On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the NJDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center hosted the eighth New Jersey Complete Streets Summit. This year’s event, centered on the theme “Every Journey Safer,” was a resounding success, bringing together more than 250 planners, engineers, students, municipal leaders, and advocates from across the state.
Attendees gathered to share ideas, exchange best practices, and explore how they can work collaboratively to support safer travel for all road users throughout New Jersey. Summit highlights included sessions on modern approaches to advancing Complete Streets, Safety Action Plans, Transit-Oriented Development, inclusive mobility, and connected greenway networks.
Take a look at the 2026 NJDOT Complete Streets Summit agenda, speakers, and presentations here.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
NJDOT leadership kicked off the Summit with Assistant Commissioner Eric Powers, who shared how his path into urban planning started not in a classroom but in The Sims, one of the best-selling video game series of all time. In SimCity, changing the built environment was as simple as a click. He contrasted that with the real world, where designing roadways to serve everyone takes collaboration, persistence, and thoughtful planning. His remarks underscored a simple truth: when we design streets that work for all people, we build communities where everyone can thrive.
Newly appointed NJDOT Commissioner Priya Jain then took the stage and spoke about the many ways transportation shapes daily life, from how people reach jobs, schools, and services to how communities stay connected and resilient. She emphasized that Complete Streets are essential to creating places that are vibrant and safe for everyone who uses them. Commissioner Jain also highlighted New Jersey’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2040, noting that safer street design is a cornerstone of achieving that goal.
NJDOT Commissioner Priya Jain delivers remarks highlighting how Complete Streets can support communities that are vibrant, inclusive, and safe for all road users. (Source: NJDOT)
Veronica O. Davis delivered a keynote highlighting the importance of inclusive, community-centered transportation planning. (Source: NJDOT BPRC)
Keynote
This year’s keynote was presented by Veronica O. Davis, Vice President of Planning, Engagement & Urban Design at AtkinsRéalis. During her presentation, Ms. Davis challenged attendees to rethink how transportation decisions are made, drawing on themes from her book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities. She highlighted how ill-defined processes and limited engagement can lead to key voices being ignored. She pointed out that those most affected but least heard become the silent suffering, and she emphasized the need for more inclusive, community-centered approaches to plans and projects.
Blending humor with insight, Ms. Davis encouraged the audience to move beyond framing transportation as a battle between modes and instead focus on designing systems that work for everyone. She closed with a call to action, urging practitioners to lead with empathy, act boldly, and better serve the diverse needs and perspectives of all road users.
Session Topics
Breakout panels throughout the morning brought together informative speakers who dug into some of the most pressing issues, from institutionalizing Complete Streets at the local level to applying modern design guidance and envisioning connected greenways. There were also panels on advancing transit‑ready communities, strengthening statewide and county safety action plans, and improving accessibility and inclusive mobility. Each session sparked lively discussion and thoughtful questions from attendees, reflecting both the depth of expertise in the room and the shared commitment to adopting and updating policies and building Complete Streets in communities across New Jersey.
Awards
Complete Streets Champion and Excellence Awards were presented to individuals, teams, and communities that have demonstrated commitment to advancing Complete Streets.
At this year’s Summit, Champion Awards were given to the following groups:
- Union County Connects was honored for advocacy and for improving trail connections and safer streets. Their work to advance multi-use trails, Rails-to-Trails initiatives, and Complete Streets policies helps link Union County communities through more accessible transportation networks.
- Hudson County Complete Streets was recognized for its work to improve transportation connectivity and equity. Through collaboration with partners like Bike JC, the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition, and the New Jersey Vision Zero Alliance, the group has helped advance transit improvements and create a safer, more accessible Hudson County.
- The Nikhil Badlani Foundation and their Youth Advisory Board initiative were presented with the Safe Routes to School Champion Award for empowering students across New Jersey to take an active role in improving traffic safety in their communities. Through hands-on engagement, collaboration with officials, and events like the first Youth Advisory Board Summit, the program is fostering the next generation of leaders in the movement for safer roadways.
Union County Connects won a Complete Streets Champion Award in recognition of their advocacy for improving trail connections and safer streets across Union County. (Source: NJDOT BPRC)
Hudson County Complete Streets was recognized as a Complete Streets Champion for their efforts to improve transportation connectivity and equity across Hudson County. (Source: NJDOT BPRC)
The Nikhil Badlani Foundation and their Youth Advisory Board initiative were given the Safe Routes to School Champion Award for empowering students across New Jersey to take an active role in improving traffic safety in their communities. (Source: NJDOT BPRC)
Complete Streets Excellence Awards were presented to five municipalities that have demonstrated a commitment to implementing Complete Streets in their communities:
- Dunellen is advancing Complete and Green Streets through strategic planning and ongoing pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
- Passaic is enhancing Complete Streets through major planning efforts, infrastructure upgrades, and a focus on accessibility and safety.
- Hoboken continues to lead in Complete Streets with innovative programs, strong enforcement, and major transit-oriented investments.
- Pennsville is implementing Complete Streets through demonstration projects and targeted pedestrian safety improvements.
- Trenton is advancing Complete Streets through policy leadership, safety initiatives, and investments in a more connected network.
More information about this year’s Complete Streets Summit award winners is available here.
Afternoon Panel
The Summit concluded with a panel discussion, Bringing It All Together: Aligning Regional and Statewide Safety Planning to Advance Complete Streets, featuring New Jersey’s three metropolitan planning organizations and moderated by NJDOT Planning Director Mike Manzella. The conversation highlighted how statewide efforts and MPO-led initiatives are shaping the future of active transportation and safety planning, and it underscored the importance of coordination across local, regional, and state agencies. Through an interactive activity, attendees shared real-time feedback on priorities, performance measures, and long-term goals for the next statewide Active Transportation Plan, reinforcing the Summit’s role in building a more connected and data-driven vision for Complete Streets in New Jersey.
Attendees contributed real-time feedback on priorities, performance measures, and long-term goals for New Jersey’s next statewide Active Transportation Plan. (Source: NJDOT BPRC)
The Summit closed with a call to action by NJDOTs Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, Elise Bremer-Nei. She reminded attendees that Complete Streets are about more than infrastructure. They are about keeping people safe and creating communities where everyone can move freely and where our shared places become healthier, more connected, and more livable. Leigh Ann Von Hagen, Executive Director of the Voorhees Transportation Center, encouraged attendees to carry the day’s momentum forward by championing these principles in their own work, projects, and communities, knowing that real change happens when each person takes the next step.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Rutgers University’s Voorhees Transportation Center, Civic Eye Collaborative, the Complete Streets Summit Advisory Committee, and the many speakers, leaders, and panelists who shared their knowledge and experience. Their collective dedication continues to drive progress toward safer, more accessible Complete Streets throughout New Jersey.