138-24 Exhibit to Resolution Adopting the Township of West Orange Vision Zero Action Plan.pdf

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VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN West Orange Township is committed to using a Safe System approach to achieve Vision Zero. The strategies and actions to achieve zero traffic fatalities or serious injuries by the year 2030 were identified by the project team based on the data analysis and outreach findings with input from the Vision Zero Task Force and are organized into the five elements of the Safe System Approach. As noted earlier, the Plan follows the six principles of the Safe System Approach: 1. DEATH AND SERIOUS INJURIES ARE UNACCEPTABLE. While no crashes are desirable, the Safe System Approach prioritizes the elimination of crashes that result in death and serious injuries since no one should experience either when using the transportation system. 2. HUMANS MAKE MISTAKES. People will inevitably make mistakes and decisions that can lead or contribute to crashes, but the transportation system can be designed and operated to accommodate certain types and levels of human mistakes, and avoid death and serious injuries when a crash occurs. 3. HUMANS ARE VULNERABLE. People have physical limits for tolerating crash forces before death or serious injury occurs; therefore, it is critical to Source: USDOT FHWA design and operate a transportation system that is human-centric and accommodates physical human vulnerabilities. 4. RESPONSIBILITY IS SHARED. All stakeholders – including government at all levels, industry, non-profit/ advocacy, researchers, and the public – are vital to preventing fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways. 5. SAFETY IS PROACTIVE. Proactive tools should be used to identify and address safety issues in the transportation system, rather than waiting for crashes to occur and reacting afterwards. 6. REDUNDANCY IS CRUCIAL. Reducing risks requires that all parts of the transportation system be strengthened, so that if one part fails, the other parts still protect people WEST ORANGE TOWNSHIP: VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN 57

SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH ELEMENTS The goal is zero deaths and serious injuries and adopting the five elements of the Safe System Approach will help West Orange Township achieve its goal by 2030. FHWA's Proven Safety Countermeasures were utilized in identifying specific improvements to address the various crash types along the High-Injury Network. The Safe System Approach can improve safety for all users, including children and seniors. West Orange is an Age-Friendly community1 and one where residents can age in place, and the Vision Zero Action Plan will influence the quality of life of older adults. It will support senior residents by giving them a safe transportation system to remain physically, socially, and mentally engaged and help to make West Orange a great place to live. The five elements of the Safe System Approach are: SAFER ROADS Design roadway environments to mitigate human mistakes and account for injury tolerances, to encourage safer behaviors, and to facilitate safe travel by the most vulnerable users. SAFER SPEEDS Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, equitable, context-appropriate roadway design, appropriate speed-limit setting, targeted education, outreach campaigns, and enforcement. SAFER PEOPLE Encourage safe, responsible driving and behavior by people who use our roads and create conditions that prioritize their ability to reach their destination unharmed. SAFER VEHICLES Expand the availability of vehicle systems and features that help to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes on both occupants and non-occupants. POST-CRASH CARE Enhance the survivability of crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care, while creating a safe working environment for vital first responders and preventing secondary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices. In addition to the action plan table in the following pages, specific recommendations and countermeasures

dary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices. In addition to the action plan table in the following pages, specific recommendations and countermeasures were developed for the top Prioritized HIN corridors in Appendix A: Priority HIN Projects: Fact Sheets. 1 https://www.westorange.org/DocumentCenter/View/6813/Age-Friendly-Designation- 58 WEST ORANGE TOWNSHIP: VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN

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SAFER SPEEDS Supporting Safer Speeds is a priority in the Safe Lowering the speed limit is a safety trade-off as System Approach and is integral to Vision Zero. slowing cars can impact traffic time. In West Orange, As speed increases, the chance of survivability survey responses indicate that the West Orange decreases. This is especially true for vulnerable community supports lowering speed limits and users such as bicyclists and pedestrians. Per the Safe having neighborhood slow zones to help improve System Approach by the FHWA, "humans are unlikely traffic safety. to survive high-speed crashes. Reducing speeds can accommodate human injury tolerances in three While speed-camera programs are an important ways: reducing impact forces, providing additional component of Vision Zero, in New Jersey they are time for drivers to stop, and improving visibility." currently not permitted. However, efforts to reduce speed should look beyond enforcement and focus While safer roads and safer people also play a big on infrastructure changes to ensure that the posted role in managing speeds, the actions for this element speed limits are followed. primarily focus on speed limit policy changes, programs to slow vehicles, and education. Per the crash data analysis, unsafe speed was a factor in 18% of KSI crashes, and 7.6% of all crashes in West Orange Township. Speeding was observed on several HIN corridors with a speed limit of 35 - 40 mph by the project team and was also noted in community surveys and on the interactive safety map. 60 WEST ORANGE TOWNSHIP: VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN

"SPEED IS AT THE HEART OF A FORGIVING ROAD TRANSPORT SYSTEM. IT TRANSCENDS ALL ASPECTS OF SAFETY: WITHOUT SPEED THERE CAN BE NO MOVEMENT, BUT WITH SPEED COMES KINETIC ENERGY AND WITH KINETIC ENERGY AND HUMAN ERROR COME CRASHES, INJURIES, AND EVEN DEATHS.” ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT WEST ORANGE TOWNSHIP: VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN 61

Table 6. Safer Speeds Actions SAFER SPEEDS Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, equitable, context-appropriate roadway design, appropriate speed-limit setting, targeted education, outreach campaigns, and enforcement. Time Frame Cost Short/ (High- # Action Description Partners Medium/ Medium- Long Low) Advocate for setting appropriate speed limits (including using the USDOT USLIMITS2 tool), traffic calming and safety countermeasures on SS1 County roads along the HIN network. Ensure that Essex County Medium Low measures to improve safety along County roads align with the future Essex County Vision Zero Action Plan. Implement roadway design to achieve appropriate West Orange SS2 speed limits on the municipal HIN roads based on Township Medium Medium land use context. Create a neighborhood slow zone program, Community SS3 utilizing traffic calming features. Members Medium Medium Create a traffic calming toolkit for West Orange to West Orange SS4 empower the community to assist the Township in

ange to West Orange SS4 empower the community to assist the Township in Township Short Low addressing traffic safety needs. State of New Advocate to legalize camera-based ticketing for SS5 speeding and red light running. Jersey, Essex Medium Medium County 62 WEST ORANGE TOWNSHIP: VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN

TIMEFRAME: • Short - Under 2 years • Medium - 2-5 years • Long - 5+ years ESTIMATED COST: • Low - < $100,000 • Medium - $100,000 - $1 Million • Long - $I Million + Impact on Equity Priority Performance Measures Safety (High / (Yes/No) Medium /Low) Speed limit re-evaluation undertaken and recommendations Yes High implemented on applicable roads Speed monitoring showing target speeds are being consistently followed Yes High Neighborhood slow zones identified and and miles of roadways with Yes High traffic calming measures in neighborhood slow zones Traffic calming toolkit created and provided to relevant organizations; number of locations where traffic calming is recommended by Yes Medium community members Camera-based ticketing legalized and implemented at all high-crash Yes High intersections and corridors WEST ORANGE TOWNSHIP: VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN 63