Pedestrian Safety Awareness Improves After Red Bank Program

RED BANK, N.J.—Making Shrewsbury Avenue safer for pedestrians was the goal of a 10-month pedestrian safety initiative by the Red Bank Borough Police Department.

And based on a decoy operation at the intersection of Catherine Street that just ended, the increased focus seems to be improving safety, police said.

Police set up the pedestrian decoy at Shrewsbury Avenue and Catherine Street, which sees lots of people walking to stores and homes. Vehicles that failed to stop for the decoy were stopped by officers waiting further down the road. Approximately 25 vehicles were stopped during this detail.

Officers previously conducted this decoy operation in October 2021 at the same intersection. Officers noted an increase in compliance this time with far more motorists stopping for the pedestrian in the crosswalk and a nearly 50 percent reduction in the number of violations observed compared to the operation in October.

As part of this effort, between August 2021 and May 2022, members of the Red Bank Police Department conducted approximately 200 hours of highly visible pedestrian safety enforcement.

The department hosted 11 pedestrian and bicycle safety presentations at Red Bank schools and posted approximately 100 temporary pedestrian safety signs throughout the Borough of Red Bank.

It distributed pamphlets to motorists, and worked with the Red Bank Department of Public Works to replace and upgrade pedestrian signage at several busy intersections.

These efforts have been made possible through grant funding obtained from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.