2017 The preparation of this report has been financed in part by the U.S. Department of Transportation, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Inc., Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Highway Administration. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or its use thereof. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Advisory Committee • Bergen County Disability Services • NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development • Bergen County Workforce Development Board • NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs • Cross County Connection TMA • NJ Foundation for Aging • DAWN Center for Independent Living (CIL) • NJ TRANSIT • Greater Mercer TMA • NJ Council on Special Transportation (COST) • HART TMA • NJ Developmental Disabilities Council • Hudson TMA • NJ Department of Transportation • Keep Middlesex Moving TMA • Passaic County Paratransit • Meadowlink TMA (EZ Ride) • RideWise TMA • Monmouth County Division of Planning • Somerset County Planning Board • Morris County Engineering and Transportation • Somerset County Department of Human Services • Newark Housing Authority • Thomas Edison State University • NJ Association of County Disability Services • TransOptions TMA • NJ Association of People Supporting Employment • VA New Jersey Healthcare System (NJ APSE) • Warren County Department of Human Services • NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired An extensive public outreach effort greatly informs this plan, and would not have been possible without the Transportation Management Associations in the NJTPA Region and their leadership coordinating focus groups, conducting community planning sessions, and fielding and recording thousands of surveys. This plan is dedicated in memory of Anthony M. Goldstone, VA New York/New Jersey Healthcare Network Mobility Manager and CHSTP Advisory Committee Member, for his inspiring commitment to improving the lives of veterans and for his promotion of transportation for all. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... 4 STRATEGIES AND RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES .............................................................................................5 IMPLEMENTATION .........................................................................................................................................................6 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 8 2. THE PLANNING PROCESS ...................................................................................................... 11 CURRENT CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................................................12 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ................................................................................................................................................13 NEEDS IDENTIFICATION AND STRATEGIES .......................................................................................................14 3. FUNDING, COORDINATION & SERVICE INVENTORY .................................................... 16 FUNDING SOURCES ......................................................................................................................................................17 COORDINATION ............................................................................................................................................................19 SERVICE INVENTORY ....................................................................................................................................................22 4. CHSTP POPULATION, TRANSIT ACCESSIBILITY AND TRENDS .................................... 37 CHSTP POPULATION IN THE NJTPA REGION ..................................................................................................38 TRAVEL PATTERNS OF THE TARGET GROUPS ..................................................................................................42 5. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT RESULTS ........................................................................................... 54 FOCUS GROUPS ..............................................................................................................................................................55 SURVEY ................................................................................................................................................................................58 COMMUNITY PLANNING SESSIONS ...................................................................................................................66 ADVISORY COMMITTEE .............................................................................................................................................67 6. NJTPA REGION HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION NEEDS .................................... 69 7. STRATEGIES AND RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES ................................................................ 78 8. IMPLEMENTATION .................................................................................................................. 93 APPENDIX A: ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................... 100 2 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Access Link Drop-Offs, October 1, 2012 to April 30, 2014 ....................................................................29 Table 2. 2015 County Paratransit Trips ...........................................................................................................................31 Table 3. Population by CHSTP Group ............................................................................................................................39 Table 4. Percent of Trips by Travel Mode, Linked Trips ........................................................................................43 Table 5. Percent of Trips by Trip Purpose ....................................................................................................................44 Table 6. Age of Respondents ............................................................................................................................................60 Table 7. Living Arrangements .............................................................................................................................................60 Table 8. Household Income ...............................................................................................................................................61 Table 9. Number of Vehicles per Household ............................................................................................................61 Table 10. Disability Type .......................................................................................................................................................62 Table 11. Frequency of Missed Trips................................................................................................................................62 Table 12. Reasons for Missing Trips .................................................................................................................................63 Table 13. Factors that would Allow More Travel ......................................................................................................63 Table 14. Purpose of Trip .....................................................................................................................................................64 Table 15. Recommended Activities Implementation Guide ...............................................................................93 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Actual Area Served by NJ TRANSIT Fixed-Route and Access Link, 2014 ....................24 Figure 2. Private Carrier Transportation (Commuter Bus) ....................................................................26 Figure 3. Community Transportation .............................................................................................................28 Figure 4. Access Link Drop-Offs, 2012-2014 .................................................................................................30 Figure 5. The One-Stop Career Centers in Relation to Fixed-Route Transit ...............................34 Figure 6. The One-Stop Career Centers in Relation to Community Transportation ..............35 Figure 7. CHSTP Populations as Percentage of Regional Population, 2014 ...................................38 Figure 8. Number of People Belonging to One or More Categories at the PUMA Level ....40 Figure 9. 2014 – 2045 Geographic Change for Age 65+ .........................................................................46 Figure 10. 2014 – 2045 Geographic Change for Low-Income Persons ............................................48 Figure 11. 2014 – 2045 Geographic Change for Persons with Disabilities ......................................50 Figure 12. 2014 – 2045 Geographic Change for Veterans ......................................................................52 Figure 13. Options that Would Meet Travel Needs among Survey Respondents ....................73 Figure 14. Information Sources Used by Survey Respondents ..........................................................75 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Coordinated Human