Complete Streets in New Jersey - Sheree Davis
- 1. Complete Streets Summit “FUNDING Complete Streets” October 21, 2013 Rutgers University
- 2. WHY ARE WE WINNERS? FROM POLICY TO ACTION 2
- 3. Why Are We Winners? Top Down Leadership “NJDOT is confident that Complete Streets policies will pay off in terms of increased long-term safety for all users of New Jersey’s roads. The investments we make in good design now will pay dividends for generations.” -- James S. Simpson, Commissioner, NJDOT
- 4. Why Are We Winners? Strong Policy NJDOT’s policy includes all six ingredients: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Creates comprehensive, integrated multi-modal network Considers all users and modes Applies to all phases of new or retrofit projects Design to best available standards Specific criteria and procedure for exemptions Strong implementation process
- 5. Why Are We Winners? Built-In Implementation Process The policy identifies steps for implementation • • • • • A checklist of pedestrian, bicycle and transit accommodations. A procedure to evaluate resurfacing projects. An incentive within the Local Aid Program for municipalities and counties to develop and implement a Complete Streets policy.. Implement training for Engineers and Planners. Added emphasis on statewide outreach and training initiatives Performance Measures
- 6. What’s the funding picture?
- 7. Why Are We Winners? Local Aid for Bicycles Safe Streets to Transit ---- Still state funded
- 8. Why Are We Winners? Built in Incentives for the Locals to adopt policies! • EXTRA POINT on Local Aid Grant applications • EXTRA POINT on County an Municipal Aid applications ….for policy adoption and implementation plans…..
- 9. MAP-21
- 10. Transportation Alternatives Grant Program All funds must go through a grant program. 50% of Funding by Population to MPO’s DOTs must distribute funds according to the share of population within the state. For areas with a population over 200,000, funds will be sub-allocated to MPOs. The MPOs must then run a grant competition within its area. 50% of Funding to DOT’s. DOT funding can be redistributed to other highway projects, but NJDOT has reserved some of that to fund SRTS/Bike-Ped/Rec Trail projects.
- 11. Transportation Alternatives $16.5 M per year (FY13) (includes Rec Trails) $17.8 M per year (FY14) (includes Rec Trails) Eligible activities: Construction, planning, and design of on-road and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of transportation, including sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle signals, traffic calming techniques, lighting and other safety-related infrastructure, and transportation projects to achieve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
- 12. Safe Routes to School No dedicated funding, but NJDOT is still supporting the program. Eligible activities: Infrastructure-related projects-planning, design, and construction of infrastructure-related projects on any public road or any bicycle or pedestrian pathway or trail in the vicinity of schools that will substantially improve the ability of students to walk and bicycle to school.… Non-infrastructure-related activities to encourage walking and bicycling to school. Safe Routes to School coordinator is not mandatory under MAP-21.
- 13. Transportation Enhancements 1. Provision of facilities for pedestrians and bicycles. 2. Provision of safety and educational activities for pedestrians and bicyclists. 3. Acquisition of scenic easements and scenic or historic sites (including historic battlefields). 4. Scenic or historic highway programs (including the provision of tourist and welcome center facilities). 5. Landscaping and other scenic beautification. 6. Historic preservation. 7. Rehabilitation and operation of historic transportation buildings, structures, or facilities (including historic railroad facilities and canals). 8. Preservation of abandoned railway corridors (including the conversion and use of the corridors for pedestrian or bicycle trails). 9. Inventory, control, and removal of outdoor advertising. 10. Archaeological planning and research. 11. Environmental mitigation– 12. Establishment of transportation museums. Source: FHWA
- 14. HSIP FUNDS These funds have doubled--$ 58 million • A highway safety improvement project is any strategy, activity or project on a public road that is consistent with the data-driven State Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) and corrects or improves a hazardous road location or feature or addresses a highway safety problem • NJDOT is approaching the use of these funds programmatically. • MUST HAVE AN UPDATED SHSP
- 15. For More information on MAP-21 Funding http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/factsheets.cfm
- 16. Why Are We Winners? Our COMMITMENT! We are a national LEADER because we have made a commitment to plan, design, construct, and maintain NJ State Highways for all users. We continue to invest in outreach and provide incentives to communities. We are working hard to spread the word and get folks like you to sign on to this movement.
