New Jersey residents are unhappy about recent growth patterns, saying they have made the state expensive and difficult to travel. They support coordinated planning to protect natural resources, foster walkable communities and enhance transportation options.
Transportation
New Jersey Residents Are Concerned About How the State Has Developed
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011Menendez Focuses on TOD Funding in Updated Livable Communities Act
Thursday, September 29th, 2011Sen. Menendez introduces an updated Livable Communities Act, including funding to spark private investment in transit-oriented development.
Summit Moves Toward Transit Village Designation, Future of Program Remains Uncertain
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011The city of Summit’s planning board voted unanimously in favor of seeking Transit Village status with the NJ Department of Transportation, but the initiative could fall short should the DOT fail to commit to the Transit Village program this year.
We Work Close to Home … But We Drive There
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011The recently released American Community Survey gives us the first look in 10 years at commuting data at the county and local level. New Jersey is still a national leader in transit ridership, thanks primarily to its transit system’s orientation toward the major employment hubs of New York City and Philadelphia. Unfortunately, this leaves most in-state workers with driving as their only option, although Hudson and Essex counties provide examples of what can happen when we think about improving access to our homegrown centers.
On Balance, New Legislative Effort Keeps Urban Transit Hub Incentives Intact
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011Should a new bill that uses funds originally allocated to the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit program raise a red flag for smart growth and transit advocates?
Incomplete Report Card for Complete Streets
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011In an attempt to enhance safety and make roads more accommodating to bicyclists and pedestrians, the state Department of Transportation adopted a Complete Streets policy in 2009. This policy directs the department to design new roads and retrofit old ones to accommodate all users, not just drivers.
Zero-Vehicle Households and Transit
Thursday, September 1st, 2011The metropolitan areas with the greatest numbers of zero-vehicle households are also among those doing the best job of serving the car-less population, the majority of which is lower-income households. However, the high rate of co-location of zero-vehicle households with public transportation illustrates the painful irony of encouraging lower-income car-less households to live near transit while jobs are migrating away from transit on the other end.
State Officials Tout Transit Villages
Thursday, August 25th, 2011Two of New Jersey’s top transportation officials stress the importance of transit-oriented development and the state’s Transit Villages program.
Density and Sprawl Are Not Mutually Exclusive
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011Low density is certainly one of the dysfunctions of the dominant development pattern since 1950, but it is not the only one. Two other factors — segregation of destination types and a lack of connectivity in the local street network — also contrive to force people into their cars for most daily activities, even in neighborhoods with high housing density.
What makes a great place to live?
Friday, August 19th, 2011CNNMoney’s list of great places to live is a good start, but how about some more smart-growth indicators included in the criteria they used?
