Welcome to the seventh issue of New Jersey Walks and Bikes, a newsletter for anyone interested in bicycle and pedestrian issues. In this, our winter edition, we are excited to announce that the New Jersey Department of Transportation finalized a ‘Complete Streets Policy’, signed by Commissioner Stephen Dilts, on December 10, 2009. As you may recall from our profile of the Complete Streets movement in Issue 3, Complete Streets policies are an attempt to ensure rights-of-way will be safe and accessible for all users, including walkers, transit riders, cyclists and drivers. To learn more about the details of New Jersey’s policy and the positive implications it has for our state, look inside for an overview.
In this edition, we also present two new sections to our reading audience. The first is the ‘BPAC Corner’, which will keep you updated on the work progress of the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Council (BPAC). The Council has been meeting quarterly since 2004 and its members work to promote policies and practices to increase safe walking and biking in the state. Our second new addition is the ‘Happenings” section, which is designed to present you with timely information on upcoming events and recent news related to bicycling and walking.
Our feature articles in this edition include a piece that reviews the results and highlights of the first New Jersey statewide bicycling survey, which was conducted in 2008 by the Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) with support from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). A great deal of interesting information was gathered from the survey effort, including data on who is biking in New Jersey; the main trip purposes of riders; and the types of improvements riders want to see in the state to make biking easier and safer. Another article in this edition focuses on how municipalities can factor bicycle and pedestrian considerations in the development and design review process via a host of policy tools. Several local NJ case studies are presented in this piece, including Hopewell and Montclair.
We also spotlight some of the innovative work being done by the Cross County Connection Transportation Management Association, who has created a Google map that shows users bicycle routes and public transport options in the southern New Jersey region. An editorial piece on electric bikes by New Jersey Walks and Bikes board member Dr. Cheryl Allen-Munley can be found as well, which includes the interesting history surrounding this viable transportation mode.
Finally, in our ‘News in Brief’ section, we highlight timely stories that include: a
