Hoboken drivers will be slowing down on city streets due to a new policy change made this past summer. On July 7, Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla signed a law that made all speed limits in Hoboken 20 MPH, lowering it from the previous speed limit of 25 MPH. The installation of new speed feedback signs on the outskirts of the city and restriping pavements to update the speed limit began on September 14.
The change is a part of Hoboken’s Vision Zero initiative, which Mayor Bhalla established in 2019 to lower all traffic-related injuries and fatalities in the city by 2030. The biggest result of this executive order was the establishment of the Vision Zero Task Force, which creates policies and strategies in order to reach this goal, as well as the Vision Zero Action Plan created by this task force. The action plan, which was completed in March 2021, is a 120 page document that outlines all of the current traffic issues that cause crashes and injuries, the action items needed to create a safer city for drivers, pedestrians, and bikers, and the results of such policies in the projected timeline. Since then, the task force has been implementing changes in Hoboken to keep citizens safer and reduce traffic-related injuries across the city.
Inside the report, the task force identified the high crash road segments in Hoboken and some common factors for crashes in the city. One of the main roads that had a high rate of crashes is Willow Avenue, which is why the city is keen on repainting the speed limit indicators in that area. The downtown area of Washington Street was also a common area for crashes, as well as intersections on the edges of the city. One of the main trends in the city’s crashes is driver inattention, such as texting and driving, which was the cause of 71% of preventable crashes in Hoboken.
Emily Jabbur, the Council Vice President and Vision Zero Task Force founding member, believes that “pedestrian safety is paramount for a mile square city,” and that the reduced speed limit will contribute to the many changes the task force has made since its creation in order to bring crashes down in Hoboken. Other implementations since Mayor Bhalla began the task force back in 2019 include 461 high visibility crosswalks and 45 painted or concrete curb extensions throughout the city, among other improvements to Hoboken’s infrastructure. The task force and Mayor Bhalla will continue these efforts over the following months and years as they strive to reach their goal of an injury-free commuter experience in Hoboken.
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