Google Street View Captures the Evolution of Complete Streets in NJ

If you subscribe to Streetsblog then you may have seen the latest entry looking at Google Map's new Street View archive, which lets look at street view images back to 2007. It shows some exemplary before and after shots of bike, pedestrian and transit improvements to streets in Indianapolis, New York and Cleveland. So let's look at a few transformations right here in New Jersey.

Trenton - Warren St (Lincoln Hwy) and Livingston St

A wide poorly marked street was transformed with a roundabout, landscaping and bike lanes.

Ocean City/Somers Point - Route 52 Causeway

Before the opening of the causeway bicycles and pedestrians were banned from using this bridge. This project is NJDOT's crown jewel.

Highlands/Sea Bright/Sandy Hook - Route 36 Bridge

NJDOT's first large scale complete streets project, not as evolved as the Ocean City bridge but a major improvement nonetheless. Also provides a critical connection between the Henry Hudson Trail in Highlands with the Sandy Hook Bikeway.

Woodbury - Rt 45/Broad St

NJDOT's makeover of Woodbury's commercial street is a classic road diet with some nice touches at the intersections. Door zone bike lanes will continue to be an issue with this configuration until the political will evolves to permit the reduction of on street parking.

Wayne - Ratzer Rd

I wanted to include this to show that making over a street doesn't have to involve major construction project. Simply changing the paint after resurfacing a road is the easiest and most common way to improve a street.

Action Alert - Attend Rutherford Borough Council Meeting Tomorrow to Support Bike Lanes on Orient Way

The Rutherford Bike Ring Project needs your support!

 On November 13, the Rutherford Borough Council in New Jersey unanimously approved a new road striping plan for the first phase of the Rutherford Bike Ring. In an ironic twist for the bike plan, this first phase of the striping did not include bike lanes or any other Complete Streets design components. Read the full story on the Tri-State Transportation Campaign Blog.

The next Rutherford Borough Council meeting is Tuesday, November 26, 2013 (tomorrow) at 7 pm. (Agenda). If you live, work or bike in Rutherford then please plan to attend and say a few words during the public comment period.

If you can't make it then please send a note or call the borough administrator and tell them to reverse their decision on the bike ring and implement the project according to NJDOT's recommendations.

Call in to the borough office administrator: 201-460-3004
Or send an email to the borough:


The borough of Rutherford adopted a complete streets policy in 2011 and finalized plans to create a bicycle circulation plan known as the bike ring this summer. The key street in the bike ring; 60 foot wide Orient Way was undergoing plans to right size the street for all users. The plan required a public participation process that included several public meetings. But at the last minute Borough Council did an end run on the 2 year planning effort and approved  a new road striping plan for Orient Way that strips out the bike lanes, center turn lane and the high visibility cross walks. The street has now been repaved and re-striping is imminent.

Orient Way Line Striping Proposal

Rutherford Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

Harvey Cedars Mayor and Residents Fight for "3 iN HC"

2013 seems to be the year that established Ocean and Monmouth Counties at the forefront of the New Jersey's complete streets movement. It has dominated the news on this blog with Routes 72, 35 and 71 proving to be a litmus test of NJ DOT's complete streets policy.

And now many residents in Harvey Cedars want to do the same for Long Beach Boulevard, Last year the borough adopted their own complete streets policy and are backing their new policy with a campaign dubbed 3 in HC which seeks to reduce the number of lanes on the boulevard from 4 lanes to 3.

Unfortunately the tiny borough has faced opposition from the County which maintains Long Beach Boulevard and lacks a complete streets policy. But its the neighboring communities - Barnegat Light and Long Beach Township that have voiced the loudest opposition. You may remember that in 2010 Mayor Mancini of Long Beach Township sought to repeal the stop for pedestrians law saying that such a law wouldn't work on a 5 lane road.

Once again the Asbury Park Press is documenting the complete streets movement on video with highlights from the Ocean County Freeholders meeting, where supporters traveled 30 miles to get pooh poohed by the Freeholders and, you guessed it, Mayor Mancini. Who was proud to tout a petition that opposes reducing lanes on Long Beach Blvd. The petition states among other unfounded arguments that "Any perceived danger to pedestrian and bicyclists is hypothetical.".

Kudos to Harvey Cedars Mayor Oldham and his supporters for their 3 in HC campaign. Long Beach Township may be neighbors with Harvey Cedars but they are at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum when it comes to livable communities. Its clear that complete streets advocates have lots of work to do to win the hearts and minds of Long Beach Island residents and businesses. A resort with poor pedestrian facilities and no public transportation.



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Newark's Irvine Turner Blvd gets a road diet and bike lane

New bikes lanes and a road diet are almost complete on Irvine Turner Blvd in Newark south of West Market St. These bike lanes are conventional, well designed and provide the first usable north / south route for the less than bold and fearless bicyclists wishing to travel from University Heights and the Downtown to the Weequahic section of Newark and towns to the south. The finishing touches are not done yet but the lanes are already very useful for even this bold but not exactly fearless bicyclist  (I rode them yesterday.  So much better!).

Irvine Turner was a designated permanent on-street route for the East Coast Greenway years ago and route signs have been in place on the street for several years.  This is a great example of how a route designation by the East Coast Greenway has been the catalyst for bicycle (and pedestrian) amenity construction.  Hopefully here in Newark, the likely success of this bike lane and road diet will prove to local leaders of the viability of the road diet / bike lane combo.  This simple and well proven street design could be reproduced on at least a half dozen major streets in the city, if not more.  And is Essex County there are at least a dozen more potential applications for this facility design.

Also, construction should begin very soon on a revamp of Broadway that will include some interesting innovations new to New Jersey.

Go Newark!!