BUILDING A T R A N S I T - F R I E N D LY C O M M U N I T Y

P L AC E AC C E SS D E V E LO P M E N T PA R K I N G PA R T N E R S H I P S I . W H AT IS A TRANSIT- F R I E N D LY COMMUNITY?

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II. O F H OW TO START DOW N KEY FINDINGS AND THE TRANSIT-FRIENDLY C O N T E N T S L E SSONS LEARNED T R AC K

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P L AC E I I I . L E SSONS 1- 4 GETTING STA R T E D I N T R O D U CT I O N A P P E N D I X

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AC C E SS THE PROGRAM L E SSONS 5-7 THE PROCESS COMMUNITIES SELECT E D

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D E V E LOPMENT L E SSONS 8-13 MAKING IT HAPPEN S TATIONS SELECT E D

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PA R K I N G L E SSONS 14-18 PROGRAM EVA LU ATO R

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PA R T N E R S H I P L E SSONS 19-22 PROGRAM PA R T N E R S 0 3

I N T R O D U CT I O N

A c ro ss the nation, A m e r i cans are re d i s covering the place s the auto m o b i le age left behind. Long-negle c ted dow n tow n s , built generations ago around public transit systems, are d rawing a second look from people and businesses weary of t raffic co n g e stion and auto - o r i e n ted sprawl, who seek i nstead the benefits of being near one another, and near tra n- sit options. Such communities are fo cal points of the "smart g rowth" movement. The movement has deep roots in New J e rs ey, perhaps because the Garden Sta te has more ca rs per m i le of road than any sta te in the nation. The urgency to "grow smarter" led in 1992 to adoption of New Jers ey ’s State Development and Redevelopment Plan, with the specific goals of building and rebuilding "communities of place . " N ew Jers ey ’s communities are re p re s e n ta t i ve of the s p e ctrum of community types acro ss the nation when it comes to building or rebuilding communities around tra n s i t . Its rail stations opera te in many settings, from older dow n- towns, to established suburban commuter villages, to regional p a r k -and-rides. Many of these stations will soon see new and expanded service, as a result of NJ TRANSIT i n i t i a t i ves and in turn, their communities will ex p e r i e n ce new parking and deve lopment pre ss u res, which will re q u i re sensitive , community-based planning that respect the needs of both the co m m u ter and the co m m u n i t y. 05

I N T R O D U CT I O N

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For the past two years, the program described Communities for " pilot community Jersey Coast and, since 1996, the Morris and west transit links. When completed, the line in this report – Transit-Friendly Communities planning assistance program; and Essex lines, which were connected to the will extend along the waterfront for New Jersey – has brought together diverse with completion of Midtown to Bergen County. community and professional partners to develop > To convey lessons learned to other communi- Direct service (a.k.a. the Kearny Connection). Finally, construction is underway on the specific ways that New Jersey towns and cities ties both in New Jersey and nationally, to help The serves Newark Penn Southern New Jersey Light Rail Transit System can become more "transit-friendly," by planning guide their own efforts. Station, and the remaining rail lines converge on which, when completed, will connect Camden their growth in partnership with transit invest- Hoboken, requiring awkward and time-consum- to Trenton and the Northeast Corridor. ment. The program was built on NJ TRANSIT’s ing transfers to reach Manhattan. Together, these connections, upgrades and initiatives to make train stations themselves B AC KGROUND: NEW JERSEY’S To overcome the disjointed nature of the rail new lines cost more than $2 billion, and will "passenger friendly;" and statewide smart- PA SSENGER RAIL SY S T E M system, NJ TRANSIT is completing a massive result in an interconnected rail network with growth initiatives to reduce sprawl and encour- capital program to connect all these passenger more than 200 stations serving the majority of age new development within walking distance During the past 20 years, NJ TRANSIT has lines into one seamless system: state residents. of transit stations. in ve sted more than $8.2 billion to repair, reh abil- Supporting the growth and the efficiency of Oftentimes communities are not prepared itate, expand and connect the state’s passenger > The (completed in transit in New Jersey is best accomplished by for prospective growth at or near their stations. rail lines – many of them built more than 2002) merges the Montclair Branch and the ensuring that the investments of the past are Station use may be constrained by lack of ade- 100 years ago by competing rail companies. Boonton Line, and connects these two Hoboken- used most effectively. New Jersey’s rail stations quate parking, an absence of feeder services, NJ TRANSIT’s commitment has reversed bound lines directly to Manhattan. and hundreds of bus stops are the gateways and inhospitable walking or biking options, years of transit and rail station neglect – and has for moving around the state and to neighboring sometimes resulting in grea ter traffic con g e stion. begun to have a positive impact on investment > The Secaucus transfer station will provide City and Philadelphia. By planning Moreover, there has been a lack of awareness and property values in many communities sur- the remaining Hoboken-bound lines collaboratively, NJ TRANSIT and the various host in many New Jersey communities about how rounding these stations. These connections and (Main/Bergen, Port Jervis and Pascack Valley) communities can ensure that these gateways to leverage transit investments to revitalize upgrades of existing commuter rail lines, and with direct access to Manhattan. Ridership is ex- are attractive and accessible. In addition, transit downtowns, encourage business and local the construction of new light rail lines, go a long pected to nearly double at the 30 stations that facilities are public inve stments that can economic development, and reduce reliance way toward providing an interconnected, will gain direct service to New York with the be used by communities to attract private and on the private car. statewide rail network, with 160 commuter rail completion of this project. public/private partnership redevelopment, thus Communities that plan their growth in part- stations and 26 light rail stations serving the contributing to the success of the local economy. nership with transportation investment stand to majority of state residents. Ridership has doubled These projects will transform northern New reap a host of benefits, from fewer traffic prob- in this 20-year period, a greater increase than Je rs ey's rail network, giving millions of res idents lems, to more vital downtowns, to higher prop- experienced by any other major U.S. transit sys- in communities near 80 rail stations direct 1 As part of the re n ovation of South Orange Train Station, lo ca l erty values. What follows is a guide for commu- tem in this same period, evidence of the public access to , for the first time, m e rchants we re re c r u i ted to opera te businesses in the re tail space s lo ca ted underneath the tre st le. They draw lo cal people to the stat i o n nities seeking to be "transit-friendly." It has two demand for transit investment and connectivity. as well as to one another. on a regular basis, as well as provide high-quality b a ked goods and purposes: However, as of 2002, the network did not yet Construction has also been completed on the other pass e ng e r - re l a ted services. The landscaped outdoor seating and the new plaza function as a civic square for the tow n . operate as a single system. Only four rail lines first phase of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail > To document the key findings and conclu- offered direct service to Penn Station in System, which opened in 2000 and now connects 2 NJ TRANSIT's Secaucus tra n s fer station, to be co m p le ted in 2004, will connect communities in northern and we stern New Jers ey to sions from N J TRANSIT’S "Transit-Friendly Manhattan: The Northeast Corridor, the North Bayonne to Hoboken, and to existing east- m i d town Manhatta n . THE PROGRAM: 0 7 T R A N S I T - F R I E N D LY COMMUNITIES FOR NEW JERSEY THE PROGRAM

