Despite being the most densely populated state in the country with over 150 train station towns, New Jersey is not a safe place for pedestrians of any age. In our effort to reduce car dependency, increase pedestrian safety, and encourage placemaking that serves the public, NJ ended 2022 with several announcements designating funds for advancing pedestrian and bicycle safety and transit-oriented development (TOD), indicating that the administration recognizes the importance of creating and fostering transportation options besides driving.
Transportation
Transit-Oriented Development is Pedestrian-Oriented Development
Monday, January 30th, 2023Amidst rising pedestrian and traffic fatalities, New Jersey seeks to advance safe street design
Tuesday, July 19th, 2022Street fatalities are on the rise nationally, and right here in New Jersey. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 2021 marked a 16 year high in roadway fatalities. In New Jersey, our streets and roads claimed 699 lives in 2021, with 220 pedestrian fatalities accounting for approximately 30% of those fatalities.
Opportunity to Participate in a Pilot Program to Track Vehicle Miles Traveled in New Jersey
Tuesday, July 19th, 2022Did you know that a fuel tax you pay at the pump is largely responsible for funding a well-functioning transportation system that gets you to where you need to go, delivers packages to your door, and keeps groceries on the shelves?
Beyond Getting from A to B: Ensuring Safer and Fairer Ways to Move Around
Friday, July 8th, 2022Transportation emissions comprise over 40% of New Jersey’s total greenhouse gases (GHG). Expanding bus and rail transportation options beyond cars not only addresses reduction of GHGs, it also increases affordability and improves general public health by getting transit users to walk or bike to popular modes of mass transit.
Demonstration Projects: Seeing is Believing—Doing is Achieving
Friday, July 8th, 2022“Streets make-up up to 80% of every communities’ public space. What if we start to think of streets as places for people, as well as places to move and store cars?” Moderator Laura Torchio of NV5 asked viewers to consider streets as places during the 2022 New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference.
We Need a Better Way of Measuring How Much People Drive—And Why
Monday, May 23rd, 2022People driving cars and trucks from one place to another is not only a big contributor to New Jersey’s carbon footprint, but also leads to many hours wasted behind the wheel and many dollars spent to build and maintain the state’s road network. In New Jersey, the average licensed driver drives about 33 miles a day. While transportation planners and the general public are aware that daily life involves a lot of driving, the reasons for all this vehicular travel are less widely understood. A better way of measuring vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) might provide some insight into the problem—and what to do about it.
Supporting Equitable Access to Transit and Active Transportation
Monday, May 23rd, 2022Creating opportunities for more people to walk, bike, and take public transit is a critical element of growing and developing smarter. As we improve infrastructure and programs to accomplish this goal, we must make sure that we are improving access for everyone, especially those who have traditionally been, and continue to be, excluded or made to feel less safe in these spaces.
If You Pave It, They Will Park
Monday, April 25th, 2022Driving and parking reinforce each other. The provision of parking at every destination encourages people to drive, and the more people drive, the more parking spaces property owners think they need to provide. Fortunately, New Jersey’s older, mixed-use centers show that the pattern can also work in reverse.
“Complete Streets” and Goods Delivery: What Is a Street For?
Thursday, March 24th, 2022The changing nature of shopping means people are more likely to have things delivered to them rather than going to a store to buy them. At the same time, people increasingly want to live in mixed-use neighborhoods where they can walk to local destinations. How should we be thinking about the safety of pedestrians and other non-motorized travelers in an era of increasing truck traffic?
Walking and Biking Are Transportation Too
Friday, February 18th, 2022Local officials, engineers, and transportation planners must start designing streets to convey the message that streets are places where people come first, and vehicles are secondary. “Transit-oriented development” is ultimately about pedestrian-oriented development, since everyone is a pedestrian once they step off the bus, train, or subway.
