OCEAN COUNTY is entering the final phase of developing its Local Safety Action Plan (LSAP).

With one of the largest county road networks in the state, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners participated in the LSAP to help identify and prioritize transportation safety improvements to reduce serious accidents on County and municipal roadways.

As part of this effort, Ocean County will host a public workshop to share key pieces of the draft plan and hear from residents.

"Ocean County places the highest importance on the safety of its roadways and transit users. The Local Safety Action Plan (LSAP) is a vital step in making sure we continue to prioritize safety across all forms of transportation," said Ocean County Commissioner Director John P. Kelly, liaison to the Ocean County Department of Engineering and Chairman of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. "We look forward to hearing from local stakeholders and transportation users to promote safer transportation across Ocean County."

The public workshop is scheduled for June 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ocean County Library's Bishop Building, 101 Washington Street, Toms River.

This public workshop is open to all community members and represents an opportunity to learn more about the plan and give feedback on the plan's recommendations and priorities.

The LSAP is being developed in partnership with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) and supports national goals such as Vision Zero and Safe Streets and Roads for All.

The NJPTA is the federally authorized metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the 13-county northern New Jersey region.

"Ocean County's population continues to grow exponentially putting more motorists and pedestrians on our roads. Our population also more than doubles during the summer tourism season adding tremendously to the number of vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists using the roads," said Deputy Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Frank Sadeghi, who is also liaison to the Ocean County Department of Engineering. "Ocean County maintains more than 1,600 county lane miles along with nearly 260 culverts and bridges. We have always made safety a priority, which has not changed.

"This Local Safety Action Plan will provide us with yet another tool to help us make certain our roads are constructed and maintained as the safest transportation network possible," Sadeghi said.

To learn more about the Local Safety Action Plan and get details on the upcoming public workshop, visit the project website at Ocean.SafetyPlansNJ.com.