ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The Murphy administration recently announced the award of $1.4 million in Highway Safety Fund Program grants to 54 municipalities to promote safety along designated Safe Corridor highway segments.
“The Highway Safety Fund provides grants to local law enforcement, helping ensure they have the tools they need to keep our roads safe,” N.J. Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “The funding provides resources necessary for local governments to achieve their safety objectives without burdening local property taxpayers.”
The Highway Safety Fund Grant program is funded through fines, which are doubled in designated Safe Corridors for a variety of moving violations, including speeding. The designated segments of state highways were selected based on crash data, traffic volume and other highway traffic safety criteria. This data-driven model directs more resources to those areas within Safe Corridors exhibiting the greatest need for continued enhanced enforcement measures.
In Essex County, Fairfield received $7,904 and Newark received $18,333.
The current Safe Corridors include: Route 1 between Trenton and South Brunswick, between South Brunswick and Edison, and between Woodbridge and Elizabeth; Route 9 from Lakewood to Sayreville; Route 22 between Branchburg and Newark; Route 40 between Hamilton and Egg Harbor; Route 46 between Netcong and Woodland Park; Route 47 between Millville and Vineland; Route 73 between Voorhees and Maple Shade; and Route 206 between Montgomery and Hillsborough.
The grants are administered by the NJDOT Division of Local Aid and Economic Development and are intended to promote public safety. They are distributed based on a formula to all municipalities responsible for law enforcement within the designated Safe Corridors.
Funding may be used by municipalities to purchase enforcement equipment including police vehicles, radar equipment, computer hardware and software, and to provide for special enforcement details.
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