Report: South Jersey Highways Pose Dangerous Threat To Pedestrians
By David Madden
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- A new report from an independent panel shows little improvement on making one of South Jersey's highways safer for pedestrians in spite of ongoing efforts to do just that.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign tracked pedestrian fatalities on New Jersey roads and found 435 people died while walking on roads between 2011 and 2013.
Senior analyst Janna Chernetz says the worst one is around here: "For a fifth year in a row, route 130 in Burlington County was the most deadliest with 9 fatalities. And 7 of those actually occurred on a small, 7.5 mile stretch between Cinnaminson and Willingboro."
State and local officials have tried a number of things to make the busy road safer for everyone, but more needs to be done according says Chernetz.
"Common sense comes into play whether you're a motorist or a pedestrian." She says, "Everybody needs to act responsibly whether they're behind the wheel of the car or they are the pedestrian on the road."
Chernetz suggests roads like 130 need to be retrofitted to meet changing needs, along with better law enforcement.
State transportation officials have targeted that stretch of highway for increased enforcement on drivers and walkers alike.
Planners are working on a long-term fix and there's legislation now being considered to require drivers to provide a buffer zone for those on foot.