NJ Transit
As part of its comprehensive Safety Education Program, NJ Transit is kicking off the school year with four innovative programs for students of all ages.
Special Safety Education Awareness Training (SEAT) addresses the importance of rail safety for students with special needs. Protecting Our Pedestrians (POP) is designed to encourage pedestrian safety for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Safety Town provides instruction to children of safety measures in a mobile replica town. Safety Rules! promotes general safety around the transit system.
“NJ Transit’s Special SEAT and Protecting Our Pedestrians programs reflect our dedication to creating a safer environment for students across New Jersey,” said NJ Transit President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “By offering tailored safety education to students with special needs and promoting pedestrian safety for all, we are laying the groundwork for a lifetime of safe transit use.”
Special SEAT
Special SEAT provides 40-minute training sessions delivered over several weeks as needed and is developed to educate students with special needs. Special SEAT implements a modified version of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to master awareness of transportation safety; with a specific focus on staying alert and being aware of rail and track surroundings.
The program provides:
- An engaging and interactive presentation with puppets, arts and crafts, and natural environment training (NET) play.
- Age-appropriate materials and videos.
- Safety tips and procedures.
- Meets the IDEA and Core standards.
Some of the important rules Special SEAT students learn during the program are:
- No trespassing.
- Stay alert.
- Obey signs and signals.
- Cross at designated areas only.
- Stand behind the safety line on station platforms.
More information is available here.
Protecting Our Pedestrians
This interactive 45-minute presentation addresses crossing streets and intersections safely, traffic hazards and signals, parking lot safety, and more.
The presentation also includes a discussion on the dangers of the railroad tracks, age-appropriate films, including NJ Transit’s video “Sly Fox and Birdie” created by the Operation Lifesaver (OLI) organization and a Q&A session.
Both “Special SEAT” and “POP” are free of charge to teachers, para-professionals, guidance counselors and school administrators.
More information is available here.
Safety Town
Safety Town is a nationally recognized program specially designed for grades K-12. It is a collaborative effort between NJ Transit, University Hospital of Newark and other community organizations. The program uses a mobile replica town created to instruct children about the various aspects of safety (bike, rail, pedestrian) and more. Safety Town features miniature streets, buildings, working traffic lights, child-sized houses, crosswalks, rail tracks and rail crossings. The program allows each youngster to become sensitive to the need for safety in the home, the school, and the community.
Safety Rules!
Schools are encouraged to request the free SAFETY RULES! presentation to educate students on the need for safe behavior and caution around trains, buses and light rail vehicles. More information is available here.
The presentation includes a discussion on the dangers of the railroad tracks, age-appropriate films, including NJ Transit’s video “Sly Fox and Birdie” and a question-and-answer session. The 45-minute presentation is available for free to public, non-profit and charter schools and community groups.
Outreach Education Events
The Safety Education Program Group, NJ Transit says, also offers to provide transportation related safety education to adult groups, including library groups, community organizations and parent/teacher groups. Organizations are encouraged to request the Safety Education Program group to provide safety presentations and participate in table events. “The information provided will help adults make safe decisions and guide children as they navigate transportation related environments,” the agency noted.
Metrolinx
Metrolinx has released its first-ever Community Benefits and Supports annual report for 2023-24, detailing the progress the organization and its contracting partners are making towards its “commitment to supporting and strengthening communities as it builds much-needed transit.”
According to Metrolinx, the agency’s Community Benefits and Supports (CBS) Program is “driving economic change by creating jobs and training opportunities for equity-deserving communities, promoting the use of social enterprises, supporting local businesses during construction, implementing public realm improvements in partnership with municipalities, and working with communities to better understand their needs and ensure their voices are heard.”
The annual report (download below), Metrolinx says, not only reflects the work that happened in 2023-2024 but also outlines the historical achievements of the program. Within the report, readers can find initial data on the community benefit impacts of many Metrolinx projects, including the following results from the past year:
- “Combined spending of $35.7 million on local businesses and social enterprises across the region.
- “There were 148 public realm improvements incorporated into projects, including $173.2 million in active transportation investments (such as bike storage rooms and multi-use pathways) and $127.7 million in local access and accessibility improvements (such as new bridges and streetscape enhancements).
- “On the LRT projects, 29.1% (169) of new hires by project contractors came from BIPOC communities and 21.9% (164) self-identified as women.
- “On the Subway projects, 62.5% (90) of new hires by project contractors came from BIPOC communities and 35.7 % (55) self-identified as women.
- “These hiring results exceeded our aspirational goal of 10%.”
