He wants to be mayor of Jersey City, but former Gov. Jim McGreevey is dodging basic questions on street safety. Why do some politicians think they can recycle the politics of the past and continue to ignore the carnage on our streets?
This summer, street safety advocates in the Garden State launched StreetsPAC NJ to answer such basic questions. As veterans of street safety fights we noticed some basic facts: our streets are dangerous and too many elected officials in New Jersey are simply oblivious when it comes to solutions.
In 2024, New Jersey recorded 691 traffic fatalities, with pedestrian deaths reaching a 30-year high. This tragedy is the result of a system that is obsessed with auto-centric policies and car-brained solutions. We've seen a sitting council person plead guilty to a hit-and-run of a cyclist, state senators from both parties unite to knee-cap New York City's speed cameras, and our Democratic governor partnered with President Trump to oppose congestion pricing.
We’ve seen the incredible work of StreetsPAC to change the conversation in New York. We know that its model of backing candidates who champion pedestrian, cyclist, and transit-friendly policies can be transformative.
We don't expect change to come overnight. Streets PAC NJ is beginning our work in Jersey City, a community with a vocal and passionate base of residents who have already laid the groundwork for change.
We recently concluded our first round of candidate surveys for Jersey City's November municipal election. In previous years, candidates wouldn’t even publish a transportation policy on their website or the policies they had were full of dead-end car-centric ideas. With over 20 respondents, we’ve found candidates are recognizing that Jersey City residents are demanding safer streets, better infrastructure, and a future free from traffic violence.
One notable absence from our respondent list is Jim McGreevey — and his entire slate for the City Council. Throughout this race former Gov. McGreevey has tried to be everything to everyone, but now it's clear that he and his full list of running mates don't think the vital issue of safe and livable streets is worthy of our scrutiny.
On the plus side, the candidates who did respond offered us hope:
- 100 percent of respondents are committed to Vision Zero. Jersey City’s Vision Zero plan launched by Mayor Steve Fulop in 2018, following the tragic death of 8-year-old Jerry Grant. Seven years later, this effort is woefully incomplete as the recent as the death of 6-year-old Eli Bender makes all too clear.
- Candidates unanimously opposed widening the NJ Turnpike.
- All but one candidate stated their support for automated speed enforcement — which is still banned by state law in New Jersey.
- All respondents expressed support for expanded pedestrian plazas and a wide variety of safety improvements along our city’s high-injury network.
That's good news. In our community, and probably yours, these issues used to be seen as niche concerns for a small group of "bike people." But through the hard work of many advocates over the years, we've changed the conversation. Street safety is now a central issue in November's election.
Except, apparently, to Jim McGreevey.