The "Transit-Friendly Communities for New The Transit-Friendly Communities for Jersey" program began formally in 1999 with the New Jersey program has provided educational awarding of a Federal Highway Administration workshops and technical assistance to a wide grant to NJ TRANSIT from the Transportation range of rail station communities throughout and Community and System Preservation Pilot the state. The program has allowed NJ TRANSIT Program (TCSP), part of the federal transporta- to leverage the talents and resources of its tion legislation of 1997 known as TEA-21. nonprofit and government partners in the areas TCSP was created to provide a source of of community revitalization, regional planning, federal grant funding to transportation agencies urban design and inter-modal planning to help "to investigate the relationships between trans- strengthen the future of communities around portation, the community at large, and private NJ TRANSIT stations. The program is a model sector-based initiatives" and to plan and imple- for other New Jersey municipalities to use ment strategies for transportation and related in leveraging transportation investments to im- community improvements. Congress set the prove their station area environment, create program funding at $120 million over the fiscal strong downtown centers, expand transit rider- 1999 to 2003 period of TEA-21. ship and make their stations the focus of their NJ TRANSIT was one of only 30 grantees to community’s life. receive funds from among the 500-plus appli- The following pages detail five key findings cants. The grant to NJ TRANSIT tota led $535,000. of the program, and 22 specific lessons for The program was expanded through a local leveraging transit to build stronger com m u n ities. match from NJ TRANSIT and the New Jersey To learn more about the communities selected Department of Community Affairs, bringing the for the program and their train stations, and available support to $845,000 for local technical for a background on the Transit-Friendly assistance to rail station communities. Communities of New Jersey team members, Under this grant, NJ TRANSIT worked with see “About the Rail Stations Selec ted” on page 37. a consortium of nonprofit organizations, the The New Jersey Office of Smart Growth (fo r m e rly the Office of State Planning), and local public and private sector partners to leverage transit investments for stronger downtowns in 11 selected communities: Bayonne, Hackensack, Hillsdale, Hoboken, Matawan, Palmyra, Plainfield, Red Bank, Riverton, Rutherford and Trenton. I. WHAT IS A TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

0 9 KEY FINDINGS KEY FINDINGS AND AND LESSONS LEARNED L E SSONS LEARNED

L E SSON 6 L E SSON 12 L E SSON 18 MAKING THE STATION D i f fe rent modes of acce ss can be effe c t i ve Communities can ta ke adva n tage of the Parking and pedestrian needs must be A COMMUNITY DESTINAT I O N a l te r n a t i ves to "drive and park" at rail st rong market for residential deve lo p m e n t planned to g e t h e r sta t i o n s near transit sta t i o n s

L E SSON 1 L E SSON 7 L E SSON 13 S tations can serve as a fo cal point for C R E ATING AN ONGOING S ta te and lo cal tra n s p o r tation agencies ca n Communities are embracing the co n cept civic pride, and can be an amenity to the PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TRANSIT be effe c t i ve partners in ensuring safe and of "mixed-use" deve lo p m e n t co m m u n i t y seamless access to transit stations AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY

L E SSON 2 L E SSON 19 S tations can serve as an anchor for lo ca l BALANCING PARKING Pa r t n e rships are needed at all stages of b u s i n e ss, and as information ce n te rs for SUPPORTING THE DISTRICT WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS the planning and deve lopment proce ss the co m m u n i t y AROUND THE STATION AND E N C O U R AGING NEW DEVELOPMENT L E SSON 14 L E SSON 20 L E SSON 3 Communities can balance regional Without inter-municipal co o p e ration, S tations can build a sense of community by L E SSON 8 parking needs with their deve lopment community succe ss in leve raging transit functioning as venues for a wide range of Consider the station in the larger planning goals, whatever the community size may be limite d community activities and eve n t s f ra m ework of the co m m u n i t y L E SSON 15 L E SSON 21 L E SSON 4 L E SSON 9 Parking facilities need to fit within the The business community can be a great S tations can link places in a community Focusing deve lopment around train community through sensitive design re s o u rce in enhancing a station area, stations can mitigate regional traffic e s p e c i a l ly when stations are dow n tow n i m p a c t s L E SSON 16 P R OVIDING CONVENIENT At stations where most people arrive on L E SSON 22 foot, designs that fa vor pedestrians are S TATION ACC E SS FOR PEDESTRIANS L E SSON 10 Community participation and fa c i l i ta t i o n pre fe ra b le AND BICYCLISTS – AND PERHAPS N o n - t raditional planning tools are needed te c hniques work best when ta i lo red to the to manage the co m p lexities of stat i o n - a re a local situation SPECIAL SHUTTLE BUSES re d eve lo p m e n t L E SSON 17 S h a red parking facilities near a station L E SSON 5 L E SSON 11 o f fer an efficient way to meet the needs The closer one gets to the station, the Communities will re cognize the benefits of co m m u te rs, residents, businesses m o re important the pedestrian and bicyc le of density if they have a ro le in shaping the and visito rs e n v i ro n m e n t v is i o n

I. WHAT IS A TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

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1 The Back in Time Café in Bra d ley Beach MAKING THE STATION d raws the community to the train sta t i o n P L AC E to chat, have bre a k fa st, as well as to ta ke P L AC E A COMMUNITY DESTINAT I O N L E SSONS 1-4 L E SSONS LEARNED the train. L E SSONS 1-4 2 The Maplewood co n c i e rge lo ca ted within the train station allows 70 lo ca l 12m e rchants to provide services to tra n s i t p a ss e n g e rs at the same time.

A rail station need not be just a place for tra n s p o r ta t i o n . By creating p l a ces where L E SSON 1 passenger circulation. Most of the benches When facility size is limited, the idea of con- Stations and the public spaces surrounding them people come together, train stations can become focal points for a variety of commun i t y Stations can serve as a focal point for civic pride, located on the station platform are not under cierge service may be appropriate. At the – plazas, parking lots, bus transfer facilities – activities, if some kind of plaza or public space is provided. These activities and even t s and can be an amenity to the community. weather protection, and so are not used in cold Maplewood train station, for example, a con- can be used by communities as staging areas rei n fo rce the cen t ral role of the station in community life. or inclement weather – and prevent the plaza cierge takes orders in the morning for carry-out for a multitude of public events and activities. While a station needs to be attractive, main- S tation buildings, too, can be thought of as "places." Rather than a st r u c t u re that from being conveniently programmed for a dinner, flowers and videos, and takes in dry Farmers markets, arts and crafts fairs, concerts, tained in good condition and open to the public farmers’ market or other events suggested in cleaning, film for developing, keys for duplication, First Night celebrations and performances is just open in the morning to sell tickets, the use of a station can be expanded, in for use, of paramount importance is providing community meetings. The Transit-Friendly etc. The concierge has local merchants fill these are featured in and around train stations p a r t n e rship with the lo cal community, to serve other uses. These uses can range fro m the amenities that make the station easy to use, Communities program recommended relocating ord e rs during the day, and brings everything back throughout New Jersey, providing opportunities a community information ce n ter to a café to multipurpose community ro o m s . comfortable for passengers and welcomed by the benches, not only to make the station more to the station in the evening for custom e rs to pick to activate station areas after commuting hours, Mo re over, a train station can enhance an entire surrounding neighborhood, and the community as a source of civic pride. comfortable, but to allow the plaza to become up on their way home. Such a service has been and for residents to come together to celebrate help to make co m m e rcial districts work more effe c t i ve ly. Opportunities to link cultura l In Trenton, an auto drop-off area currently a more active community space as well. recommended for the Ab e rd e e n / M a ta w a n station. in a communal public space. Red Bank’s train and mixed-use places to the station often ex i st. For ex a m p le, a rail station can prov i d e dominates the exterior of the train station. There Many visitors to a community will seek out station is located at the nexus of several diverse a we lcoming pre s e n ce and act as a fo cal point for information and activities that are are few places to sit, bus shelters are too small L E SSON 2 information about that community. As these communities and emerging special improvement community-wide. Improving the pedestrian environment around a station also cre a te s and poorly maintained and there is no place for Stations can serve as an anchor for local business, visitors, it is hoped, increasingly arrive by train, districts: the downtown; Station Plaza, which an opportunity to rev i talize a surrounding business district, by connecting business e s community activity. A new Trenton station plan and as information cen te rs for the com m u n i t y. the train station itself could become a central includes both the train station and the surround- to co m m u te rs / c u sto m e rs. It can also attract new businesses to serve the needs of being developed by NJ TRANSIT includes a clearinghouse for information about transit ing Arts and Antiques District; the Monmouth co m m u te rs. proposal by the Transit-Friendly Communities With proper design and incentives, train service, community activities and events, retail Street Arts Corridor, and the ethnically diverse pro g ram to crea te station entran ces with covered stations can attract a variety of activities and and merchant services, and entertainment and residential neighborhoods that flank Shrews- To draw out ideas for how to make stations better community places, Pro j e c t waiting areas, adjacent retail shops, a bike park- service establishments, and provide satellite recreational destinations. Even local commuters bury Avenue. As such, the station plaza is a for Public Spaces (PPS) uses a tool ca l led the Place Pe r fo r m a n ce Evaluation, or ing area and a public plaza with seating, land- retail opportunities for local merchants. can benefit from con venient access to infor m ation central location that could function as a town the "Place Game." This tool helps communities understand the key elements of scaping and public art that could be programmed Coffee shops, newsstands, video store rentals, about current events and activities. A local Tourist square for Red Bank, and as a venue for " p l a ce," including co m fort and a positive image, easy acce ss and linkages, inte re sting to host a variety of community activities. branch bank and post offices, health clinics, and Information Center has been recommended the coming together of these diverse groups and re g ul a r ly occurring uses and activities and creating a sociable environment – Simply providing amenities is not enough, dry cleaners and day care centers can be found for the Red Bank train station. The Trenton to support and engage in open air markets, elements which, when put all together, effec t i ve ly result in the creation of a great " p l a ce . " however. They need to be placed with some at rail stations around the country. These uses station, which already serves as the gateway to con certs and perfor m a n ces, swap meets, holiday attention to location, how they will be main- were recommended at and surrounding larger New Jersey for Amtrak and as a major transit celebrations, etc. tained and their function relative to other ameni- stations in the Transit-Friendly Communities hub, is a natural location for the provision of Station buildings can be used more effec t i vely, ties – a situation PPS terms "triangulation." program, where ridership could support them. extensive information about transit, the State as well. The outdoor and second floor public Ex p e r i e n ce shows that a bench placed next to a For example, the new Trenton station will have House (history and sights) and the locations of spaces of the Hillsdale station provide ample waste receptacle under a lamppost is more expanded retail and services; plans proposed specific government offices, and these have space for community programs and activities, likely to be used by people sitting to eat lunch for the area immediately adjacent to the been recommended. which would complement the many events that or wait for the train at night, than would a bench Essex Street station in Hackensack include take place in the park adjacent to the station, standing apart from the lamppost or waste retail, residential, commercial, office and L E SSON 3 and support the activities of the many vo l u n- receptacle. civic uses that can serve both train riders and Stations can build a sense of community by func- te e rs who, in turn, support programs and fund In Red Bank, news boxes take up much of the surrounding neighborhood as the station tioning as venues for a wide range of community amenities (new lampposts, wreaths for the the covered outdoor waiting area and constrict develops into a new center for the city. activities and events. holidays) throughout the downtown. I. WHAT IS A TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

