The federal government is lending a helping hand to make roadways less dangerous for drivers and pedestrians in Jackson and Lakewood Townships.
Two Ocean County towns have been awarded federal funding to address dangerous road conditions and protect pedestrians after the region again recorded more traffic fatalities, crashes, and pedestrian injuries than any other county in New Jersey.
Jackson and Lakewood townships will receive a combined $384,000 through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, part of a nationwide effort to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. They are among 521 communities across the country selected to receive a share of nearly $1 billion in federal road safety grants for fiscal year 2025.
The funding comes as Ocean County continues to lead the state in deadly crashes. According to county and state police data, 62 people were killed in 53 crashes in 2025—more than in any other New Jersey county, even as statewide fatalities declined by 15 percent. Sheriff Michael Mastronardy said many of those deaths involved pedestrians and occurred along notoriously hazardous corridors such as Route 9, Route 37, and the Route 70 intersection in Lakewood.
A Jackson Township press release states clearly, “Funds are typically used for safety action planning, crash data analysis, public outreach, and identifying strategies to reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths.”
It is only the first step in lowering the amount of crashes and fatalities in the community.
According to the federal government’s grant approval documents, Jackson Township will use its SS4A award to develop a Local Roadway Safety Action Plan that includes a five-year crash inventory, public engagement sessions, and the testing of new countermeasures such as rectangular rapid-flashing pedestrian beacons and speed monitoring signs. The township is now expected to hold 18 task force meetings to prioritize strategies aimed at reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured in crashes.
Clarkstown, NY was also awarded $315,000. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority were two New Jersey agencies also qualifying for the grants.
Lakewood Township’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan will focus on analyzing crash data, identifying high-injury networks, and implementing pilot safety projects such as lane painting, traffic channelization, and speed studies. The plan will include 18 months of demonstration activities and extensive stakeholder engagement to guide future improvements.
The SS4A program, created under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, dedicates $5 billion over five years to local and regional projects designed to reduce traffic fatalities. To date, nearly $4 billion has been distributed to more than 2,000 communities nationwide.
In Ocean County, where Toms River, Lakewood, and Jackson account for more than half of the county’s fatal crashes, officials say the grants mark an important step toward reversing a troubling trend on local roads.