No Crashes In Montclair By 2029? Proposed Task Force Would Aim High

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Sometimes “zero” is a goal worth fighting for.

On Wednesday, several Montclair officials announced that plans to create a Vision Zero Task Force for traffic safety in the township.

Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller released more details about the proposal in a joint statement with council members Peter Yacobellis and Lori Price Abrams:

“The task force would be comprised of representatives from various township departments, members of the council, Essex County representatives, and members of key advocacy organizations like Bike & Walk Montclair and the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition. The task force will be empowered to develop recommendations to eliminate crashes in Montclair by the end of 2028. The task force will be charged with updating Montclair’s dormant Complete Streets Plan to a Complete and Green Streets Plan that incorporates stormwater retention into modern traffic calming solutions.”

Spiller, Price Abrams and Yacobellis said they plan to introduce a resolution to establish the task force at the town council meeting on May 16. If enacted, members of the task force would be appointed by separate resolution in June, with the expectation that the group would get to work over the summer.

Funding to support the task force has been set aside in the 2023 municipal budget within the Department of Community Services. The task force and the township will immediately begin applying for grants to support its mission, officials said.

Spiller said it is important to “do everything possible to minimize and eliminate injuries – or worse” – resulting from crashes.

“There is nothing more important than making sure that we keep our residents safe in Montclair,” Spiller said.

Price Abrams said that it’s rare that a week goes by without hearing about another crash or close call in Montclair from her constituents.

“We have an exciting opportunity to bring together stakeholders and line our intentions up with what we know the state and federal governments are looking to fund, to invest in a safer streetscape,” she said. “Now is the time to act on this.”

Yacobellis said that in 2022, the town saw 47 pedestrian strikes and 14 cyclist strikes by vehicles, as per Montclair Police Department statistics. This also correlates with state trends in year-over-year increases, he added.

“There is an epidemic of distraction in transportation and we’re seeing year-over-year increases in pedestrian and bicycle strikes in Montclair,” Yacobellis said.

“The best way to deal with this is to treat the disease and not the individual symptoms,” he continued. “We have an incredible opportunity to design a streetscape that makes our streets safer by focusing on high crash corridor and intersection improvements, enables safer walking and biking – and at the same time can deploy things like rain gardens in curb bump-outs that capture stormwater.”

The proposed task force has gained the support of Montclair resident and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, who has previously called for more traffic safety changes in the area. Read More: Official Calls For Change After Car Hits Pedestrian In Montclair

“As a board member of the NJ Bike & Walk Coalition and one of the earliest and fiercest advocates of the Essex-Hudson Greenway, I see this as another vital tool for making our home a safer place for pedestrians and cyclists,” Gill said.

• Read More: Plans For Montclair Intersection Will Boost Pedestrian Safety, County Says

“Everyone has the right to safe walking and biking on our streets without fear of being hit by a car,” New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition Executive Director Debra Kaga said.

“This Vision Zero Task Force, charged with creating an action plan that follows USDOT’s safe systems approach and updating our Complete Streets Policy, is a critical step towards making that possible,” Kaga said.

Paul Mickiewicz, president of Bike & Walk Montclair, said it’s encouraging to see the proposed task force coming together.

“We need to apply the evolved thinking and strategies which are being used successfully in many communities across the country to make our roadways safer for all, in particular to our most vulnerable roadway users,” Mickiewicz said.

“Making the healthy choice, the easy choice by prioritizing walking, riding a bike, rolling on scooter, wheelchair, etc. represents the single most impactful, positive behavior change we can make,” Mickiewicz added.

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