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P L AC E L E SSONS 1-4

L E SSON 4 a series of signage, "streetscaping", traffic Stations can link places in a community. calming and retail enhancement efforts in coop- eration with emerging districts around the station. While the station can be a destination in itself, However, there are still many missing links. it can also help link other important destinations Adequate sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting, and and places in the community. Local information positive land uses lining the route – in addition or signage at or near rail stations could be to directional signage – are all needed to encou- enhanced at nearly every station studied in the rage people to walk in all directions around the Transit-Friendly Communities program. Maps of train station. downtowns, lists of local merchants and services available, information about key destinations, or cu r rent events listings are just some of the ways that communities can take ad va n tage of the rai l station to con vey infor m ation to visitors and residents. The Transit-Friendly Communities team has recommended various types of infor- mation be included not just at stations but pro- vided on information kiosks located in prominent places throughout the downtowns. For example, two new light rail stations have been built in Ba yo n n e ju st one block east of Broadway, the city’s comme rcial spine. With a third station (at 22nd Street and Avenue E) curren t ly under con struction, the team has recommended that the city create and install better signage and information at the stations, as well as at the in te rsection of Broadway and the streets which lead to the stations, which would better link 1 the stations with the retail district. However, links are not made by signs alone. 1 This artist-designed "Where am I?" map at Wo o d b r i d g e Creating and maintaining pedestrian con n e ctions station provides direction to dow n town Woodbridge – making it easy to walk between destinations – b u s i n e sses and services, most of which are lo ca ted just a half a block from the train station on Main Stre e t . is also critical. The Red Bank train station area 2 The we e k ly summertime jazz co n certs in the parking lot has already been redesigned to crea te more pub- of the East O range station highlights the ce n t ral ro le playe d lic space, and the borough is helping implement by the train stat i o n .

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I. WHAT IS A TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

1 7 1 9 P R OVIDING CONVENIENT STATION AC C E SS

FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS – AC C E SS AC C E SS AND PERHAPS SPECIAL SHUTTLE BUSES L E SSONS 5-7 L E SSONS LEARNED L E SSONS 5-7

