The New Jersey Safe Routes Resource Center (NJSRRC), funded by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) with support from the Federal Highway Administration, achieved numerous successes in 2024. A key highlight was hosting the in-person New Jersey Safe Routes Academy during the NJ Bike & Walk Summit on Saturday, May 18th, at Middlesex College and College Center in Edison, NJ. The Center also continued its statewide training efforts through the NJ Crossing Guard Training and Resources program, a collaboration between NJDOT and the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety. Additionally, the Safe Routes Resource Center’s partnership with NJ’s Regional Safe Routes to School Coordinators, based at all eight Transportation Management Associations (TMAs), continued to thrive. Below is a summary of the Resource Center’s key accomplishments in 2024:

Technical Assistance

  • Recognized 354 schools and municipalities through the NJ Safe Routes to School Recognition Program in coordination with NJDOT and the eight Transportation Management Associations in New Jersey. Certification is valid for three years.  There are currently 1,078 schools and municipalities certified under the NJ Safe Routes to School Recognition Program.
  • Developed and posted two (3) new SRTS videos:
  • Reviewed Sustainable Jersey (SJ) and Sustainable Jersey for Schools Actions:
    • School and school district submissions for three (3) SJ for Schools actions (Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety & Promotion Initiatives, Safe Routes to School District Policy, School Travel Plan for Walking and Bicycling)
    • Municipal submissions for five (5) SJ actions (Safe Routes to School, Complete and Green Streets for All Policy, Bicycle and Pedestrian Audits, Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, Bicycle and/or Pedestrian Improvement Projects)
  • Responded to 77 Help Desk requests submitted to srts@ejb.rutgers.edu or (848) 932-7901

Education and Training

  • Presented at conferences, webinars, and summits, including:2024 Micromobility 2.0 Workshop: “Micromobility and Youth Education, Engagement & Awareness.”
    • 2024 TransAction Conference: “Jumpstarting a Walkable and Bikeable Future: Accessing State and Federal Dollars” and “Advancing Micromobility Access and Safety in New Jersey.”
    • 2024 National APA Planning and Redevelopment Conference: “SRTS and the Safe System Approach.”
    • SAFE Network meeting: “Mapping options and curriculum resources available at the NJ Safe Routes Resource Center.”
    • 2024 Safe Routes to School National Conference: “Inclusive Routes, Inclusive Futures: Addressing Diverse Student Needs in Safe Routes to School” and “How Do We Address Speeding in School Zones?”
    • NJ League of Municipalities Conference: “Building Better Streets: Local Perspectives to Enhance Mobility”
    • SAFE Network meeting: “Beyond Public Comment, Working With Your Municipalities”

Research

NJ Crossing Guard Training and Resources

The NJ Crossing Guard Supervisor Training Program and direct training to municipal crossing guards is supported by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety with funding from Federal Highway Administration. In 2024, the NJ Crossing Guard training program:

  • Coordinated two (2) online Crossing Guard Supervisor Trainings
  • Presented two (3) direct in person Crossing Guard trainings in Trenton, Passaic, and North Bergen.
  • Recorded and updated a Spanish Language Crossing Guard Training video for police officers to use in direct Crossing Guard training sessions.
  • Coordinated three (3) Crossing Guard Focus Groups with crossing guards from urban communities to
  • NJ Crossing Guard Training Program 2024 Report

Check out the 2024 Year in Review from NJ DOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center  here!