By Matthew Hersh
An interactive online map documenting traffic crashes across Mercer County is now available to the public as part of the county’s Vision Zero initiative, giving residents, planners, and local officials a tool to identify dangerous intersections and roadways while helping guide future safety improvements.
Developed through Mercer County’s Vision Zero program in partnership with the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association (Greater Mercer TMA), the map allows users to explore crash data geographically, filter incidents by factors such as severity, roadway users, and contributing circumstances, and identify patterns that can inform local planning decisions.
The map is one piece of a broader Vision Zero effort, an initiative centered on eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries through engineering improvements, education, enforcement, and coordinated planning.
Mercer County’s data aggregation effort is part of a growing recognition that timely, accessible crash data is critical to improving roadway safety. A 2025 report released by Rutgers University’s New Jersey State Policy Lab found that while New Jersey records more than 200,000 traffic crashes annually, non-fatal crash data has historically been difficult for municipalities and the public to access. The report concluded that interactive crash dashboards can help local governments identify high-risk corridors, prioritize infrastructure investments, evaluate the effectiveness of safety improvements, and engage residents in transportation planning.
The mapping tool mirrors many of those recommendations by making crash information available in a searchable,
visual format.
“The county is working with Greater Mercer TMA to finalize a Vision Zero Action Plan, which includes a range of recommended steps that both the County and local governments can take in order to make their roads safer,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson.
While the county is responsible for its own road network, Benson said improving traffic safety requires coordination across jurisdictions.
“The county isn’t directly involved with any individual municipal road project, but we are playing a background role by helping to provide municipalities with information and with strategies that they can employ,” he said.
The initiative established a Vision Zero Steering Committee made up of representatives appointed by each municipality’s elected officials. The committee serves to coordinate regional efforts, share information, and discuss best practices among communities.
“When one of our residents drives to work, or bikes to school, they’re often moving between local, county, and state roads, usually without even realizing it,” Benson said. “We’re currently taking steps to implement traffic safety measures on our county roads, but we know that’s only one piece of the puzzle if we’re serious about ending traffic deaths. We’ve brought all of our municipalities to the table so that we can coordinate, share information, and build complementary strategies to make our communities safer.”
The crash analysis conducted by Greater Mercer TMA is intended to help municipalities identify their highest-risk roadways and intersections, allowing local officials to prioritize future safety projects. Mercer County is also encouraging municipalities to use the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s newer crash and safety analysis tools, which make police crash reports available within months rather than years, giving engineers and planners more timely information when evaluating roadway conditions.
In addition to the countywide Vision Zero Action Plan, Mercer County is developing a supplemental plan that will recommend safety improvements at specific locations throughout the local road network.
The county launched its Vision Zero initiative in 2025, joining a growing number of communities nationwide adopting the data-driven approach to traffic safety.
Locally, that effort has coincided with increased attention to pedestrian, bicycle, and micromobility safety. Earlier this summer, Princeton officials discussed implementation of New Jersey’s new e-bike law while emphasizing that education, infrastructure improvements, and targeted enforcement all play a role in reducing crashes. Princeton Councilman David Cohen, who has helped lead the Municipality’s Vision Zero initiative, said at the time that roadway design is often the most effective way to improve safety for everyone using the street.
Community advocates have continued pressing for similar improvements. In June, Walk Bike Princeton published an assessment of North Harrison Street near the Princeton Shopping Center, documenting wide travel lanes, high vehicle speeds, challenging pedestrian crossings, and gaps in bicycle infrastructure. The organization argued that redesigning streets to better accommodate people walking, biking, and using mobility devices — while relying on crash data and observations of how residents actually use the roadway — is essential to preventing future crashes.
The interactive crash map is intended to support those conversations by making collision data more transparent and accessible. Benson said the information can help municipalities identify trends, prioritize investments, and evaluate where engineering changes may have the greatest impact in reducing severe crashes.
The Vision Zero Action Plan is expected to be completed later this year. Once complete, Benson said it will provide additional strategies for the county and municipalities to work together toward the initiative’s ultimate goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries across Mercer County.