The City of Hackensack, 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 recommendations to promote walking as a means of travel and to improve walkability along Prospect Avenue and Beech Street within Hackensack. This report calls for developing a complete streets implementation plan, installing pedestrian amenities and a road diet on Prospect Avenue and Beech Street, and upgrading traffic signals. Long-term recommendations include conducting a traffic study at the Hackensack Meridian Health-Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) entrance, installing bicycle lanes that connect to a broader network, and installing permanent curb extensions.
The recommendations in this report were developed using a collaborative process with municipal employees and stakeholders. This included a virtual Walkable Community Workshop (WCW) that was held on July 7, 2020 and a follow-up virtual public meeting on August 18, 2020. These meetings were held virtually due to COVID-19. The corridor under consideration, along Prospect Avenue and Beech Street, connects the surrounding residential communities with a variety of medical services, office buildings, and the Hackensack High School. Crashes along the corridor are common and many involve high school-aged pedestrians and bicyclists.
The lessons learned by all participants during the half-day workshop are applicable to other municipal-owned roadways in Hackensack. The field audit form, information about the NJTPA’s pedestrian safety education program, Street Smart NJ, and a list of potential funding resources can be found in this report’s appendices. These resources can be used to conduct other walk audits and projects within the town. In addition to the project team, this report has been reviewed by officials from the City of Hackensack and Bergen County.
Read full report: Hackensack: Prospect Avenue and Beech Street Walkable Community Workshop (2020)
