On the pedestrian side, fatalities rose 9% in 1998. Despite the gloomy statistic, however, NJDOT is moving to tackle some of the most dangerous intersections in the State, including five that will undergo pilot reengineering in Newark and Irvington. In addition, the $1.5 million the Governor dedicated to local pedestrian safety projects found ready recipients among 21 NJ towns.

But NJDOT may be risking this momentum. In a last minute change to its proposed capital program for fiscal year 2000, the new pedestrian pilot program was cut from $5 million to $3 million. Once the pilot Newark and Irvington projects are built, other communities will have to claw over leftovers worth $500,000 for their pedestrian projects. The Campaign has urged NJDOT to restore funding to at least the $5 million level.

Likewise, the air is hissing out of the bike program's tires. Last year's $10 million dedicated by the Governor was slashed to $7 million in the original FY 2000 budget, and in late revisions, the amount has plummeted to $4 million. At that level, there is little likelihood the Governor's plan for 200 miles of paths per year will be attained. In fact, in FY 1999, $7.3 million of bicycle project awards will yield only 54 bikeway miles.

Last year, municipal applications for bike lanes totaled $16 million, more than double that awarded. For pedestrian safety, 136 towns applied - six times the number that won grants. The demand is there, though many towns will need assistance in hatching and planning the projects. NJDOT's skinflint approach to bike and pedestrian funding - which even at initial levels was barely a drop in the DOT bucket - could blunt the healthy interest shown on the parts of NJ citizens, municipalities and counties.