Each year, the environmental agency’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program brings development professionals to improvement-minded municipalities across the country, where they advise officials, conduct day-long seminars, and assemble [...]]]> Towns in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are planning for safer, more walkable streets, and now the Environmental Protection Agency is lending a hand.

Each year, the environmental agency’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program brings development professionals to improvement-minded municipalities across the country, where they advise officials, conduct day-long seminars, and assemble “next steps” documents.

In the coming months, experts will visit Binghamton, NY to study complete streets, Onondaga County, NY to study zoning codes, Stony Point, NY to study smart growth economics, Simsbury, CT to audit the parking system, Passaic County, NJ to study green streets, and Jersey City to conduct walking audits.

During the first three quarters of 2011, transit ridership was up by 1.8% nationwide, but PATCO’s numbers rose even faster.

The South Jersey-Philadelphia commuter line’s ridership grew by 3.62% in 2011, a figure that even [...]]]>

A PATCO train travels across the Ben Franklin Bridge, from Philadelphia to New Jersey | Photo: Bob Snyder

During the first three quarters of 2011, transit ridership was up by 1.8% nationwide, but PATCO’s numbers rose even faster.

The South Jersey-Philadelphia commuter line’s ridership grew by 3.62% in 2011, a figure that even outpaced the record-breaking PATH system to its north.

At the Delaware River Port Authority Finance Committee meeting where these figures came to light, the authority also fleshed out its financials (DRPA owns and operates PATCO):

• In 2011, PATCO revenues were up by $1.6 million (6.84%);

• As of November 30, 2011, there were 3% fewer bridge crossings by motor vehicle on DRPA owned bridges than for the same period in 2010, according to preliminary figures;

• Toll revenues were up by $19.3 million, even though fewer drivers were crossing DRPA’s bridges—this owes to a $1 toll increase (from $4 to $5);

• Despite the increased revenue, tolls fell $1.3 million short of what DRPA had projected in its 2011 budget, while PATCO revenues exceeded projections by $878,065.

DRPA Chief Financial Officer John Hanson explained that the PATCO surplus “[goes] a long way” in offsetting the toll revenue shortfall. A number of factors likely contributed to the PATCO passenger surge in 2011, such as the rising gasoline prices and improving economy that drove transit ridership up nationwide.

PATCO’s growth also occurred while bridge tolls went up and corresponding driving rates went down. Something similar occurred in northern New Jersey, where toll increases were followed by decreased car use and increased transit ridership. The trend suggests that higher tolls and comparatively low public transit costs have created an incentive for commuters to switch from driving to riding the train—in South Jersey and Philadelphia, PATCO was the most affordable way to cross the Delaware River.

While these initial figures are a positive step towards reducing congestion and improving local air quality, the longer-term trends will need to be monitored to see if these changes in commuting behavior are sustained.

Four public hearings were held last week on the long-awaited draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for a proposed Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) extension.

The DEIS proposes to extend the HBLR, which currently operates in Hudson County [...]]]>

A proposed Hudson-Bergen Light Rail extension could go as far north as Tenafly | Map: NJ Transit

Four public hearings were held last week on the long-awaited draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for a proposed Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) extension.

The DEIS proposes to extend the HBLR, which currently operates in Hudson County alone, into Bergen County. Depending on which of the DEIS’ alternatives is selected, the line could end at either Tenafly or Englewood.

The DEIS’ preferred alternative (pictured above) would add 12 miles of service to the HBLR, starting from the Tonnelle Avenue station and extending north through the town centers of both Englewood and Tenafly.

Another DEIS alternative would add eight miles of service (pictured below), starting from the same point but ending at a station by Route 4 in Englewood. Under this plan, service would not reach Englewood Town Center or Englewood Hospital.

A shorter, eight-mile extension would bring the HBLR to Englewood, but would bypass that borough's downtown | Map: NJ Transit

While much of the media coverage has focused on the project’s detractors, Tenafly has many light rail supporters.

Outside of Tenafly, there is also substantial support for the project.

TSTC, for one, testified in its favor, and Palisades Park Mayor James Rotundo, whose borough will receive a light rail stop under both proposals, gave his endorsement.

“The light rail would provide a lot of access that people can use to go south to New York City instead of taking the bus. I think it would benefit the whole community,” he said.

Hasbrouck Heights Mayor Rose Marie Heck, who has advocated for the extension for over a decade, touted the plan’s myriad benefits: traffic reduction, increased home values, and downtown business revitalization (benefits that are evident along the length of the HBLR).

If the HBLR extends into Tenafly, NJ Transit expects approximately 11,900 passengers to take the light rail every day, which amounts to 23,800 trips. If it only extends to Englewood, NJ Transit projects 9,960 daily riders and an average of 19,920 daily trips.