Rail stations function as the ce n ter of many co m m u n i t i e s , with thousands of people L E SSON 5 rapid ra te, improving pedestrian and bicyc le ac- L E SSON 6 L E SSON 7 p a ssing through on a daily basis. This cre a tes conflicting demands among rail The closer one gets to the station, the more im- ce ss to the proposed 9th Street light rail sta t i o n Different modes of access can be effective alter- State and local transportation agencies can be p a ss e n g e rs who arrive by car, by bus, on foot or by bicyc le. In the past, decisions about portant the pedestrian and bicycle environment. (part of the Hudson/Bergen Light Rail syste m ) natives to "drive and park" at rail stations. effective partners in ensuring safe and seamless i m p roving acce ss to stations have larg e ly focused on improving auto acce ss, while and around proposed new deve lopments was access to transit stations. The configuration of roadways around rail Every mode of access to a rail station must be p e d e strian and bicyc le acce ss was not co m p a ra t i ve ly addre ssed. a topic for discussion during that co m m u n i t y ’s stations often favors vehicles over pedestrians. " P l a ce Game" exe rcise. The findings suggest planned and designed to be attra c t i ve and to Under the New Jersey Department of Transpor- G i ven the increasing ridership at the many NJ TRANSIT stations studied under Space allocation decisions at stations have often that the ground flo o rs of future buildings need facilitate movement to the station and among tation’s "Context Sensitive Design" program, this pro g ram, it is ex t re m e ly important to supplement auto acce ss and deve lop ways favored the car, ensuring adequate roadway to be better designed with active uses to make the different modes serving the station. In there are new opportunities for local govern- for people to more co n ve n i e n t ly walk and bicyc le to stations, or to ca tch a shuttle bus. space and turning capacity, adequate parking, the pedestrian experience of walking to the Trenton, for ex a m p le, NJ T R A N S IT has lo ca te d ments to explore innovative roadway designs, Studies have shown that people will fre q u e n t ly walk up to half a mile to reach a and room for buses to maneuver – often at the future station more pleasant. a station stop along the forthcoming Southern which are more sensitive to the context of the co m m u ter rail station, and will bicyc le gre a ter dista n ces. The quality of that walking expense of pedestrians and bicyclists. Just a Perhaps the most severe obstacles to p e d e s- New Jersey Light Rail Transit System directly road’s use within the community. In Rutherford, and biking experience is critical, however, and none of the communities in the progra m block or two from the station in Rutherford, the trian and bicyc le acce ss we re found in Tre n to n, ac ro ss Clinton Street from the exi sting commuter co n g e stion at an old-st y le traffic circ le lo ca te d had ever re a l ly co n s i d e red this challenge. Even pass e n g e rs who drive or ta ke a bus community is very pedestrian and bike friendly, w h e re linkages from the ex i sting rail sta t i o n rail station. The Transit-Friendly Communities in front of the train station compounded the to a rail station are pedestrians at some point in their trip, and so the design of the with widened sidewalks, paved crosswalks, and the future light rail station at Clinton Stre e t program has recommended NJ T R A N S IT work difficulties facing pedestrians trying to reach the p e d e strian environment immediate ly surrounding a station is a key fa c tor in eve r y- street lighting and street furniture. At and near (part of the Southern New Jers ey Light Rail with the community to create "raised" cross- station, and diminished the opportunity for the o n e ’s transit ex p e r i e n ce . the station, however, which is located at the Transit System) to the dow n town and Marke t walks and curb "bump outs" and shift an existing surrounding Station Square to become a pedes- E f forts to improve pedestrian and bicyc le acce ss may re q u i re new re l a t i o n s h i p s confluence point of a number of area roadways, S t reet invo lve a trek through, under and aro u n d bus stop to facilitate easier and safer pedestrian trian destination. After an extensive traffic veh i c le and pedestrian conflicts are more severe. the major highways that surround the sta t i o n movement between these two stations. analysis, coupled with input from NJ TRANSIT with state, county and local traffic engineers. In acknowledgment of this, New J e rs ey ’s The Tran s i t - Fr i e n d ly Communities tea m and, in effect, cut the station off from the re st In Rutherford, recommendations have been and the Transit-Friendly Communities team, the Department of Tra n s p o r tation is pursuing a new st ra tegy of "Context Sensitive identified many obstac les in the 11 com m u n i t i e s of the city. Here, pedestrians have worn p a t h s made for reconfiguring existing bus stops in borough, Bergen County and NJDOT partnered Design" in its partnership with communities, which co n s i d e rs road design in the studied to reaching stations on foot: particularly t h rough the area, but appro p r i a te, perm a n e n t relationship to a proposed "modern roundabout" to test a newly configured "modern roundabout" co n text of lo cal usage and community goals. Balancing pedestrian needs with those ha rd - to - c ro ss intersections, which may lack a solutions are needed. (see Lesson 7) to be located in front of the rail which was successful in improving both traffic of ca rs through ample sidewalks, cro sswalks and amenities is an important goal of traffic light or even a crosswalk; sidewalks that Community and road planning around new station. In each community, recommendations flow and pedestrian safety. Another example: this pro g ra m . are too narrow or sometimes lacking al to g e t h e r ; t ransit stations (such as the stations pro p o s e d have been made to improve the movement of the boroughs of Riverton and Palmyra are work- N o n - a u to m o b i le acce ss to rail stations may also be enhanced by jitneys, shuttle veh i c les traveling too fast; or unatt ra c t i ve for B a yo n n e, R i ve r to n, Pa l m y ra, H o b o ke n a n d pe d e strians and bicycl i sts to and from the stat i o n , ing with Burlington County to change the lane buses or van services within neighborhoods, dow n towns or communities as a whole . a d j a cent deve lopment. In M a tawan, i mproving Tre n to n) need to cre a te pedestrian acce ss and to nearby retail and residential activities. configuration on Broad Street to reduce exces- I m p roved bicyc le facilities at stations - including bike racks and bike lo c ke rs - wo u l d pedestrian linkages from the A b e rd e e n / points, and easy, safe pedestrian acce ss fro m Beyond the immediate station area, access sive speeds and make the street easier to cross also offer people another means of reaching the station other than the ca r. M a ta w a n station to M a ta w a n ’s h i storic Main buses, parking lots and drop-off areas. modes need to be designed to maximize their – something which will be even more important Street business district was recommende d . In Ha c ke n s a c k , the Tran s i t - Fr i e n d ly Commun i t i e s probability for success. Bus and community after their respective light rail stations open. Although a rel a t i ve ly short walk, few do it beca u s e team re commended ways for re co n f i g u r i n g shuttle services, for example, must have their Municipalities have the opportunity to of the obsta c les that make it an unple a s a n t E ss ex Street, tra n s forming it into a more walk- routes and stops located near concentrations explore partnering with NJDOT even if the road experience: some streets do not have sidew a l k s , a b le "urban bouleva rd" that would not only of prospective rail riders, a serious challenge to be considered for context-sensitive re-design o t h e rs are obst r u c ted by parked ca rs and key m a ke the station more acce ss i b le, but wo u l d in low-density suburban communities. is not a state highway, as NJDOT has many i n te rsections are difficult to cro ss. In H o b o ke n , c re a te an attra c t i ve setting for new deve lo p- programs which can be used to enhance bicycle w h e re new deve lopment is taking place at a ment as we l l . and pedestrian access to stations.

I. WHAT IS A TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

2 1 2 3 SUPPORTING THE DISTRICT

AROUND THE STATION AND D E V E LOPMENT D E V E LOPMENT E N C O U R AGING NEW DEVELO P M E N T L E SSONS 8-13 L E SSONS LEARNED L E SSONS 8-13

Each transit station offe rs a community an opportunity to leve rage public inve st m e n t L E SSON 8 L E SSON 9 complete, the station-area development plan for the areas immediately adjacent to the station. to attract new priva te or public/priva te partnership re d eve lo p m e n t s . These can Consider the station in the larger planning Focusing development around train stations can does not rely unrealistically on rail commuting Area specific plans and zoning also provide the be thought of in three ca tegories, from the most aggre ss i ve to the most modest: framework of the community. mitigate regional traffic impacts. because there is also excellent highway access municipality with more flexibility in soliciting co m p re h e n s i ve re d eve lopment stra tegies for adjacent neighborhoods, re d evelo p m e n t to the area. proposals and negotiating with developers; but Every case study in the program benefited from It was clear that some of the towns involved in of sites immediate ly adjacent to the station, and sca t te red site infill deve lopment in also often increase the administrative burden for placing the station into its larger townwide the Tran s i t - Fr i e n d ly Communities prog ram had L E SSON 10 the town. the larger station are a . context, regardless of the scope of redevelop- the mi s co n ception that development could occur Non-traditional planning tools are needed to From a transit pers p e c t i ve, lo cating residential deve lopment clo s e st to a tra i n ment under consideration. Aspects of this larger without traffic impacts. While there is some poten- manage the complexities of station-area rede- L E SSON 11 station is the most advantageous; but all forms of mixed-use development can supp o r t planning framework include the relationship of tial for transit to mitigate local traffic impacts, velopment. Communities will re cognize the benefits of transit in a number of ways (and vice versa), if certain planning principles are followe d : the station to townwide systems of open space, pa r t i cu l a r ly through red u ced parking ratios, the d e nsity if they have a role in shaping the vision. n ew deve lopment must cre a te connections from the station area to the surro u n d i n g connections to important corridors and street real benefits come when trips to and from the Zoning can be good at describing what is not neighborhoods, new deve lopment must activa te the station area with new visible networks, and the locations of important desti- cen t ral business district shift from car to tran s i t . permitted, but it is a poor tool for describing It is axiomatic that communities sometimes resist activities and all buildings must help define a clear space around the sta t i o n . nations or other significant community planning Mo re over, office development – usually prefe r re d what one would like to see happen. The Transit- more intense development because of impacts From a community pers p e c t i ve, transit supportive deve lopment presents the initiatives. over residential development because it is seen Friendly Communities case studies revealed the on traffic, on schools and on neighborhood opportunity to invigora te the dow n town with more residents and more activity as In Plainfield, mapping the larger planning as an aid to local tax revenues, without incre a s i n g ex tent to which the immediate physical setting quality of life. Nevertheless, the communities well as enhancing the municipal tax base. Incre a s i n g ly, deve lo p e rs understand that framework revealed the strategic position of the ed u cational costs – is likely to add many times of the station is often very idiosyncratic in terms studied in the Transit-Friendly Communities NJ TRANSIT is a willing potential partner for joint deve lopment, which can have the station as the link connecting the downtown the peak-hour auto trips to local roads as wou l d of block size and configuration, pedestrian and pro g ram we re willing to increase density when business district, surrounding residential neigh- a similar-sized residential development. vehicle circulation patterns; indeed, the station it advanced the larger goals for community and benefits of increasing ridership (when the deve lopment has a residential co m p o n e n t ) , borhoods and two major gateways into the city. In Hackensack, station-area development is setting is often at odds with the design of the neighborhood revitalization. These communities satisfying co m m u ter and community parking needs and creating va l u a b le and In Matawan, the planning framework identified at the center of a much larger initiative that in- station itself. re cognized that tra n s i t - f r i e n d ly deve lopment is l u c ra t i ve deve lo p m e n t . how a series of connecting roads, which came cludes the stabilization and enhancement of Bayonne has developed an excellent new a way to reclaim marginal properties – surface together at the station area, could be used to i ndustrial and industrial/residential mixed-use Transit District Overlay zone to promote higher- parking lots, abandoned industry – for better better link Matawan, Aberdeen and their shared neighborhoods; the promotion of larger-format density, mixed-use deve lopment near a soon- and taxable uses. train station. commercial developments closer to the nearby to -be-constructed light rail station (part of the Riverton is a small and quaint town. Yet, its The larger planning fra m ework enable s interstate highway; and the creation of a "health H u d s o n - B e rgen Light Rail system). Howeve r , vision of a more complete light rail station area p r ioritization of redevelopment opportunities, services" district near the station to accommo- d esign studies reveal that while this new zoning led Riverton to create an ambitious redevelop- leverages the transit resource over the largest date the expansion needs of a major regional may enable transit-friendly development, it can- ment plan that will add significan t ly to the density po ss i b le area and over the broa d e st set of issues, hospital. The Transit-Friendly Communities not prevent poorly designed conventional devel- of the village center. The level of local accept- and informs specific ideas about the develop- team has recommended the Essex Street station opment. Nor do the new regulations address the ance for this vision is directly related to the level ment projects themselves in terms of building area become part of a new, transit-friendly mix particular circumstances of the blocks immedi- of community and stakeholder participation in orientation to the street and building size. of development along Essex Street, and that ately adjacent to the station. For this reason, creating the vision, reflecting the community’s Essex Street be redesigned as an "urban boule- area-specific plans and special-district regula- desire to shape development rather than simply vard," creating a defined, pedestrian- and cyclist- tions that include specific "tra n s i t - f r i e n d ly " react to developer proposals. The success of f r i e n d ly st reet edge. Although there will be d esign guidelines to minimize poorly designed Riverton’s redevelopment planning is based on many commuters to this station when the plan is conventional developments are more approp r iate broad stakeholder participation. I. WHAT IS A TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

