This is the first in a series highlighting the difficulty of being a pedestrian South Jersey.

Part 1, Camden County

Between 2009 and 2011 there were 31 pedestrian fatalities on roadways in Camden County. While residents in some parts of the County can safely access area businesses, transit stops and places of employment on foot, far too many others are met with significant safety hazards while walking or biking due to a lack of pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure in their communities. Clearly, not all roads in Camden County are created equal.

Route 70

This section of Route 70 is in close proximity to New Jersey Transit’s Cherry Hill train station, which runs between Atlantic City and Philadelphia. While a large retail development is located directly behind the train station, it cannot be accessed without walking along Route 70, a high-speed roadway with six lanes of traffic and a 50 mph posted speed limit, which hinders businesses’ access to customers. Sidewalks in this area are in a terrible state of disrepair. For local residents in wheelchairs, traveling this corridor is all but impossible. There were three pedestrian fatalities on Route 70 in Camden County between 2009 and 2011.

Route 130 in Camden County

While parts of Route 130 in Camden County have sidewalks and some intersections have crosswalks, accommodations for non-drivers remain inadequate. Sidewalks are not fully continuous and are often in poor condition, and most intersections are missing crosswalks and pedestrian traffic signals and countdown timers. Roadside businesses have entrances designed to be accessed only by automobile, putting pedestrians in danger of being hit by turning vehicles. Not surprisingly due to these hostile conditions, it is not uncommon to see empty parking lots and unattractive abandoned businesses along the roadway.

It’s not all bad news: Haddon Avenue – Collingswood

Haddon Avenue in Collingswood illustrates how roads that accommodate non-drivers are often better positioned to experience significant economic investment. With a nearby PATCO station, pedestrian safety features on Haddon Avenue like high-visibility crosswalks and innovative municipal bike sharing and “parklet” programs, Collingswood has shown its commitment to providing safe and attractive accommodations for non-drivers. As a result, Collingswood has seen a growth in retail and residential infill development and also experienced zero pedestrian fatalities between 2009 and 2011, according to TSTC’s most recent Most Dangerous Roads for Walking report.

Lessons learned and ways to fix unsafe roadways

Depending on where they live, work or go to school, pedestrians in Camden County face vastly different experiences on area roadways. The lack of safe pedestrian infrastructure on high-speed thoroughfares with inadequate sidewalks and crosswalks puts people’s lives at risk simply by trying to shop, go to school or commute to work by foot. Improving these “incomplete” roadways would not only improve pedestrian safety, but can also benefit surrounding areas by encouraging economic development.

As 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 pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and people of all ages and abilities when roadwork is undertaken. While a policy would only apply to county-owned roads, it would also encourage coordination between the County and the State on ensuring that all roads within the County allow for safe travel by all users.

Additionally, the New Jersey Department of Transportation should ensure that all sidewalks on roads such as Route 130 and Route 70 are continuous, wide enough for wheelchairs and protected from traffic. Additional crosswalks and other features such as bike lanes and pedestrian median islands should be installed, where appropriate. Retrofitting roads with this type of infrastructure will require a combination of federal and state funds, but it’s money well spent: investments in walkability often lead to increased economic viability (which leads to higher tax revenue) and increased safety.