City of Linden Union County, New Jersey Department Of Police – Traffic Bureau City Hall - 301 North Wood Avenue Linden, New Jersey 07036 (908)474-8505 RICHARD J. GERBOUNKA JAMES SCHULHAFER MAYOR CHIEF OF POLICE Press Release For Immediate Release The Linden Police Department targets distracted driving. On November 12, 2014 members of the LPD Traffic Bureau assisted by patrol officers conducted a distracted driving interdiction. Officers in plain clothes were stationed on the side of Route 1 & 9 in Linden looking for drivers doing anything but concentrating on driving. LPD used funds from the NJ Safe Corridors Grant to bring in off-duty Officers especially for this detail. The Officers were paid for by the Safe Corridors Grant. The City of Linden has received this grant each year since 2009 with the exception of 2010. Linden Traffic Bureau Commander Michael Babulski states, “The Safe Corridor Grant is an excellent program and it is a vital part of traffic safety in Linden. We use the grant for everything from manpower, equipment, training and technology to educational material for traffic safety. Without the support of this grant Route 1 & 9 in Linden would be a lot more dangerous.” This is not the first nor the last distracted driving detail to be conducted in Linden. “You may or may not see us out there but the Linden Police Department will definitely be aggressively enforcing the distracted driving as well as the move over law in the near future. We may not issue us a summons, we may just educate you or hand you’re a brochure explaining the laws but hopefully it will make our roads safer,” Babulski further stated. In October Linden was awarded $122,528.07 from the Safe Corridor Grant. A slight decrease from last years award. About Safe Corridors The Safe Corridor grant program dates to 2003 and targets resources to 14 ten-mile segments along highways that have a history of high crash rates. Grants are supported by fines, which are doubled in designated Safe Corridors for a variety of moving violations, including speeding. FY 14 Safe Corridors funding is being allocated based on crash data, with higher amounts of funding going to areas demonstrating the greatest need for continued enhanced enforcement measures. Segments of Route 1, Route 9, Route 22, Route 40, Route 46, Route 47, Route 73 and Route 206 are receiving FY 14 funding. Grants can be used by municipalities to purchase enforcement equipment including police vehicles, radar equipment, computer hardware and software, and to pay salaries. Here is the complete list of grant recipients, amounts, and Safe Corridor segments (pdf 20k) for which grants are being awarded. Lt. M. Babulski Traffic Bureau Commander An Equal Opportunity Employer