A new law increasing the fine on motorists who violate crosswalks went into effect on June 2. Drivers who get caught by police failing to yield to a pedestrian crossing the street in a marked crosswalk will be charged $100, up from $50.

S. 251, legislation requiring the DOT to ban right turn on red at unsafe intersections, increase signage at cross walks and encourage pedestrian safety when distributing local aid funds, was passed recently by the Assembly. The legislation awaits approval from the Governor’s office before becoming law.

However, A. 2605, legislation requiring motorists to stop for pedestrians waiting to enter crosswalks, has not moved since it was passed by the Assembly last winter. Some observers in Trenton say that urban Democrats in the State Senate are holding the bill up because they fear the measure will add to traffic congestion. The concern seems unfounded, however, since the measure would not apply to signalized intersections.

Two recent reports by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign highlighted the need for more attention to bike and pedestrian programs in the state. One found that municipal requests for bike and pedestrian projects far outweighs state allocations. (MTR #499 and MTR #494) Another found the pedestrian fatality rates have been stagnant or increased over the past decade, increasing 4% from 2003 to 2004. 

MTR back issues:

Go to index of all Mobilizing the Region back issues.