The new pedestrian beacons flashing near Riverview Medical Center. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
With car and truck drivers cars hitting walkers and cyclists at skyrocketing rates statewide, Monmouth County officials recently activated new flashing pedestrian beacons at one of the most notorious crossings in Red Bank.
And borough officials said the county has promised at least one more set of flashing beacons will soon go up in town.
A map of pedestrian and cylist crash data from the 2023 Red Bank Master Plan.
The beacons installed in December at East Front and Riverview Plaza mark the latest effort by officials to boost safety along a stretch of road that statistics show has seen more pedestrian crashes than any other in recent years.
In a press release announcing the activation of the beacons, County Commissioner Thomas Arnone said 1,200 pedestrian crossings occur at the location daily. The crossing is used by many employees and visitors to the hospital who park in the parking garage on the south side of East Front Street.
A map of accident data in the 2023 Master Plan does not show any crashes at the Riverview Terrace crossing near the hospital, but does show a nearby a cluster of pedestrian accidents occurring between 2018 and 2020 just west of the spot at Broad and Front Streets.
“Our primary concern when it comes to our roads is safety,” said Arnone in a press release. “Over time, Riverview Medical Center officials have shared their concerns regarding safety for their employees and pedestrians. Approximately 1,200 pedestrian crossings occur at this location daily and the goal of installing the warning beacons is to provide safety to pedestrians and drivers.”
At Thursday’s meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council, council members said county commissioners have promised a similar overhead beacon at a hair-raising crossing on another county road: Shrewsbury Avenue. The light is planned for a crossing at the end of Monmouth Street where a crosswalk across Shrewsbury Avenue leads to the Red Bank Senior Center, officials said.
A larger makeover of Shrewsbury Avenue designed to improve pedestrian safety (see story below) continues to progress at governmentally glacial pace.
Partially funded by a federal grant administered by the state, on a road controlled by Monmouth County, the new system of flashing beacons, crosswalks and bump outs is expected to be under construction in 2026, according to Borough Manager Jim Gant.
RED BANK: STREETSCAPE BEGINS LONG ROAD
In the meantime, Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano said she and other borough officials have been imploring county officials to install a crossing beacon like the one they put up near the hospital near the Senior Center. The plan calls for the beacon to be installed separate from, and before, the larger project.
“The county is saying they are dedicated to getting it done,” Triggiano said.
Red Bank saw 15 accidents (including one fatality) involving pedestrians in 2024, up from ten in 2023, according to statistics provided by Police Chief Mike Frazee as of Dec. 20. Both years saw eight accidents involving cyclists.
The total number of vehicle crashes in 2024 was 745 – a slight reduction from 774 the previous year, he said.
In 2024, New Jersey hit a tragic 30-year high for pedestrian deaths, with 222 people killed by car and truck drivers, or 30 percent more than the previous year. Overall traffic deaths were up 14 percent over the previous year.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