- 17. Sheree J. Davis Manager, Bureau of Commuter and Mobility Strategies Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Coordinator New Jersey Department of Transportation 609.530.5858 Sheree.davis@dot.state.nj.us
Editor's Notes
- #2: Passing CS policies are one thing, but many of you ask how do we fund these types of improvements. Today I will talk about some of the funding opportunities that have been around and what is new with MAP-21.
- #3: But before we get into funding---I want to just take a minute to boast a little about the reason why NJ is a winner in Complete Streets.Other states look to us for our accomplishments in creating a better environment for people to get out their cars. Recently, we have been working to update our Pedestrian Safety action plan, and when we went to other states to look for best practices they say they have consistently looked to us for best practices. The same is going with Complete Streets…we still have the strongest state policy in the nation….
- #4: We have a Leader who gets it, who is passionate about it, and wants to make a difference in peoples lives. Commissioner Simpson has long been a great supporter of complete streets – doubling the monies that we spend on these types of projects. Source: NJDOT
- #5: The National Complete Streets Coalition has studied policies enacted throughout the U.S. to identify the characteristics that make for a strong policy. NJ’s policy has all six ingredients.
- #6: The policy identifies steps for implementation. NJDOT has just released a Guide to Creating a Complete Streets Implementation Plan to complement the existing guide, Making Complete Streets a Reality - A Guide to Policy Development, that is available on the NJBikePed.org website.
- #7: What is the funding picture---
- #8: Well, NJDOT still is on track to fund complete streets projects through Local Aid for Bicycle’s and Safe Streets to Transit. This funding will remain Transportation Trust Fund dollars.
- #9: We have built in incentives into the Local Aid grant programs giving extra points to communities and counties who have passed complete streets resolutions AND have an Implementation Plan. Our goal is to allow those towns who have made a commitment to complete streets to rise to the top….
- #10: I am sure many of you have heard about the new Transportation Bill MAP-21---and have tried to decipher what it means for you……Well, I will briefly discuss some of the funding opportunities under this bill. Many things have changed…..
- #11: First we have Transportation AlternativesAll funds must go through a competitivegrant program---50% of the funds are distributed to the MPO’s 50% of the funds go to the state DOT.The DOT can redistribute their funds to other highway projects; but NJDOT has chosen to have the funds directed to Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements --- and we did not opt out of funding recreational trails. Eligible EntitiesLocal governmentsRegional transportation authoritiesTransit agenciesNatural resource or public land agenciesSchool districts, local education agencies, or schoolsTribal governmentsAny other local or regional governmental entity with responsibility for or oversight of transportation or recreational trails (other than a metropolitan planning organization or a state agency) that the state determines to be eligible, consistent with the goals of this subsection.
- #12: So the funding levels for the TA are seen here…. And I have listed some of the eligible activities for these funds.
- #13: A change from the SAFE_TEA LU is that Safe Routes to School has no dedicated funding and a Safe Routes to School Coordinator is not mandatory. However, under Transportation Alternatives, the NJDOT has opted to continue supporting the program, funding both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects, as well as funding the SRTS Coordinator position.
- #14: Transportation Enhancements will continue to be funded under TA – again a decision by NJDOT to keep the program going. You can see there 12 catagories of eligible projects – facilities for pedestrians and bicycles is on the list.
- #15: Lastly, we have the HSIP funds, or Highway Safety Improvement Program funds…Under MAP-21, these funds are doubling --- which made us take a closer look on how we were going to use these funds. This is a data driven safety improvement fund to reduce crashes and fatalities on public roads. AT NJDOT, we are approaching this funding program a bit differently---we want to approach these funds more programmatically – not look at it as a funding source but put together a program of projects from our safety management system that meet the criteria for this funding and push them through our pipeline. NJTPA and the NJDOT are currently updating the Strategic Highway Safety Plan --- which is required to use these funds.
- #16: For info on all of these funding sources under MAP-21, visit the website listed.
- #17: Last but not least…it’s our commitment. We are a national leader in complete streets and want to stay that wayWe continue to invest and provide incentives to communities to embrace this movement.We are committed to continue to help spread the word and get folks like you to sign up….