Downtown Summit, NJ, near the NJ Transit station.
Calling Summit, NJ “almost a poster for what a Transit Village is,” the Summit planning board recently approved a motion to recommend the City Council apply to NJDOT for Transit Village designation. Clearly, municipalities still see the benefit transit-oriented development can bring. But given the defunding of the Transit Village program in the state’s fiscal year 2012 budget, it’s not clear if the town will get any benefit from applying.
As it exists right now, Summit would not have to change the zoning in any way to conform to the NJDOT requirements, according to Planning Board Chairperson Jeffrey Wagenbach. What the designation does do is help Summit “maintain and support the existing character of the downtown,” according to planning and development consultant Edward Snieckus.
As TSTC has previously reported, both Commissioner Simpson and Governor Christie have acknowledged the benefits of transit oriented development and the Transit Village program. Continued interest from municipalities only further illustrates the need to restore Transit Village program funding next year and in future years.
Photo: Daniel Case/Wikimedia Commons.
