State Sen. Jeff Van Drew plans to introduce legislation to require school districts to provide transportation for students who walk along hazardous roadways to school, to be funded by the state. Concern for this safety issue rose after the death of 15-year-old Alexa Strittmatter, who was struck and killed in Vineland while crossing the street on the way to her bus stop in Oct. of 2013. The designation of a hazardous roadway would be determined by the Department of Transportation and the Department of Education. Vineland has also launched a Safe Routes to School project, to add sidewalks, update signage and re-stripe crosswalks at an elementary and middle school in the district.
