Haddonfield Update - A Partial Victory For Grove Street Bike Lanes

The following again comes to us from our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and is posted here with their permission.  Again, WalkBikeJersey fully supports the opinions expressed in this article.

 Officials in Haddonfield Borough and Camden County have forged a compromise agreement on the installation of bike lanes on Grove St. Bike lanes will be included between Hopkins and South Edge Park Drive (shown in blue on the map). The rest of the project will follow the original plan, which includes standard shoulders north and south of the bike lanes. The roadway will narrow at the north end and it will not include shoulders and there are no plans to include sharrows on this short segment. Instead the project team is looking at the possibility of widening the sidewalk for bicycle use to improve the connection to the Cooper River Trail in Pennypacker Park.

We applaud the cooperation between the Borough, the County and the residents who helped shape the final design of this project. Overall this will be a major improvement for bicyclists and pedestrians who want to to travel between the Historic Downtown and Camden County's largest park network.

Still we are mindful of the disconnect between the conventional (and outdated) transportation thinking by transportation officials and roadway engineers in New Jersey that "shoulders are bikeways" vs. the NJ State Supreme Court's "shoulders are not bike lanes" decision in the Polzo vs County of Essex case. It's a dilemma that the state has to resolve and it will require a rewrite of the State's vehicle code and NJDOT's bikeway accommodation guidelines.

Click here for updates on the Grove Street project.

Bike Lanes vs Beautification - A False Choice In Haddonfield

The following comes to us from our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and is posted here with their permission.  However, WalkBikeJersey fully supports the opinions expressed in this article..

A grassroots effort to install bike lanes on a critical connection between downtown Haddonfield and a major trail on the Circuit has been rejected by Haddonfield Borough officials and the Camden County Department of Public Works in favor of parking lanes and a center median.

Grove St - A good proposal for bike lanes

The street in question is Grove from Pardee Lane to Edge Park Drive. This section connects the Cooper River Trail into Haddonfield Borough. This section of Grove does not currently have bike facilities, but its generous width and the typically-empty 10-foot shoulders make it a popular bicycling route. Grove street has been designated as a bike route connecting the Hopkins Pond trail to the Cooper River.

"Where should the poor girl park for all tomorrow's parties?" Apparently on Grove Street.

Grove Street's wide profile tends to induce speeding to and from Route 70, so Haddonfield has proposed a makeover to calm traffic and reduce turning conflicts. Bike lanes were recommended by the Environmental Commission, other organization members and local cyclists, and the proposal was submitted to the Borough and County Engineer for review.

However, last month the County Engineering Department wrote a letter to Haddonfield Mayor Kasko stating that bike lanes were not compatible with parking and a center median, and Camden County's policy "preferred traffic calming and beautification over bike lanes." This letter seems to have formed the basis for Haddonfield Borough to drop the idea of bike lanes and instead plan for a center median with mountable curb sections so residents can turn left out of their driveways.

Grove Street - Haddonfield Borough's Preferred Alternative

This question of traffic calming over bike lanes is a false choice. Bike lanes are a known instrument in traffic calming. Furthermore, a similar arterial in nearby Cherry Hill, Kings Highway (NJ State Route 41), has an identical width and successfully-installed bike lanes. The proposal also forgoes sidewalk improvements and does not include new crosswalks or intersection "bump-outs" as the Environmental Commission requested in their proposal.

Haddonfield does not have a Complete Streets Policy to appeal to, but Camden County just passed one in December. The Borough is debating the possibility of a Complete Streets policy, but a policy development committee has not yet been formed. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has completed a Camden County Bicycle Trails Master Plan, but its adoption might not happen until this summer. State-wide, New Jersey communities are adopting the concept of Complete Streets, which implements best practices for making our streets safe and pleasant for all users.

If the proposed design is implemented, bicyclists will be left with a narrower shoulder periodically interrupted by parked cars. And as we have reported before, the NJ State Supreme Court has ruled that bicyclists do not have legal protections in the shoulder. So this street design is effectively not accommodating bicycles. Meanwhile, pedestrians are saved from trudging through mud in a couple places, but are not protected by best-practice infrastructure.

This project represents a lost opportunity for Haddonfield Borough to unify one of its suburban neighborhoods with the historic walkable core by creating a truly complete street. Haddonfield shouldn't have to settle for mediocrity.

Putting the Capital to Coast Trail on the Map

Since 2000 Fred Lockenmeyer has pursued his dream of connecting the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Trenton with the Edgar Felix Bike Path in Manasquan by forging a trail through the rural/suburban swath of Southern Mercer and Monmouth Counties. A trail located in the geographic center of the state that will be known as the Capital to Coast Trail.