2 5

D E V E LOPMENT L E SSONS 8-13

L E SSON 12 times a ca tch-all co n cept of deve lopment that Communities can take advantage of the strong i ncludes notions of smaller, more neighborly lot market for residential development near transit sizes, homes near shops, offices and entertain- stations. ment to facilitate community activity, shared parking and, in general, synergies among uses. The search for "rata b les" leads to office and retail All of these concepts support the goals of the development, not housing. However, many of the Transit-Friendly Communities program. communities in this program understand that In Rutherford, for example, several marginal the strongest market is for new housing. There industrial properties near the station have been is an emerging understanding that the fiscal im- renovated by design-related businesses. pacts, particularly on the school system, can be Building on this, the redevelopment program controlled through unit size and configuration. proposed by the Transit-Friendly Communities 1 Although some infill single-family housing has team includes a combination of conventional been suggested as part of station neighborhood apartments and artist live-work studios. 1 In Rutherfo rd mixed-use deve lo p m e n t revitalization, most of this proposed housing In Ha c kensack, the stabilization of the nearby p rox i m a te to the station includes live - wo r k and multi-fa m i ly housing in buildings of near the stations is apartments, generally not i n d u strial area includes the most ambitious s u i ta b le sca le and chara c te r. desirable to families with children. In both kind of mixed-use development: industrial and 2 In Rutherfo rd and East Rutherfo rd there Riverton and Palmyra, "living over the shop" is residential uses side-by-side and perhaps, even a re a range of re d eve lopment opportunit i e s , one of the recommended uses for the infill prop- in the same building. f rom entire blocks prox i m a te to the sta t i o n , to neighborhood-supporting infill re s i d e nt i a l erties along the commercial streets, as well as d eve lo p m e n t s . for several small, mixed-use buildings with apartments on the upper stories. In Hackensack, housing for hospital staff has been reco m m e n ded as part of the redevelopment plan for the pro- posed "health services" district.

L E SSON 13 Communities are embracing the concept of "mixed-use" development.

"Mixed-use" development, once the traditional S TAT I O N method of community development and still the hallmark of New Jersey’s most vital communi- ties, is again becoming the desired alte r n a t i ve 2 to "sprawl" development. "Mixed-use" is some-

I. WHAT IS A TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

2 7 2 9 BALANCING PARKING PA R K I N G PA R K I N G WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS L E SSONS 14-18 L E SSONS LEARNED L E SSONS 14-18

Wh i le accommodating improved pedestrian and bicycle access, and serving as a L E SSON 14 Rutherford and Hillsdale also need to address L E SSON 16 train station and the existing Kip Avenue munici- setting for new development, most stations must still accom m o d a te com m u ter parking, Communities can balance regional parking in c reased demand for parking on a smaller scale, At stations where most people arrive on fo o t , pal parking garage. Once the pedestrian even though the co r rect amount of parking may vary from station to station. needs with their development goals, whatever as a result of the Secaucus transfer station. d esigns that favor pedestrians are preferable. between these two areas is improved, as recom- Many fa c to rs add press u re for additional parking at rail stations. Most obvious the community size. In each example cited above, the comm u n i t i e s mended by the Transit-Friendly Communities Parking needs are more modest for two light is the growth in ridership. But other fa c to rs are at work, as well. The added riders h i p a re attempting to balance deve lopment goals team, this under-utilized parking resource could Communities can benefit by coordinating their with parking needs. rail stations, in Riverton and Palmyra, along the meet some of the co m m u n i t y ’s anticipate d has tended to come dispro p o r t i o n a te ly from residential areas re m oved beyond walk- development goals with the need for commuter Southern New Jersey Light Rail Transit System p a r king needs in the near term. ing dista n ces from stations, requiring co m m u te rs to drive. In the distant past, such parking at their stations. L E SSON 15 now under construction. Here, the communities d eve lopment occ u r red near stations and many riders could walk to them. In addition, This can be accomplished through a com b ina- Parking facilities need to fit within the com m u n ity can focus their planning on enhancing the many co m m u te rs seem pre p a red to shoulder the expense of an added car in the tion of means, including careful design of park- through sensitive design. experience of walk-on traffic at the station. household to re p l a ce the modest walk their pre d e ce ss o rs enjoyed. Meanwhile, the ing facilities and efficient shared use of parking expansion of parking near stations is sometimes res i sted as shopkee p e rs and res idents facilities, even in places where parking needs Parking garages have a reputation for not being L E SSON 17 alike perceive added parking for commuters as translating into more traffic and for commuters are great. At these locations the aesthetically pleasing. This is often a concern in Shared parking facilities near the station offer u n p ro d u c t i ve use of parking spaces during the entire day. community can benefit eco n o m i ca l ly from the residential areas, where structured parking an efficient way to meet the needs of com- The amount of co m m u ter parking provided need not dominate the station are a i nflux of commuters, and commuters can benefit is not always welcome. muters, residents, businesses and visitors. either aest h e t i ca l ly or physica l ly. Fu r t h e r m o re, if these parking facilities can be used by the activities near the station. To that end, a However structured parking facilities that evenings and we e kends for other purposes, the number of to tal spaces can be mini- re cent NJ T R A N S IT s u r vey of rail pass e n g e rs serve train stations can be sensitively designed In Rutherford, a new, mixed-use development revea led that those who shopped around stations adjacent to the station will provide parking for mized while the co sts to co n struct and opera te the parking facility can be share d . and sited within the host community. The garage spent an average of $2,800 per year. should not b lock the line of sight to the sta t i o n ; com m u te rs as well as for its own needs. In South In Red Bank, the succe ss of the re tail and d rop-off and pick-up areas should be off-street; O range, the station parking will be shared with e nte r tainment activities near the station serve and the garage should be designed and located a proposed performing arts center. At smaller as a good ex a m p le of how this can work to within the station area to minimize traffic impacts stations like Riverton and Palmyra, modest the benefit of the community and the co m m u te r. du ring peak times. These principles were incor- amounts of existing, on-street parking could be At the Essex Street Station in Hackensack, porated i n to the Tra n s i t - Fr i e n d ly Communities used by commuters during the day and by shop- structured parking proposals have been devel- team deve lopment co n cept plan for the are a pers and visitors on evenings and weekends. oped to meet both the needs of the expanding i mmediately adjacent to the Essex Street Station "health services" district and commuters in light in Hackensack. L E SSON 18 of the growth in rail ridership expected from a C a reful traffic studies are often warra n te d Parking and pedestrian needs must be planned new rail tran s fer in the New Jersey Meadowlands to judge the effect of added parking and added together. (the Secaucus transfer station). As part of a joint, development at sites near stations. Communities community-driven redevelopment plan need to work with developers to ensure they pay If parking facilities near stations are to be fully for the station area, structured parking has for their fair share of infrastructure improve- utilized, an attractive and safe walk between the been proposed at the Aberdeen/Matawan ments. This may be the appropriate approach in station and the facility must exist. This problem station, which serves as a large commuter shed Aberdeen/Matawan, where the pressures for surfaced in Rutherford, where the pedestrian in Monmouth County. Smaller stations such as added parking and development are great. linkages we re poor between the R u t h e r fo rd

