Borough of Point Pleasant – According to Borough Administrator Frank Pannucci Jr., The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is a federal, state and local effort to enable and encourage children to walk and bicycle to school where it is safe to do so and to improve the areas where it is not safe. SRTS facilitates the planning, development and implementation of projects that improve safety and air quality, as well as reduce traffic and fuel consumption around schools. The Greater Mercer TMA and the NJ Department of Transportation teamed up to implement a statewide SRTS programs throughout Mercer and Ocean Counties. One such partnership included the Borough of Point Pleasant. Through the efforts of Mayor Robert A. Sabosik and the Borough Council over the last few years, various major improvements have taken place including new sidewalks by Nellie Bennett Elementary School, new sidewalks up and down Bridge Avenue and Beaver Dam Road where they were able to be placed and many new and improved curb cuts and cross walks in various locations throughout town. All of these physical improvements further complimented the educational aspects the Mayor and Council have implemented such as having representatives from the Greater Mercer TMA on hand to do safety seminars through our Recreation Programs like Summer Camp and Pre-School, our Police Department participating in Bicycle Rodeos at our elementary and middle schools and constantly having safety paraphernalia at all of our borough events including giving out free bike helmets and reflectors.
According to Mayor Sabosik “All of these great things in 2018 lead to the Borough receiving the Bronze Sneaker Award. Now in 2019, the Borough has bypassed the Silver Award and has gone straight to gold receiving the Gold Sneaker Award for our efforts and commitment to the program. Over the last few years we have taken monumental steps in improving pedestrian safety here. As you go around town, you will see new sidewalks where there have never been before, new crosswalks replacing old ones and new ones in places that previously didn’t have them in addition to the improvements to our roads, including Bridge Avenue and Beaver Dam Road. This has been a true partnership with the Greater Mercer TMA in improving our community. There is always more work to be done and we will continue to do so, but we’ve made significant strides in helping make our community safer.”
Councilwoman Pamela Snyder added that “Before this administration, the Borough had no way to fund projects like this. We’ve gone the extra step now and created a pedestrian safety fund where new construction in an area that wouldn’t support sidewalks would have to donate into a fund where we could then place sidewalks and other safety features where they are needed. We’ve also improved the Borough’s overall finances with the help of Councilman John Wisniewski on the Finance Committee where we are in a position to now have the appropriate funds to improve our community. This Mayor and Council also increased the educational aspect of this program by educating both the youth and adult members of our community about pedestrian, bicycle and driving safety with various Borough sponsored programs. We’ve worked hard and I would like to thank the Greater Mercer TMA for this recognition because it means that we are moving in the right direction making our community the best it can be.”
Councilwoman Antoinette DePaola, who chairs the Borough Council’s Public Safety Committee, stated that “This is a true honor. We are continuously working hard for our residents in promoting safety. We’re finding a balance between physical improvements and public education and we will continue down this path. These programs are not one shot events, we’ve made them a part of our operations and programs and they will be year in and year out in the Borough of Point Pleasant.”
