West Orange will receive complete streets assistance

EWING, NJ — Eight municipalities will receive up to $10,000 in technical assistance for complete streets projects ranging from workshops on walkability to bicycle network plans, conceptual designs and safety assessments, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority recently announced. The municipalities were selected through a competitive application process. The only Essex County recipient will be West Orange; the funding will go toward a walkable community workshop.

“This is a great program that helps advance complete streets initiatives to make roads safer for people walking, bicycling, driving and taking transit. Congratulations to the selected municipalities. I look forward to seeing them turn their complete streets visions into reality with our help,” NJTPA Executive Director Mary Ameen said.

Sustainable Jersey and the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University will provide the technical assistance, which is financed through the NJTPA’s federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. West Orange will receive a workshop and audit of up to a half-mile of street to identify potential pedestrian and bicycle improvements.

“These towns will receive valuable hands-on guidance to move their complete streets projects forward,” said Renee Haider, associate director of Sustainable Jersey. “This important work, done by our communities, contributes to our mission to create a more sustainable New Jersey.”

Complete streets are streets designed for all users, all modes of transportation and all ability levels. They balance the needs of drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, emergency responders and goods movement based on local context. 

“Since every municipality has different needs, we will provide technical assistance to help advance complete streets by documenting existing conditions, exploring opportunities for improvement and providing recommendations,” said Jon Carnegie, executive director of the Voorhees Transportation Center.