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City of Camden Passes a Complete Streets Policy

Last week, the City of Camden, New Jersey made a significant commitment to improving the safety of its roadways by adopting a complete streets policy. The policy was passed in a unanimous vote by the Camden City Council and had the support of a diverse collection of community groups that make up the Camden Green Team, of which TSTC is a participating organization.

Like most complete streets policies, Camden’s policy requires municipal road projects to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, drivers and people of all ages and abilities. Camden’s policy also encourages collaboration with other agencies, such as Camden County, the Delaware River Port Authority and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), with the goal of securing complete streets elements on roadways that fall within the boundaries of the City of Camden, but which are not under municipal control.

There has been a strong movement for complete streets in the Garden State, with NJDOT, five counties and over ten percent of municipalities in New Jersey now having passed complete streets policies. While these local governments and agencies must be praised for adopting policies outlining ways to accommodate all road users, the real benefit of a complete streets policy comes in implementation.

Similar to NJDOT’s Complete Streets Guide to Implementation and other municipal policies like Trenton’s and Morristown’s, Camden’s policy includes concrete steps to ensure that complete streets principles are institutionalized at all levels of planning, design and engineering. These include issuing a memo on the policy to all department heads and holding trainings with appropriate staff. Furthermore, the Public Works Director will oversee the policy and ensure that local roadway projects and development plans incorporate complete streets principles.

The complete streets policy will build upon Camden’s recent progress in enhancing pedestrian and bicyclist accommodations, including the TIGER-funded construction of new bicycle lanes, sidewalks and other streetscape improvements, as well as ongoing efforts by The Circuit Coalition to connect on-road active transportation facilities with current and planned multi-use trails, transit stations, centers of employment and the Ben Franklin Bridge.

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[…] University study on “distracted walking” may have over-reached in its conclusions. And Mobilizing the Region relays the happy news that the city of Camden, New Jersey, is the latest Garden State city to […]

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[…] City of Camden Passes a Complete Streets Policy Mobilizing the Region (NY) – June 21, 2013 There has been a strong movement for complete streets in the Garden State, with NJDOT, five counties and over ten percent of municipalities in New Jersey now having passed complete streets policies. […]

Max Power
Max Power
10 years ago

That striping of the bike lane makes me cringe.
It does not indicate that a motorist should merge to the right before turning, and appears that a motorist should make a right turn across the bike lane. Inexperienced cyclists are going to be exposed to right hooks.

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[…] a first step, Camden County should adopt a “complete streets” policy, like the one recently adopted in the City of Camden. A Complete Streets policy would require County roads to accommodate […]

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[…] policy, but they won’t rest there.  Thirteen New Jersey municipalities — including Camden and Cranford – passed Complete Streets policies since last […]

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[…] a tremendous opportunity to enhance the quality of non-motorized transportation in Camden. The City’s complete streets policy is explicitly referenced in the document and will be included among the materials applicants […]

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[…] partners. We have worked with them successfully in the past to connect local trails and to advance complete streets throughout the City. Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties […]

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[…] lacking in bicycle lanes and pedestrian safety features is inconsistent with the City’s 2013 Complete Streets Policy. It also does not adhere to the recently passed sustainability ordinance, a decree adopted last […]

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[…] communities across the region have adopted Complete Streets policies in the last year, but implementation of Complete Streets […]

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