The Township of Cranbury, New Jersey, participated in the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) Complete Streets Technical Assistance (CSTA) Program in 2020. The CSTA Program selected eight municipalities to receive up to $10,000 in technical assistance to advance complete streets projects. This report identifies several potential infrastructure improvements to create safe and attractive bicycle facilities along nine important corridors in Cranbury. To develop these recommendations, the study team engaged municipal stakeholders in a collaborative process to identify existing conditions that pose obstacles to safe bicycle travel and develop practical solutions that enhance safety for all roadway users.
The recommendations in this report include conceptual plans that show what a variety of completed projects could look like if installed. Municipal officials may use these plans and images to facilitate discussions with the public and Middlesex County, which would need to approve change to any county roads, to assist in moving the projects from concept to reality. Proposed improvements include multi-use trails, bicycle lanes, shared lanes, traffic calming, and village gateways. Many of the recommendations in this report can be implemented by reallocating roadway space through new striping and signage. These improvements could be implemented quickly and at a relatively low cost by the municipality or county. Other recommendations may require the creation of new trails parallel to the roadway. These projects would take more time but have the potential to make Cranbury a more accessible and attractive community for bicyclists. Aside from facilitating bicycle travel, many of the recommendations aim to improve overall traffic safety by discouraging speeding and improving the safety of pedestrian crossings. While the recommendations focus on direct bicycle routes across the township, the same principals of connectivity apply to other roadways in Cranbury.
In addition to the CSTA Program, which advises communities on engineering improvements, the NJTPA also has a pedestrian safety education program, Street Smart NJ, which provides resources for communities to improve safety through education and enforcement. Street Smart NJ aims to raise awareness of New Jersey’s pedestrian-related laws and change the behaviors that contribute to pedestrian-vehicle crashes. Appendices to the report include additional information on Street Smart NJ and funding opportunities.
Read full report: Cranbury: Bicycle Network Plan (2020)
