Editorial Opinion: Pedestrian Accident Urgent Reminder We Need Safer Street Crossings

It really is about the three E’s Red Bank Police Chief Darren McConnell speaks about – Education, Enforcement and Engineering.
An ambulance struck a pedestrian Wednesday, while he was crossing against the light at the intersection of Broad and Monmouth. Thank heavens he wasn’t seriously injured. Was the gentleman wrong to cross inappropriately? Yes. But if you’ve ever waited to cross that intersection, and I have many times, it’s a long light. A really long light. People cross against it all the time. And we have photos to prove it. A Two River Times photographer stood taking photos of people crossing against that light continually during a 15 minute period. Only one person actually looked at the light out of approximately 20. That has to be discussed and a solution found. Because unfortunately, someone could easily be hit again.
And the next time, the driver might not be doing the speed limit like the ambulance driver. The consequences of a speeding car hitting a pedestrian are ugly.
Mayor Pasquale Menna is quoted in our story today saying that he doesn’t feel that any type of regulation can stop something like this from happening because the pedestrian wasn’t looking where he was going. And the mayor noted that there is a button for pedestrians to push to get the light to turn. But a reporter for The Two River Times found that if you push the button, it takes approximately one minute, 40 seconds for the light to change. If you don’t push it, the wait is two minutes. That’s a long wait, either way.
So, mayor, I respectfully disagree.
We’ve accomplished a lot, and I’m proud of Red Bank for asking the county to study the light at West Front and Broad, which gives both drivers and pedestrians the go-ahead to cross simultaneously. But this issue needs examination. The Two River Times promised its readers we’d find solutions and hold ourselves and our stakeholders accountable so we intend to do so.
We’ll discuss possible solutions at our next task force meeting but something has to be done. In the meantime, more enforcement may be the answer. Red Bank is the epicenter for so many businesses, shops, cultural events and restaurants so it’s important we make it safer.
This unfortunate incident once again shines the light on pedestrian safety. That’s why The Two River Times formed a task force March 6 to examine pedestrian and cyclist safety and speeding traffic throughout the Two River area, beginning in Red Bank. The paper is coordinating the initiative as an editorial campaign to improve safety first in Red Bank and then in the entire Two River area. We’ve brought together municipal, county and state representatives as well as school leaders, and stakeholders in the area including Meridian Health, RiverCenter and Newport Media Holdings, LLC, the parent company of the newspaper.
Through the efforts of the task force, in addition to the county studying the light at Broad and West Front, Sen. Jennifer Beck has promised to advocate for and bring initiatives the borough and county officials agree upon to the NJ Department of Transportation. She also had the idea of RiverCenter providing more signage about safety and they have agreed and joined the task force.
We’re making progress and picking up momentum. But this recent incident is a reminder that there is much to do.
Jody Calendar
Executive Editor/Co-Publisher
Task Force moderator
jcalendar@tworivertimes.com
732-219-5788