McGreevey signs bill while next to new designated road.
By: Lea Kahn
Standing in the shadow of the state Division of Motor Vehicles’ Bakers Basin inspection station, Gov. James E. McGreevey signed into law a bill that designates selected highways as "Safe Corridors" Tuesday afternoon.
Under the new law, the commissioner of transportation can designate portions of state-controlled highways as "safe corridors," based on such factors as accident rates, fatalities and traffic volume.
A 10-mile stretch of Route 1, between Franklin Corner Road in Lawrence and Ridge Road in South Brunswick, has been identified as one of those "safe corridors." More than 677,000 vehicles used that portion of Route 1 daily last year. There were nearly 1,400 accidents along that stretch in the past two years, according to the Governor’s Office.
"We know that our efforts to improve safety are a matter of life or death," Gov. McGreevey said. "Tragically, New Jersey lost more than 700 lives in traffic accidents last year. While our efforts cannot bring back the loved ones we have lost, we are working to prevent accidents from occurring in the future with the signing of this new law."
Another 10-mile-long section of Route 1, between South Brunswick and Edison Township, also has been designated as a "Safe Corridor." And a 10-mile-long portion of Route 206, between Montgomery and Hillsborough townships, has been included in the program.
The new law doubles the fine for motor vehicle violations in a safe corridor. Fines for driving in excess of 20 miles per hour above the posted speed limit also will be doubled, for example. The increased fines take effect Jan. 1, 2004.
The new law also requires the completion of a commercial driver’s improvement program to restore a suspended or revoked commercial driver’s license. CDL’s are required for school bus drivers and truck drivers, but not passenger car and light truck drivers.
Half of the fines generated by the "Safe Corridors" violations would go to a new Highway Safety Fund that would be used for highway safety projects and programs. The remainder would be shared between the state police and municipal police departments for education, enforcement and other related measures that would improve highway safety.
Competing with the background noise of Route 1 traffic, Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere said that as public servants, it is important for officials to ensure the safety of residents.
While many people have become complacent about traffic safety, that does not apply to Gov. McGreevey, Mr. Lettiere said. The governor understands the importance of getting people back and forth between home and work safely, he said as he introduced the governor.
The state’s highways are the engines of economic growth in New Jersey, Gov. McGreevey said. Highways lead to job creation, he said. It is important to keep drivers moving to ensure that the economy is kept moving, he added.
Even before the law was signed, officials began taking steps to curb accidents. Those measures include initiating a "#77" program for cell phone users to report aggressive drivers and the use of portable and permanently affixed electronic billboards to remind drivers not to drink and drive, and to wear their seat belts.
Gov. McGreevey said that since the "#77" statewide hotline initiative took effect last fall, the number of calls to report aggressive drivers has soared from 100 to 600 daily.
The governor also announced $3 million in short-term improvements along Route 1. These would include upgrades to traffic signals such as larger lenses, installing newer and larger signs to replace existing ones that longer reflect motorists’ headlights, and restriping of the roadways.