Helping solve the fundamental issues causing crashes in a community through safety improvements

John F. Kennedy Boulevard Safety Corridor Study

Located in Hudson County, New Jersey, John F. Kennedy Boulevard is a 13.5-mile (21.7-kilometre), four-lane arterial that saw more than 4,000 crashes from 2014 to 2016. The County engaged us as part of a team to conduct a study under a corridor-wide effort to examine the fundamental causes of the crashes and determine how the County might reduce crash severity.

Our team worked alongside a technical advisory committee with representatives from Hudson County, the New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), local municipalities, and other stakeholder groups. We then conducted walkability audits on the selected corridor segments to share crash data findings and solicit information on potential countermeasures. Pairing the collected data with feedback from community stakeholders allowed our team to craft recommendations for strategic design strategies as part of the final road safety audit reports.

This study identified five areas on the NJTPA’s screening list of the Hudson County network in need of crash countermeasure investment. Recommendations included the incorporation of high visibility crosswalks, pedestrian intervals, road diets, pedestrian-scale lighting, and protected-only phasing for left turns at signals.