Thousands of people will be heading to the Jersey Shore to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend holiday. Police departments in those beach towns are hoping to make an impact in lowering the number of serious injuries and deaths related to traffic incidents.

The Long Beach Island town of Harvey Cedars is still making improvements to keep people safe.

"Only a couple of years ago, a friend of ours was hit while bicycling on the street," said Harvey Cedars resident Bob Danna.

Danna says his friend survived and recovered, but in a state where nearly one in three traffic deaths involve pedestrians, changes are needed.

"The first thing that you can't miss is the beautiful new sidewalk that has been in place in the center of town," said Harvey Cedars Mayor John Imperiale.

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, those improvements continue along the Boulevard. Crews are finishing a biking lane to complement the town's new sidewalks.

"Whether we have a lot of fatalities or serious accidents, we have a lot of close calls. We are trying to reduce all those numbers, which we are," said Harvey Cedars Police Chief Robert Burnaford. "The one that we see most frequently is cars failing to stop at a crosswalk for a pedestrian. That's what we've been seeing quite a bit."

Harvey Cedars joined the Street Smart Program a decade ago, which uses federal grant money to help pay for new safety features. The people who live in town say ultimately, the success of these programs comes down to one thing - everyone working together.

"Walking, driving and cycling, we can all contribute together to safety in this town and every town," added Danna.

The chief tells News 12 that many of the visitors to the island are from out of state where laws may differ. He says it's best to educate oneself on those local traffic, cycling, and walking rules to help make it a safe summer for everyone.