I. WHAT IS A TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

3 1 3 3 C R E ATING AN ONGOING PA R T N E R -

SHIP BETWEEN TRANSIT AND PA R T N E R S H I P PA R T N E R S H I P THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY L E SSONS 19-22 L E SSONS LEARNED L E SSONS 19-22

A tra n s i t - community partnership not only affo rds an opportunity to pool limited L E SSON 19 team enlarged the outreach program to involve The proce ss examined stre e t s cape con d itions, re s o u rce s , but also encourages the coordination and collaboration necessary for all Partnerships are needed at all stages of the the neighboring communities of East Rutherford façade improvements, signage redevelopment, of the pieces of a station district to fit together and to adapt to changes and new planning and development process. and Aberdeen, respectively. as well as advertising, special events and other c h a l lenges over time. A variant of this approach occu r red in two marketing of the business districts. While inter- In some places, the elected officials already have The key to advancing tra n s i t - f r i e n d ly pro g rams is the right mix of lo cal towns in Burlington County – Pal m y ra an d acting with the local business and community a strong vision of the direction they wish to go Ri ve r to n – that are preparing to rece i ve light rai l leaders, the D B AT teams suggested ways of le a d e rship and consensus building among the variety of inte re sts in a co m m u n i t y. and have initiated a collaborative, community- stations along the Southern New Jersey Light organizing a commercial district revitalization The Tra n s i t - Fr i e n d ly Communities pro g ram discove red (or re d i s cove red) that there based planning effort with assistance from staff Rail Transit System. The towns are adjacent to plan and, in some cases, suggested the fo r m a- is no single formula that works best in all communities. Local history often dictate s and/or consultants. Specifically, in Bayonne, one another, with their pros p e c t i ve cen te rs only tion of a Special Improvement District to carry the direction that these partnerships ta ke. For ex a m p le, in some communities Hoboken, Red Bank, Palmyra, Riverton and about one mile apart. The towns realized that out the improvements. t h e re is a lo n g standing community "culture" of heavy invo lvement in civic affa i rs , Rutherford, the Transit-Friendly Communities their issues were similar and it was in their inter- which nece ss i ta tes a "bottom-up" approach. In other places, there is no such histo r y team served to help confirm and refine the est to com p re h e n s i ve ly plan both of their res p e c- L E SSON 22 and le ss trust among co n stituencies. In those cases, trust is best gained by bringing thinking of the local leadership or local planners ti ve town cen te rs and the area between them. Community participation and fa c i l i tation te c h- together dispara te groups in a setting where they can work on their common before such plans were shared widely with the niques work best when ta i lo red to the lo cal pro b lems and issues. larger community. In other cases, communities L E SSON 21 s i t u a t i o n . may not be as far along in their vision, for many The business community can be a great resource reasons, including limited planning or funding in enhancing a station area, especially when In each case, after initial discussions with munic- resources, disagreements regarding the vision stations are downtown. ipal elected or appointed leaders, the Transit- for the community and changing le a d e rship. Friendly Communities team mapped out a In these cases, partnerships can be useful in Several communities in the Transit-Friendly program of community outreach with the best overcoming the obstacles. Communities program received visits from chance of success in arriving at a practical and Downtown Business Assistance Teams (D B ATs) effective set of recommendations. These out- L E SSON 20 organized by Downtown New Jersey, Inc. These reach programs took many forms. Workshops, Without inter-municipal cooperation, community D B AT visits occurred in Matawan, Palmyra, charrettes and/or meetings with varying mixes success in leveraging transit may be limited. Plainfield, Red Bank, Riverton, and Rutherford. of local citizens, stakeholders, appointed or The D B AT teams were composed of down- elected officials were held in Bayonne, Aber- In many places the train station sits at the border town managers, planning consultants, business deen/Matawan, Hackensack, Hoboken, Palmyra, of two municipalities, acting as either a bridge leaders and municipal officials assembled from Plainfield, Red Bank, Riverton, Rutherford and or barrier between them. Where these political, the membership of Downtown New Jersey, to Trenton. In Hillsdale, the Transit-Friendly institutional or geographical obstacles could be evaluate the current and future potential of the Communities team presented its observations overcome through cooperation between munici- local commercial districts near the targeted and recommendations at a local Planning Board palities, it was possible to provide better com- train stations. meeting, which was open to the public. A place- prehensive planning to the benefit of both towns. The teams invited local business owners and making exercise (the P P S "P l a ce Game") involv- Rutherford and Matawan fell into this category. other stakeholders to look at business retention ing citizens making observations in the field was In both cases the Transit-Friendly Communities and attraction in their commercial districts. performed in Plainfield and Hoboken. II. HOW TO START DOWN THE TRANSIT-FRIENDLY TRACK

3 5

GETTING THE MAKING GETTING STA R T E D THE PROCESS S TA R T E D P R O C E SS IT HAPPEN MAKING IT HAPPEN

What makes a place great? uses sociability and activities

access comfort and and linkage image

In Aberd e e n / M a tawan, a host of short-term improve m e n t s Be inclusive, identify partners and work co l l a b o ra t i ve ly to In Rutherfo rd, a new roundabout was success f u l ly te sted by re st r i p i n g Four components of a great place . c re a ted ways to sco re some quick succe ss e s . reach co n s e n s u s . the st reet and by using plastic bollards to direct traffic in new patte r n s .

