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Route 130 remains one of N.J.'s deadliest roads

Route 130 in Burlington County has retained its unwanted distinction as one of the state's deadliest roads for pedestrians, according to a report by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

A memorial on Route 130 near Westfield Avenue in Pennsauken honors Taylor Murphy, who died there.
A memorial on Route 130 near Westfield Avenue in Pennsauken honors Taylor Murphy, who died there.Read more

Route 130 in Burlington County has retained its unwanted distinction as one of the state's deadliest roads for pedestrians, according to a report by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

Nine pedestrians were killed on the highway from 2009 through 2011. An additional five pedestrians were killed there last year.

No other highway in the state had more pedestrian fatalities in the 2009-11 period. Two other roads, Route 1 in Middlesex County and Route 322/40 in Atlantic County, also had nine pedestrian deaths during the three-year period.

The White Horse Pike (Route 30) in Camden County tied for second in the state with eight pedestrian fatalities in 2009-11.

Route 130, once the main route between Philadelphia and New York City, is a six-lane highway lined with shopping centers, strip malls, motels, and restaurants through much of Burlington County. It is heavily traveled by commuters and truckers, with few sidewalks or pedestrian crossings.

That combination makes Route 130, and roads like it, especially hazardous for pedestrians.

"These are roads that were built to move cars very quickly," said Matthew Norris, South Jersey spokesman for the nonprofit transit-advocacy group that compiled the data.

More sidewalks, mid-block pedestrian crossings, and walk lights with countdown timers could help reduce the hazard, he said.

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign compiles data annually from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine which roads in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut have the highest three-year totals of pedestrian fatalities.

For each of the last five years, Route 130 has been at the top of the list in New Jersey.

The report showed that pedestrian deaths rose slightly in New Jersey in 2011, to 142 from 139 in 2010. In 2009, 159 pedestrians were killed.

The largest share of pedestrian fatalities - nearly 60 percent - occurred on wide, high-speed "arterial" roadways, even though that type of road represents only about 15 percent of the total lane miles.

The other most dangerous roads for pedestrians in South Jersey were Route 70 in Camden County, where three pedestrians were killed between 2009 and 2011; Route 38 in Burlington County, with two deaths; and Route 47 in Gloucester County, with two deaths.