New Jersey Caucus for The Circuit Meeting Kicks Off A Campaign To Raise $10 Million For Trails

The Circuit Coalition invites you to the launch of the Circuit Commitment Campaign.

We are bringing together trail enthusiasts and supporters like you for two informational sessions in June (one for PA, one for NJ). These caucus meetings are the kickoff to the Circuit Commitment Campaign.

The Circuit Commitment Campaign's goal is to replenish the DVRPC (Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission)'s Regional Trail Fund, which is a competitive grant program established by the William Penn Foundation in 2010. The fund is distributing nearly $10 million in our nine-county region, and is helping plan, design and build nearly 40 miles of trail.

This grant program, if continued, could have a major impact on our trails! So we need people like you, who want to see The Circuit's unfinished trails built, to encourage County Commissioners (in Pennsylvania) & Freeholders (in New Jersey) to allocate a second $10 million for the years 2014-2016. This money will continue the momentum of that first grant cycle, moving us closer to realizing the vision of a region connected by a world-class network of bike-ped trails: The Circuit.

Get involved in creating new trails for your community by attending NJ Circuit trails caucus!

June 19th, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Camden County Boathouse
Cooper River Park, 7050 North Park Drive, Pennsauken NJ

Register to attend here

The New Jersey Caucus meeting will provide an overview of the next set of Circuit trails currently under development in Mercer, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties.

We will also discuss the campaign goal and how you can help get this trail funding secured.

The Camden County Boathouse is located directly on the Cooper River Trail
and is a 10 minute bike ride from the Ferry Avenue PATCO Station.

Important Public Meetings In South Jersey Next Week

Beneath all the hubbub of Bike Month events are two important public meetings for major infrastructure projects in South Jersey that if constructed with complete streets in mind, could plug some massive holes in New Jersey's nascent multi-use trail network.

There will be public meeting regarding both the critical Manahawkin Bay Bridge (LBI Causeway) and the Glassboro Camden Line next week.  Later in the month the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission will be presenting the final draft for the Camden County Bicycling & Multi-Use Trails Master Plan. Details are available after the jump.

Public Workshop Looks At Connecting Trails and Complete Streets in Gloucester County.

The Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions and the William Penn Foundation have teamed up to hold the Connecting Gloucester workshop on May 11th. The workshop looks at the successes of municipal plans as well as how local work in the County connects with the Circuit -Greater Philadelphia's regional trail network.


WORKSHOP PROGRAM

• The Basics of Local Bike/Ped/Trails Planning and Harrison Township Case Study
  Bob Melvin, PP, AICP, Principal, Group Melvin Design
• New Jersey DOT’s Local Bicycle/Pedestrian Planning Assistance Program
  William Riviere, Principal Planner, NJDOT
• Connecting The Circuit
  Sarah Clark Stuart, Policy Director Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
• DVRPC’s Regional Trails Program for Multi-use Trails Project Implementation
  Christopher Linn, AICP Manager, Office of Environmental Planning, DVRPC

Gloucester Connects
Saturday May 11th, 9AM - 12PM
Harrison Township Municipal Building
114 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill, NJ
(Transit Directons)


The cost of admission is $10 for the general public ($5 for ANJEC members). To register contact ANJEC via this formatted email or call 973-539-7547.

Event Flyer

Monroe Township Bike Path near Glassboro

4th Annual New Jersey Bike Walk Summit Happening February 23rd

The New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition in partnership with the Voorhees Transportation Center will be hosting the 4th Annual New Jersey Bike Walk Summit (link to preliminary agenda) on Saturday February 23rd at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. This year there will be 20 panel sessions to choose from, including one that will discuss The Circuit and how it can affect trail development and bike mobility in New Jersey.

The NJBWC headed up by Executive Director Cyndi Steiner is diving headfirst into state bicycle and pedestrian issues. They have partnered with us as well as the Tri State Transportation Campaign, NJ Future, the Safe Routes to School Partnership and other local advocacy groups on numerous issues. Most notably they have been working with NJDOT and the State's three Metropolitan Planning Organizations on policy changes under MAP-21 and with New Jersey Transit to improve its bike on rail policies. NJBWC's statewide advocacy strengthens our local advocacy efforts in the Garden State.

Registration fee for the Summit is $50 online, $65 at the door. For more information on the NJ Bike and Walk Summit go here. The Bloustein School is just a 5 minute walk from the NJ TRANSIT New Brunswick Station at the corner of Livingston Ave and New St.

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