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
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…..
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
Hinweis der Redaktion
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.
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….
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
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.
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.
What is the funding picture---
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.
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….
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…..
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.
So the funding levels for the TA are seen here…. And I have listed some of the eligible activities for these funds.
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.
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.
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.
For info on all of these funding sources under MAP-21, visit the website listed.
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….
