The New Jersey Bicycle & Pedestrian Resource Center (NJBPRC) experienced a dynamic and eventful 2023. Supported by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) with funds from the Federal Highway Administration, NJBPRC engaged in a variety of activities and initiatives over the past year which ranged from providing technical support to municipalities and publishing articles on the NJ Walks and Bikes blog, to researching significant subjects such as the impact of Complete Streets on individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Notably, NJBRPC also hosted the biennial New Jersey Complete Streets Summit, marking significant achievements across the state in the last two years. A list of highlights is provided below:
Technical Assistance
- Hosted the New Jersey Complete Streets Summit on 1st November 2023
- The one-day Complete Streets Summit was held at the College Avenue Student Center at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.
- A total of 253 people attended.
- The agenda offered six morning breakout sessions on topics including Complete and Green Streets case studies, micromobility, the Safe System Approach, and funding strategies.
- Speakers included NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, NJDOT Assistant Commissioner Eric Powers, and a keynote from Dr. Kelcie Ralph, an Associate Professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers.
- The afternoon provided attendees with an opportunity to interact, share stories and knowledge, and explore new topics during the interactive Complete Streets Training workshop.
- The accomplishments of New Jersey cities, counties, and advocates were recognized with five Complete Streets Excellence Awards, two Complete Streets Champion Awards, and one Safe Routes to School Champion Award, in memory of former Hudson TMA Executive Director and lifelong Safe Routes champion Jay DiDomenico, who passed away in 2022.
- Published 15 NJ Walks and Bikes Blog articles for the newsletter, including:
- One year of safer streets, thanks to NJ’s Safe Passing Law!
- New resources for your journey to ZERO!
- Where Can I Ride My E-bike in New Jersey?
- Safe Streets and Roads for All is Back for Round Two: How New Jersey Can Get the Most Out of This Year’s Round
- Save the Date! 2023 Complete Streets Summit Announced
- The Money Trail: A Comprehensive List of Funding Resources for Active Transportation in New Jersey
- PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program: Can We Use Resilience Funding to Also Make New Jersey Streets Safer?
- Secure Your Ride: A Guide to Properly Locking Your Bike
- Where to Donate Used Bikes in New Jersey – 2023 Update
- Reconnecting Communities Grants Have Returned—Here’s What is New this Year
- Complete Streets for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDDs)
- Bridging the Gap: The Connection Between Complete Streets, Vision Zero, and the Safe System Approach
- In-Review: 2023 NJ Complete Streets Summit Recap
- The Case for Complete Streets for Complete Communities
- USDOT Awards 23 More SS4A Grants in New Jersey
- New Jersey State Policy Lab Blog
- Zag Daily Article
- New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Council
- Conducted six NJ Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Council (BPAC) meetings with approximately 75 people in attendance at each meeting. During this year’s BPAC meetings, attendees had the opportunity to share knowledge and expand their perspectives on New Jersey’s past, present, and future needs, policies, and practices for making the state safer and healthier. In 2023, BPAC hosted 16 presentations on a broad range of topics, including:
- Factors Impacting the Fatality of Non-Motorist Involved Crashes in New Jersey by Dr. Hannah Younes
- DVRPC Mobility Choices Study: North Trenton by Thom Stead
- Designing for Vision Zero in Jersey City by Michael Manzella
- Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A): Key Takeaways from FY22 by Greg Woltman
- SS4A and PROTECT Grants for Implementing Complete and Green Streets by Greg Woltman
- Developing a Micromobility Guide for New Jersey by Sam Rosenthal
- Low-Cost Pedestrian Safety Countermeasure Research Questionnaire by Siennah Yang
- NJTPA Active Transportation Plan Overview by Keith Hamas
- NJTPA Active Transportation Plan Interchanges Case Study by Keith Hamas
- Missing Connections: Interchanges in Mercer County by Matt Zochowski
- NJTPA Complete Streets Technical Assistance: Grant Successes by Peter Bilton
- FHWA Guidance: Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning, Program, and Project Development by Sutapa Bandyopadhyay
- NJDEP Greenway Presentation by Matt Ludwig and Julia Wong
- NJ TRANSIT Bus and Bike Interactions: Bus Stop Design by Joanna Hecht and Marissa Volk
- Navigating Complete Streets with Neurodivergence by Sam Rosenthal, Laura Torchio, & Jim Elliott
- Conducted six NJ Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Council (BPAC) meetings with approximately 75 people in attendance at each meeting. During this year’s BPAC meetings, attendees had the opportunity to share knowledge and expand their perspectives on New Jersey’s past, present, and future needs, policies, and practices for making the state safer and healthier. In 2023, BPAC hosted 16 presentations on a broad range of topics, including:
- Responded to 90+ Help Desk requests submitted to bikeped@ejb.rutgers.edu or (848) 932-7901 on a range of topics, including how speed limits are set; bicycle insurance; rumble strips in residential areas; rules and regulations concerning e-bikes and scooters; bicycles lanes and transit; and NJ Title 39.
- Provided updates for pages on the BPRC website, including updated content for the Complete Street Summit and Micromobility webpages.
Education and Training
- Expanded web-based resources on micromobility and the Safe System Approach and Zero Deaths initiatives by incorporating insights from relevant research tasks.
- Presented at conferences and summits, including:
- NJ TransAction
- NJ Society of Municipal Engineers
- NJ Safe Routes Academy
- Complete Streets Working Group meetings
- NJ League of Municipalities Conference
Research
- Provided input and expertise as stakeholders to multiple action items in the 2020 New Jersey Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP)
- Completed research and released the following reports
- Cycling during and after COVID: Has there been a boom in activity?, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Volume 99, November 2023, Pages 71-82.
- Working from home and walking during and after COVID, Transport Findings, June 28, 2023.
- Pedestrian Safety Education & Enforcement / Bicycle Safety Education & Enforcement with Civic Eye Collaborative
- Emerging Countermeasures for Pedestrian Safety with Rowan University
- Made significant progress on our 2023-2024 research topics to inform decisions and policy, including the following:
- Complete Streets and Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
- Development of a Micromobility Guide for New Jersey
- Systemic and Systematic Installation of Safety Countermeasures for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
- Life-Saving Lighting: Implementing Streetlighting with a Focus on Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety
- Low-Cost Pedestrian Safety Measures at Intersections and Crossings: Research and Case Studies from New Jersey
- Case Studies on Partnerships Between Transportation and Health Agencies Across the Country
NJ Complete Streets Technical Assistance
This program, funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) and in partnership with NJDOT, supports municipalities by providing them with the knowledge, skills and resources to develop Complete Streets-related solutions. The Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) and Sustainable Jersey completed reports for Plainfield, Seaside Heights, Passaic, Oakland, Dunellen, Bound Brook, and Belleville can be found on the Other Reports page on the NJ BPRC website other reports page.
Check out the New Jersey Safe Routes Resource Center’s 2023 Year in Review here!