By: Najla Alexander
Middlesex County officials announced that their Prosecutor's office is spearheading an initiative to directly address the rise in vehicular fatalities throughout Middlesex County, with an emphasis on U.S. Route 1, a vital and high-volume roadway in the County.
The recent surge in fatal crashes has led the Prosecutor’s office to partner with the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, New Jersey Department of Transportation, and Middlesex County to create innovative solutions, driven by data, to combat this issue head-on, according to MCPO officials. 
Middlesex County officials said this new initiative will identify and convene a Working Group to analyze data and implement necessary measures to abate traffic collisions monthly, concurrently, a multi-jurisdictional Task Force will be created to enforce road safety tactics weekly.
Lead agencies including Middlesex County’s Prosecutor’s Office; New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety; Woodbridge Police Department; Edison Police Department; New Brunswick Police Department; North Brunswick Police Department; South Brunswick Police Department; Plainsboro Police Department; and the Middlesex County Sheriff’s office will comprise the Task Force, MCPO authorities said.
According to Middlesex County officials, this group will crack down on dangerous driving, targeting the behaviors that cause the greatest risk to the drivers, pedestrians, and pedal cyclists that use the roads in Middlesex County.
For maximum effectiveness, data will drive decisions on where the concentrated traffic enforcement will occur on Route 1, MCPO authorities stated.
The monthly Working Group will consist of the County and State transportation, engineering and planning agencies, and the various police agencies to evaluate, assess, and pull insights from real-world traffic data on Route 1 to expedite safety-related infrastructure improvements, Middlesex County officials say.
“This initiative led by Prosecutor’s Office is right in-line with the County’s Vision Zero strategy,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios.
“Road safety is a top priority - it is the County’s mission to eliminate traffic fatalities. We will continue to invest in infrastructure and ways to educate both drivers and pedestrians on prevention to ensure safety for everyone.”
“Data is what we need to create the right strategies to tackle the rise in vehicular crashes in the County,” said Middlesex County Commissioner and Chair of Transportation Charles Kenny.
“Vision Zero was created to help us make intelligent and informed decisions on traffic safety measures. The more we can predict driver behavior, the better we can target the issue and prevent serious injuries or deaths on our roads.”
Middlesex County officials said the County is cracking down on dangerous driving, and Route 1 will be targeted for this initiative due to its high congestion, high volatility of drivers, commercial trucking traffic, and the dramatic rise in collisions.
Involved parties will utilize traffic data from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Crash Reports and traffic citations, as well as new sources of data, to be developed, MCPO authorities said.
Accoridng to Middlesex County officials, Grant funding for the Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative is being provided by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
Enforcement efforts will be primarily focused on U.S. Route 1 but will also include intensive efforts along other roadways throughout Middlesex County, MCPO officials say.
Middlesex County authorities said this Prosecutor-led project commenced early stages of its roll-out in January 2025 with complete implementation this spring.
Over the past 5 years, more than 300 people have died on the roadways of Middlesex County, with 45 of them on U.S. Route 1, Middlesex County officials stated.
MCPO authorities said that the main goal for this program is to reduce motor vehicle crash fatalities by 20% year on year by December 2025.
Middlesex County’s Vision Zero action plan is the first countywide action plan in New Jersey, positioning the County alongside other global leaders in transportation safety, Middlesex County officials say. 
According to MCPO authorities, the action plan identifies crash locations, maps high-injury corridors, documents existing programs, and proposes a series of actions designed to promote crash prevention through engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, continual evaluation, and partnerships.
In 2023, the County was honored with the Complete Streets Excellence Award by the State of New Jersey, for its leadership in Vision Zero, Middlesex County officials stated.
MCPO officials said for more information about the Route 1 Safer Travel Initiative, reach out to the Office of the Prosecutor by visiting middlesexcountynj.gov/prosecutor.