The shorter extension is projected to cost $686 million, while the longer one would be $866 million. A funding source has yet to be identified.

Without the ramp, which was promised by the DRPA in 2010, Philadelphia-bound cyclists must carry their bikes up three flights of [...]]]> The Delaware River Port Authority will meet on Wednesday to discuss adding a ADA-accessible bike and pedestrian ramp to the Ben Franklin Bridge, which connects Camden, New Jersey to downtown Philadelphia.

Without the ramp, which was promised by the DRPA in 2010, Philadelphia-bound cyclists must carry their bikes up three flights of stairs before they can ride across the bridge. Those in wheelchairs have no option whatsoever. This is an undue burden on bike commuters and wheelchair users.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and TSTC are urging bike and accessibility advocates to attend the meeting and let the DRPA know that there should be a ramp on the bridge.

Click here to add the event to your Google Calendar.

American Dream Meadowlands | photo: www.americandream.com

Even before the developers of American Dream Meadowlands (formerly “Xanadu“)—a hulking, still-half-built retail development currently lumbering towards completion in North Jersey—announced plans to add a theme park to the project, they had been ignoring a serious issue: how people would get there. TSTC recently [...]]]>  

American Dream Meadowlands | photo: www.americandream.com

Even before the developers of American Dream Meadowlands (formerly “Xanadu“)—a hulking, still-half-built retail development currently lumbering towards completion in North Jersey—announced plans to add a theme park to the project, they had been ignoring a serious issue: how people would get there. TSTC recently pointed this out in a Star-Ledger op-ed and called for American Dream’s developers to fund public transit to the site.

TSTC’s concern comes from the project’s draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS), which sidesteps the problem of transit access. By relying on the original EIS’ faulty traffic analysis and omitting plans for public transit funding, the revision fails to address the project’s impacts on traffic in the Meadowlands.

The studies were not methodologically sound

For a supplemental EIS to make logical sense, the first EIS must be sound. This is not true in the case of American Dream. In fact, in 2004, a joint government commission found that the project’s initial EIS didn’t investigate the project’s traffic impacts thoroughly enough, since it only examined the roads on the Meadowlands’ grounds:

“In order to properly evaluate the traffic impact [of the development], the applicant is advised to assess all major nodes and links within a regional context (recommended minimum radius of four (4) miles from the proposed project boundaries).”

Seven years later, no such study has been done (despite the opportunity presented by the DSEIS).

The initial and supplemental studies also relied on the Institute for Traffic Engineers’ generic “trip generation rates” in their traffic analyses. ITE trip generation rates’ shortcomings are well-documented, and they may not adequately capture American Dream’s scope and prominence. Instead of using bad, generic numbers, why not analyze consumer behavior at other megamalls and apply that information to Bergen County?

These methodological faults mean that nobody knows what the development could do to traffic in the Meadowlands.

Those same traffic studies assume transit service to the mall, but there is none

As if that weren’t enough, the initial EIS assumed that 10% of visitors would arrive by rail or bus. The developers were depending on public transit to help relieve the traffic that comes with a massive retail/entertainment destination, as it does at their other properties.

But while the supplemental report (DSEIS) relies on these public-transit-dependent traffic estimates, no regular bus lines currently service the site, and commuter rail service only runs during special events.

The developers assume that NJ Transit will add routes once the project is complete, but NJ Transit is already stretched thin, and it’s unrealistic to expect them to expand service without extra funds. The bill for transit to American Dream must be footed by someone, and it shouldn’t be the New Jersey taxpayer (who has already subsidized Triple Five Worldwide, the site’s developer, handsomely). Accordingly, TSTC is calling on Triple Five Worldwide to fund public transit to the site, which would ease traffic and make the destination attractive to those without cars.

This week, the Alliance for Biking and Walking released its 2012 Benchmarking Report, and the timing is impeccable. As Streetsblog points out, the release coincides with the soon-to-appear national surface transportation bill, and in the tri-state region, it comes just after state legislatures have gotten into full [...]]]>

Graphic: Alliance for Biking and Walking

This week, the Alliance for Biking and Walking released its 2012 Benchmarking Report, and the timing is impeccable. As Streetsblog points out, the release coincides with the soon-to-appear national surface transportation bill, and in the tri-state region, it comes just after state legislatures have gotten into full swing. With statistics, case studies and loads of other resources, the Benchmarking Report shows legislators where the nation’s biking and walking infrastructure stands.

After the jump, TSTC presents some of the report’s most interesting figures.

