in launching a campaign including a Campaign Planning Checklist and a How to Guide.
The How to Guide is designed to help communities apply the insights gained in past campaigns in designing their own Street Smart NJ initiative.
The Campaign Planning Checklist serves as a practical pre-campaign planning tool, prompting communities to consider key factors such as local crash and safety data, potential partners, participation from schools, businesses, bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups, campaign locations, outreach strategies, and other implementation opportunities. Because every community is unique, the checklist also helps assess a campaign’s feasibility while identifying local strengths and opportunities that can contribute to a successful outcome.
The NJDHTS also makes available grants that can fund police overtime for pedestrian safety enforcement efforts. Police departments that are interested can apply. For more information on funding cycles and how to apply, visit HTS Grants – New Jersey Office of Attorney General.
Communities can also download campaign materials, such as logos, posters, tip cards, and other resources to support pedestrian and bicycle safety initiatives. The Social Media Tools page on the Street Smart site offers sample social media posts that communities can share with their constituencies.
To learn more about the Street Smart NJ brand, message, and/or are work, contact Will Yarzab, Street Smart NJ coordinator, at [email protected]