In-Review: 2023 NJ Complete Streets Summit Recap

On Wednesday, November 1, 2023, the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center hosted the biennial New Jersey Complete Streets Summit, sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. This was the seventh summit and by all measures, it was a major success, bringing together over 250 planners, engineers, students, municipal leaders, and advocates from across the state and region to share and learn how they can work together to bring Complete Streets to more of New Jersey.  

Take a look at the 2023 New Jersey Complete Streets Summit agenda, speakers, and presentations here.  

Summit highlights included session topics on local Complete and Green Streets success stories, advancing Complete Streets through the Safe System Approach, transit-friendly planning, project funding strategies, micromobility, and accommodating the needs of cognitively divergent individuals, such as those living with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

NJDOT leadership set the tone for the day with their opening remarks. In his introduction, Assistant Commissioner Eric Powers shared that his mother had recently lost a significant amount of mobility due to an injury. His personal story reminded the audience that all of us, at different points of our lives, will need different things from our transportation system.  

Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti provided the welcome which included her thoughts on access, equity, and safety. She reflected on her own family’s experiences with mobility issues and noted that the NJDOT is forging a path toward a more inclusive and sustainable transportation network that will continue to evolve to better accommodate vulnerable road users, including those with physical and intellectual disabilities. 

The Commissioner also spoke about the Department’s long-standing commitment to Complete Streets through projects like the Complete and Green Streets for All: Model Policy and Guide, regional training programs on Complete Streets implementation, and the work underway to update the Department’s internal policies to meet the requirements of new legislation on accommodating those with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

During the lunch Keynote, Dr. Kelcie Ralph presented research that identifies our “deep stories” about transportation—unstated assumptions that fuel ongoing debates about our streets. She reminded us that the stories we tell matter and that the more skeptical planners and engineers are that building different infrastructure will make an impact, the less likely they are to propose safe and sustainable projects. Dr. Ralph emphasized that how we think about transportation—and how we talk about it with the public—profoundly informs the strategies we pursue and how much the public will support them. 

Complete Streets Champions and Excellence Awards were presented to individuals, teams and communities that have demonstrated commitment to advancing Complete Streets. This year’s awards were dedicated to the memory of Jay DiDomenico, the long-serving Executive Director of the Hudson Transportation Management Association, who passed away in 2022. 

At this year’s Summit, Complete Streets Champion Awards were given to the following individuals and groups:  

• Shereyl Snider and the East Trenton Collaborative were awarded for their neighborhood traffic safety audit that led to the Inspired Safe Streets – East Trenton Neighborhood project that will address some of the issues identified in the audit.   

• Tyler Cenci, a high school student and resident of Cranbury Township, was awarded for his work to improve bicycling conditions in Cranbury by developing and facilitating the first annual “Tour de Cranbury” as his Eagle Scout project. Tyler worked with municipal officials to establish a new, annual bicycle ride for all ages and abilities, including youth, families, and experienced riders.   

• Jennifer Duckworth was recognized as a Safe Routes to School Champion thanks to her work to improve bicycling and walking conditions in Millburn. She coordinated the Tour de Millburn and helped her community achieve NJ Safe Routes to School Recognition Program gold award status at all Millburn schools. 

Complete Streets Excellence Awards were presented to five governments across New Jersey for the steps they took to implement Complete Streets.   

• Middlesex County received an award for their county-wide 2040 Vision Zero Plan, which lays out a sweeping strategy for eliminating traffic fatalities in the county.   
• Mercer County was recognized for its Bicycle-Friendly Repaving Program which implements Complete Streets through regular repaving projects, greatly increasing the speed and efficiency at which safe infrastructure goes on the road.  
• The City of Jersey City employed a quick-build-to-permanent strategy to efficiently implement a very large number of speed humps, curb extensions, No Turn on Red restrictions, and protected bike lanes throughout the city. In 2022, they achieved zero roadway deaths on local roads.   
• The City of Trenton and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission completed multiple Complete Streets demonstration projects in the City of Trenton by engaging with local communities and activating public spaces.   
• The City of Asbury Park was awarded for its innovative shared micromobility program which uses e-scooters to enhance mobility for residents and visitors.   

The Summit ended with a Building Better Neighborhoods Complete Streets Workshop where attendees engaged in hands-on exercises, networking opportunities, and collaborative discussions that foster a shared commitment to making streets safer and more accessible for everyone. 

Special thanks to the NJDOT Bureau of Safety, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs, Rutgers University’s Voorhees Transportation Center staff, Civic Eye Collective, the Complete Streets Summit Advisory Committee, and the many speakers, leaders, and panelists who shared their knowledge and experience. Their dedication and leadership have been a driving force behind the implementation of Complete Streets policies and projects that make New Jersey roads safer and more accessible for all.