The report’s snapshot of the tri-state region highlighted some remarkable facts:

• New York State has the third highest share of people who walk and bike to work, and the state ranks second (after Alaska) in the number of people who walk to work.

• Connecticut is the 22nd-safest state for walkers, and 12.8% of its traffic fatalities are pedestrians.

• New Jersey spent .86% of its federal transportation dollars on bicycle or pedestrian projects from 2006-2010, a figure that ranks them below the national average of 1.6%. To be fair, New Jersey does contribute state money, though we have argued that it’s not enough.

Nationwide, there have been some commendable advances in cyclist and pedestrian welfare:

• A growing number of city and state policies have promoted biking and walking. These include complete streets legislation, goals for increased biking and walking, and bike/ped master plans. 19 of the 51 cities surveyed have complete streets policies.

• In 2009-2010, states and cities spent more on bike/ped improvements than they did in 2007-2008 (but they’re still not spending as much as they did in 2005-2006). Over the same period, state per capita funding for bike/ped has increased from $1.29 to $2.17 per person, and city funding for bike/ped has increased from $1.49 to $1.80.

There are also some worrying trends in the report, though:

• Traffic fatalities have decreased, but pedestrian traffic fatalities have increased from 11.3% to 11.7%. This means that, although there are fewer car accidents, pedestrians make up a larger share of accident victims. TSTC saw this trend in an NHSTSA report as well.

• States are disproportionally giving back Transportation Enhancements (TE) funds when the federal government issues rescissions (the term refers to the annual process in which Washington asks states to return unallocated federal transit funds). The trend is troublesome because TE money is used to fund bike/ped projects. In 2009, the average state gave back 21.9% of TE funds to the federal government, while in 2010, the figure was 26.4% (each year TE made up 2.3% of federal apportionments).

The Report aggregates data from federal sources, state DOTs, MPOs and non-profits to assemble a detailed analysis of biking and walking in the United States. Spanning all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities, it covers biking and walking levels, cyclist and pedestrian demographics, safety, policy, and federal funding. The document also details the economic and public health benefits of investing in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, linking these kinds of projects to job creation, increased property values, cleaner air, and better personal health.

To see the full report, click here.

On January 5th, the NJDOT made West Windsor the 24th Transit Village in New Jersey.

In designating West Windsor as a Transit Village, the NJDOT  officially ”recognizes and supports the municipality’s efforts to create mixed-use development within walking distance of NJ TRANSIT’s Princeton Junction train station.”

“The whole idea is [...]]]>

Photo: Accretion Disc

On January 5th, the NJDOT made West Windsor the 24th Transit Village in New Jersey.

In designating West Windsor as a Transit Village, the NJDOT  officially ”recognizes and supports the municipality’s efforts to create mixed-use development within walking distance of NJ TRANSIT’s Princeton Junction train station.”

“The whole idea is to promote business, mass transit, a sense of community, and a reduced reliance on cars,” said West Windsor Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh.

Prior to 2012, designated Transit Villages could apply for grants from a special pot of funding, but after Governor Christie’s 2012 budget cuts, this is no longer true.

The real way to recognize and support Transit Villages is by restoring funding for the program. In March, NJDOT Commissioner Simpson promised as much, and TSTC urges him to follow through.

For more information, visit www.njfuture.org/sga.

2012’s just begun, and five people have already been killed in New Jersey car crashes.

This spate of deaths comes after a bad year for vehicle safety in the Garden State: there were 13% more fatal motor vehicle crashes and [...]]]>

 

Vehicle fatalities in New Jersey

Data from NJ State Police (link below)

2012’s just begun, and five people have already been killed in New Jersey car crashes.

This spate of deaths comes after a bad year for vehicle safety in the Garden State: there were 13% more fatal motor vehicle crashes and 15.1% more motor vehicle fatalities in 2011 than in 2010. The New Jersey State Police reported 599 fatal accidents and 640 fatalities during the year.

Fatalities increased in every category: drivers, passengers, pedalcyclists and pedestrians. The percentage change of pedalcyclist fatalities was the highest due to the small number of pedalcyclist deaths (17 deaths in 2011 compared to 13 deaths in 2010, a 30.8% increase), but driver fatalities jumped a whopping 23.4% from 2010. Passenger fatalities increased by 4%, and pedestrian fatalities increased by 3.6%.

2011’s increase in fatal accidents and fatalities reverses a trend for the state—the numbers reached a peak in 2006, at 709 fatal crashes and 771 fatalities, and had been falling since 2007.

While motor vehicle fatalities can decrease with simple driver and passenger behaviors (wearing seatbelts and not talking or texting while driving), the fatality numbers show that we must continuously reexamine  New Jersey’s roadways and work to make the streets safer for everyone.