Ta ke a good lo o k . See how people use the Be inclusive . Bring in all those who have a Reorient planning re s o u rces. Develop a The Tra n s i t - Fr i e n d ly Communities for public places, streets, buildings and transit stake in the community, and who can serve as strategy to focus and guide the use of existing N ew Jers ey system in your community. leaders to get things done. And, perhaps more technical and, if needed, funding resources. NJTRANSIT: Offers community planning techni- A ss e ss the st rengths and issues of yo u r im p o r ta n t ly, bring in those who might be inclined Find the money. Mine all the implementation cal assistance in shaping "transit-friendly" land co m m u n i t y ’s station are a . What are the assets of to stop you from getting things done. programs available. There may be more out use visions for areas at and surrounding local your station and its surrounding area? What are Get the word out. Use the media and all the there than you think. transit facilities. the wea k n e sses? Make sure you look at all of the com m u n i cation techniques at your disposal to in- S co re quick succe ss e s . Get something out P roject for Public Spaces, Inc.: fac to rs of a tran s i t - f r i e n d ly community, including volve the entire com m u n i t y. No one can say later "on the street" to gain credibility for the plan and Facilitates public forums, workshops and co m- streets and sidewalks, building stock and vaca n t that they did not know that planning was going on. the process. This gathers momentum for the m i t tees that give people an opportunity to lots that might be red eve lo p e d . C u l t i va te lo cal champions. Make certain you rest of the plan which may be harder to put in identify issues, contribute ideas and make deci- Be open to learning from others . No one gain the early and active support of local elected place. Nothing succeeds like success. sions about improvements to the places where community or leader has the monopoly on good and appointed officials (unless of course you are Identify partners . Each of the partners in they live and work. ideas; many have come before and have tac k le d one, in which case you ’ re one step further along). the Transit-Friendly Communities program Regional Plan Ass o c i a t i o n : Recommends these prob lems, and found solutions. Bring other levels of government alon g . offers unique services that communities beyond policy initiatives and physical and human Kn ow your planning too l s . These range from Ma ke sure other levels of government are bought the program might also use to local advantage. infrast r u c t u re inve stments; ta kes positions zoning ordinances to land-use inventories to in to the proce ss. Remember that the county A brief description of these partner offerings on major current public policy issues. traffic studies to pedestrian surveys and ever y- traffic engineer may have more to say about what followings; a summary of the partner organiza- D ow n town New Jers ey, Inc: Offers confer- thing between and beyon d . you can or cannot do than anyone else. tions is included in the Appendix. ences, seminars and visiting teams to assist Gather your res o u rce s . Identify rea l i stic loca l Use whatever technique wo r k s . These may business communities with revitalization. funding sources and, if needed, pursue additional include workshops, charrettes, or field trips to N ew Jers ey Fu t u re : Conducts research and funds through county, state, fed e ral and nonprof- successful places to drive the process forward. analysis on land-use issues; recommends it a va i l a b le sources. Also, harness your people Reach co n s e n s u s . Work collaboratively with policy initiatives in support of the State Plan reso u rces, either "in-house" or from the outside. all who care to define the direction you want to and smarter growth in state land-use. head in. Create a shared vision. The best way to The New Jers ey Office of Smart Growth put a plan in place is to have everyone reach ( fo r m e r ly the Office of Sta te Planning): agreement on the desired result. It helps every- Works to improve the efficiency and red u ce the one to focus. Within the vision, establish short- costs of land development and infrast r u c t u re in and longer-term objectives and actions. New Jersey by expanding areas of coo rd i n a t i o n and coo p e ration among state and local agenci e s . III. APPENDIX

3 7 ABOUT THE RAIL COMMUNITIES AND ABOUT THE S TATIONS SELECT E D S TATIONS SEL ECT E D COMMUNITIES SELECTED

To determine which communities would be and n o n - ce n te r - o r i e n ted deve lopment, and The 13 stations and 11 jurisdictions selected for the program are located on seven separate rail lines recipients of the technical assistance available both urban and suburban environments; (see Tab le 1). Seven stations are com m u ter rail stations; six stations are served by light rail. from the Transit-Friendly Communities team NJ > where development or redevelopment All the commuter rail stations are in operation. Four of the six light rail stations are on lines or T R A N S IT held two workshops in late 1999, one opportunities existed; portions of lines not yet in service. in Hackensack (Bergen County) in northern New > where the Secaucus transfer station would Jersey, and the other in Roebling (Burlington have a major impact on the community; or Table 1 County) in southern New Jersey. The workshops > where new light rail lines were under Station Characteristics described the program and solicited applications construction (both the Southern New Jersey from municipalities for technical assistance. Light Rail Transit System and the recently The Bergen County workshop site was selected opened Hudson Bergen Light Rail System); to encourage the participation of communities > where station parking was constrained; likely to be affected by the completion of the > where communities were organized to work Secaucus transfer station, a project that will in- for implementation; and crease the pressures for parking and develop- > where the team believed that significant ment at 34 northern New Jersey commuter "value added" could be provided. Regional Commuter Rail Stations rail stations. The Burlington County wor k s h o p Ab e rd e e n / M a ta w a nNorth Jersey Coast Pre d o m i n a te ly parking Yes Penn Station - NY 3, 5 0 05 53 3 . 23 58 4 . 94 . 7 si te was chosen because of the impending Because it would be impossible to fund effective Ha c ke n s a c k-E ss ex St. Pas cack Val ley In d u strial and mixedYe sH o b o ken * 26 32 51 2 . 167 6 . 18 . 0 construction of a new light rail line, the Southern technical assistance to such a large number Tren to nN o r t h e a st Corridor Residential, office, highway Yes Penn Station - NY 4, 6 6 25 05 6 . 74 55 9 . 77 . 3 New Jersey Light Rail Transit System. of applicants, an evaluation process was used At the workshops, speakers from within and to select 11 communities with 13 transit stations Neighborhood Commuter Rail Stations beyond New Jersey provided a range of ideas from among the applicants. The communities Hi l l s d a le Pas cack Val ley Small town cen ter, large ly reta i lYe sH o b o ken * 28 54 72 1 . 077 0 . 51 1 . 1 and information on leveraging transit investment chosen to participate in the Transit-Friendly Pl a i n f i e l dR a r i tan Val ley Medium town cen te rYe s Newark, tran s f. to NY 90 13 21 6 . 22 74 5 . 23 1 . 0 to the attendees, invited from governmental Communities program were: Bayonne, Red Bank North Jersey Coast Near town cen ter, mixedYe s Penn Station - NY 1, 7 9 57 04 2 . 93 16 2 . 81 6 . 2 and non-governmental entities within rail com- Hackensack, Hillsdale, Hoboken, Matawan, Ru t h e r fo rd Be rgen County Medium town cen te rYe sH o b o ken * 68 51 97 . 71 84 4 . 93 5 . 7 munities. The attendees were invited to submit Palmyra, Plainfield, Red Bank, Riverton, applications for the technical assistance on Rutherford and Trenton. New Light Rail Stations behalf of municipalities. Thirty-six applications were received and Ba yonne - 45th St. Hu d s o n - B e rg e n Residential one-side, indust. other YesH o b o ken 50 01 56 . 46 6N AN A evaluated. Recognizing the desire of the Ba yonne- 34th St. Hu d s o n - B e rg e n Residential one-side, indust. other YesH o b o ken 1, 1 0 01 77 . 06 6N AN A Ba yonne - 22nd St. Hu d s o n - B e rg e n Residential one-side, indust. other NoH o b o ken NAN A7 . 0N AN AN A program to receive results applicable nation- Ho b o ken - 9th St. Hu d s o n - B e rg e nHousing, industr i a lN oH o b o ken NAN A2 . 1N AN AN A wide, communities were chosen that reflected Pal m y ra South Jersey LRT Small town cen ter, retail, res i d .N oTre n ton, Camden NAN A2 5 . 8N AN AN A a variety of conditions and local needs. Ri ve r to nSouth Jersey LRT Small town cen ter, retail, res i d .N oTre n ton, Camden NAN A2 4 . 9N AN AN A The following were among the considerations: > where settings offered a variety of landuses * When Secaucus tran s fer station opens will reach Penn Station with one tran s fe r. and densities, including both center-oriented III. APPENDIX

3 9

S TATIONS SEL ECT E D PROGRAM EVA LU ATO R

Table 2 Three of the seven commuter rail stations – It is hoped that these tables taken together can Summary of Investigations by Station Aberdeen/Matawan, Hackensack, and Trenton – se r ve as a "quick refe re n ce guide" to assi st read- are regional, with passe n g e rs traveling rel a t i vely ers in identifying which individual station reports

St re e t s ca p e Rider Ped / B i ke Way f i n d i n g In te r m o d a l Co m m u n i t y long distances to reach them. In these cases, best match their own circumstance or needs. Sta t i o nA n a ly s i s Su r vey s An a ly s i s An a ly s i s An a ly s i s Ou t re a c h fewer than 10 percent of the boarding passen- In addition to this summary, separate rep o r t s gers reach the station on foot. The other four for these stations detailing the findings for e a c h Aberdeen/Matawan Yes Yes Yes No No Municipal officials stations serve mostly their immediate neighbor- h a ve been pre p a red. To obtain copies, co nta c t Bayonne Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Meetings with officials and organizations Hackensack - Essex St. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Municipal officials hoods, with up to a third or more passengers Vivian E. Baker, Project Manager at NJ T R A N S IT: Hillsdale Yes No No No No Presentation to local planning board walking. Some are set in local downtowns, while (973) 491-7822 or ([email protected]). Ninth Street- Hoboken Yes No No No No Workshop with stakeholders others are found outside traditional downtown Palmyra Yes No No No No Workshop with local officials locations. The use of the stations varies substan- Plainfield Yes Yes Yes No Yes Stakeholder meetings tially: Trenton experiences about 4,600 riders THE PROGRAM Red Bank Yes Yes Yes Yes No Wor k s h o p s +in te r v i ews with stake h o l ders per day, while Hillsdale and Hackensack each Riverton Yes No No No No Workshop with local officials see fewer than 300 riders per day. With the E VA LU ATO R Rutherford Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Public workshops opening of the Secaucus transfer station, the Trenton Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Stakeholder meetings three Bergen County stations of Hackensack, Hillsdale and Rutherford will see a significa n t Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of i ncrease in ridership. Planning and Public Policy houses the Alan M. Land Use Re d eve lo p m e n t Station Design Retail Parking Of the six light rail stations in the program, Voorhees Transpo r tation Center and within it the Station Analysis Analysis Concepts Analysis Analysis DBAT only two on the Hudson-Bergen line in Bayonne Voorhees Transpo r tation Policy Insti t u te (V T P I). The Insti t u te was created to facilitate informed Aberdeen/Matawan Yes No Yes Yes No Yes are curren t ly open. Two of the remaining stations Bayonne Yes Yes Yes Yes No No chosen for the program will be added to that line public discussion of transportation policy issues Hackensack - Essex St. Yes Yes Yes No Yes No in Bayonne (22nd Street station) and Hoboken in New Jersey. V T P I se r ves as a com m u n i ca t i o n s Hillsdale No No No No No No (9th Street station); the other two stations cen ter committed to simplifying and clarifying Ninth Street- Hoboken Yes Yes Yes No No No (Riverton and Palmyra) are part of the Southern information and data related to transportation Palmyra Yes Yes Yes No No Yes New Jersey Light Rail Transit system now under issues and policies for public understanding in Plainfield Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes construction. order to foster more informed policy choices by Red Bank No No Yes No No Yes The "tran s i t - f r i e n d ly" issues in the 11 com m u- voters and public officials. V T P I specializes in Riverton Yes Yes Yes No No Yes nities varied as well. This led the tec h n ical team, identifying and exp loring tran s p o r tation linkages Rutherford Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes after consultation with local officials, to perform to other public policy areas, such as economic Trenton Yes Yes Yes No Yes No many types of investigations (see Ta b le 2). This d eve lopment, land use, political gove r n a n ce , ta b le also summarizes the types of o u treach f in a n ce and social policy. “DBAT” denotes Downtown Business Assistance Teams provided by Downtown New Jersey, Inc. performed in each locale. III. APPENDIX

THE TRANSIT-FRIENDLY C O M M U N I T I E S FOR NEW JERSEY PROGRAM PA R T N E R S

NJ TRANSIT is the nation’s largest statewide New Jersey Future uses its research, analysis The pre p a ration of this report has been financed, in part, by the U.S. Department of Tra n s p o r tation, Fe d e ral Highway Administ rat i o n , public transportation system carrying 760,000 and communications to promote implementation under the Tra n s p o r tation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-2 1 ) . daily trips on 2 3 8bus routes, two light rail lines of the State Development and Redevelopment This document is diss e m i n a ted under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Tra n s p o r tation in the inte re st of information ex- and 12 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest Plan and to achieve its goals with smart growth change. The co n tents do not nece ss a r i ly re f lect the official views o f the Fe d e ral Highway Administ ration, the Fe d e ral Transit transit system in the country with 163 rail sta- policies and practices. www.njfuture.org A d m i n i st ration, or the Sta te of New Jers ey. This study does not co n- tions, 26 light rail stations and more than 17,000 P roject for Public Spaces, Inc. is a n o n p ro f i t st i t u te a sta n d a rd specification or re g u l a t i o n . bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, te c h n i cal ass i sta n ce, re s e a rch, and educational Fu n d i n g New York and Philadelphia. www.njtransit.com organization. Its mission – to create and sustain This study was funded, in part, from a grant to NJ TRANSIT by the Fe d e ral Highway Administ ration under the Tra n s p o r tation The New Jers ey Office of Smart Grow t h public places that build communities – is achieved and Community and System Pre s e r vation Pilot Projects pro g ra m . ( fo r m e r ly the Office of Sta te Planning) through programs in parks, plazas and central Additional funding provided by NJ TRANSIT and the N ew Jers ey Department of Community Affa i rs . is a division of the Department of Community squares; transportation; public buildings and A c k n ow le d g e m e n t s Affairs. The Office staffs the State Planning architecture; and public markets. Since its The Transit Fr i e n d ly Communities for New Jers ey Project Pa r t n e rs Commission and is responsible for developing founding in 1975, the organization has worked g ra te f u l ly acknow ledge the i n va l u a b le contribution made by each of the participating municipalities. This includes not only the State Development and Redevelopment Plan. in more than 1,000 communities, within the U.S. re p re s e n ta t i ves of the various lo cal governments, but many The Office works with state agencies, local gov- and abroad, helping people to grow their public community sta keholder organizations, business ow n e rs and citizens. ernments, civic groups and the private sector to spaces into vital community places. www.pps.org promote and implement the State Plan's vision Regional Plan Ass o c i a t i o n is the oldest for New Jersey. www.njstateplan.com regional planning organization in the nation. D ow n town New Jers ey, Inc., founded in It provides research and advocacy on issues 1988, is a nonprofit organization that fo c u s e s involving transportation, economics, land on the sta te's co m m e rcial business dist r i c t s . use, open space, urban design, growth and DNJ's members include business operators, governance. The Association covers the three- public officials, community volunteers, down- state New York – New Jersey – Connecticut town district management professionals, real metropolitan area centered on the Port of estate professionals and anyone else with an i n- New York. www.rpa.org terest in the health and viability of local business The Voorhees Tra n s p o r tation Po l i c y districts – whether urban, suburban or rural, I n st i t u te , located within Rutgers University's traditional d ow n towns, neighborhood shopping Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, d i stricts or outlying commercial corridors. was created to facilitate informed public discus- www.downtownnj.com sion of tran s p o r tation issues in New Je rs ey. N ew Jers ey Fu t u re is New Jersey’s oldest VTPI serves as a com m u n i cations center, foster- and largest nonprofit and nonpartisan smart ing informed public policy choices and li n k i n g growth organization providing research and tra n s p o r tation to other public policy areas such advocacy for polices on improved land use, taxa- as economic development and governance. tion, transportation and affordable housing. www.policy.rutgers.edu/tpi P R OJ E CT PA R T N E R S

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R U TGERS: THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY ALAN M. VOORHEES T R A N S P O R TATION POLICY INSTITUTE 33 LIVINGSTON AVENUE / 5TH FLO O R DESIGN: HELLO N YC . N E T NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 08901 PRINTING: STUDLEY PRESS P 732-932-6812 THIS REPORT IS PRINTED F 732-932-3714 ON RECYCLED AND W W W. P O L I CY. R U TG E R S . E D U / T P I ACID-FREE PA P E R