Month: May 2021

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Creating a Walking Plaza on Asbury Park’s Ocean Avenue

We have an idea…

Vehicles have taken over our waterfront landscape, and we believe that people can take the space back. One way that people are succeeding in creating places for people on city streets is tactical urbanism.

That’s the message of “The quick way to make pedestrian plazas,” a new video by City Beautiful, a YouTube channel that features the strategies of tactical urbanism for the edification of city planners and livable-streets advocates. It mixes boosterism with some helpful pointers, such as best practices for dealing with Americans With Disability Act requirements and businesses that need freight loading zones.

There was a time in the early years of Asbury Park before cars were prioritized, that our waterfront was for people. Imagine restaurants and cafes, musicians, activities, and people strolling, bicycling and scootering along a car-free Ocean Avenue. Some have cited possible difficulty getting trash pickup and deliveries, and inconvenience to customers if they have to walk to their establishments. We know that businesses thrive all over the world where traffic is eliminated or reduced.

There are a (limited) number parking spaces on our waterfront, causing a continuous flow of vehicles all season with drivers  circling, looking to snag an empty space.  This constant (often torturously slow) movement of vehicles is the definition of traffic. The effect of traffic everywhere is environmentally disastrous, leading to disease, and catastrophic numbers of injuries and deaths yearly to people outside and inside vehicles.

We believe that city leaders get that we need to do something about traffic and we’re working on a solution to create a safe, inviting car-free,  or much more people-centric Ocean Avenue. We’re looking for ideas for jitneys, pedicabs, other ways to get people to their beach destinations. Help us reimagine Asbury’s waterfront. We might also want to consider some tactical urbanism!

 

 

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Parks In Asbury Park

An article appeared in my inbox this morning, then an email appeared on the same subject: parks – a tool to evaluate accessibility to parks, and parks for teenage girls.

Asbury Park has large and lovely real estate devoted to parks, which has existed since the inception of the city. These tree-filled, “passive” parks are mostly located in only certain neighborhoods, and parks are completely lacking in others.  According to The Trust For Public Land, Asbury Park ranks 76%, meaning that 76% percent of people can walk to a park within 10 minutes. That’s not an impressive score in a tiny 1.4 mile sq. city. Boston ranks 100%. Washington 98%, Alexandria, VA is 97%, and NYC is 99%.

Over 20% of  people are unable to walk to a park within 10 minutes in Asbury Park, and existing parks are devoid of amenities for people. A park should be a destination, not just a place to pass through.

A “passive park” like the design in the master plan for Sunset Park would be a large, lovely ornament in the city. The design is intended for  strolling, or dog walking, just as it was designed in the original plan for the city in the 1870s.  It should not be designed that way in 2021.  We believe that an Asbury Park is committed to equity and inclusiveness should actively invite everyone to every park in the city.  

The underutilized Sunset Park

We need all of our existing green spaces, large and small to offer active engagement for kids, families, and elderly.  And we need more parks in every neighborhood in the city.
According to this data over 20% of people can’t walk to a park in less than 10 min in our tiny city – and we need to do something about it.
Let’s start with kids, teen girls in particular:

Teen Girls Need Better Public Spaces to Hang Out

Basketball courts, skate parks and playgrounds overlook an important demographic: teenage girls. A burgeoning design movement is trying to fix that.

 

Susannah Walker, co-founder of the newly created British charity Make Space for Girls, saw in Swing Time something that would have delighted her 17-year-old self.  “At the end of the summer holidays my friend and I ran out of money,” Walker wrote in a March post. “We had nothing to do and there was nowhere to go. So we’d go and hang out on the swings in the early evening and chat as the light slowly faded into dusk. It was better than sitting around at home.”

She highlights Swing Time to illustrate two points: One, girls love swings. And two, there aren’t enough swings made for teenage girls. “They are almost always placed with the equipment for younger children, so that if teenagers use them they are seen as invaders.”

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The New Jersey Bike And Walk Summit 2021: June 1st through June 5th

 

The NJBWC Summit is New Jersey’s statewide meeting of bicycle and pedestrian advocates, elected officials and other township leaders, transportation and urban planners, bike shop owners and managers, cycling, walking, fitness and health enthusiasts and experts, recreation, trails and club leaders and others who are interested in making our state a better place to live.

Drawing on the momentum for change spurred by the pandemic, NJBWC is pleased to offer you the opportunity to learn lessons from communities that took action to open their streets to people, learn more about current Vision Zero, Complete Streets, and equitable mobility initiatives impacting your community, gain insights into different stages of trail development, learn about available public funding sources for your bike/ped projects, and identify strategies to advocate for a more bike and pedestrian friendly and therefore, more livable New Jersey.

Register for sessions at the Zoom New Jersey Bike & Walk Summit June 1st through June 5th

The final session of the Summit at 9:30am on June 5th features panelists from nine cities and towns in NJ, including Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition representative! This editor is happy to be moderating a panel again this year,  Advocates in Action Part 2: Pandemic and Beyond.

Panelists from these nine municipalities will share inspiration, ideas and implementation of ways they have worked to enable people to move about their cities and towns safely during the pandemic. They will speak about how they have engaged with city leaders, the focus on equitable access, and plans to maintain these spaces in the future, for the health of residents and visitors, and for the health of the planet.

Register for Summit sessions individually here.

Register for Summit sessions individually here.

 

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Asbury Park Bicycle Patrol Unit Launches – Finally!

Community policing with officers on bikes!
We’ve been advocating for cops on bikes in Asbury Park for years. We’re very happy that our effort was finally successful. After being told variously that police bikes were somewhere in storage (previous city manager), or that we couldn’t do it because it was too expensive, or the course was at the wrong time of year…
Finally after reaching out to other municipalities with bicycle patrol, we made direct personal contact last year with the head of the Monmouth Police Academy Police Bicycle Patrol Training Course, who had great suggestions. He provided the course catalog, which was shared with AP City Manager and city leaders. Thanks to one and all!
Onward!
The city announcement of Asbury Park Bicycle patrol.
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NJDOT Commemorates Asbury Park’s Main Street Road Diet

Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition was created in 2015 when we learned about the proposed NJDOT reconfiguration on RT 71, Asbury Park’s Main Street. After some initial hesitancy, and much lobbying on the part of APCSC, Mayor Moor and City Council agreed to move forward with the project, which is now nearly completed. Almost all agree now, including many original naysayers, that this was a great step in enabling Asbury Park residents and visitors to walk, ride bikes, and drive more safely on Main Street, and to improve the health and economic stability of the community.
Among many documents and evidence of the effectiveness of this type of traffic calming measure was an educational piece, A Better AP Main St FINAL ROAD DIET PAPER, created by APCSC founding member Doug McQueen. It was helpful in communicating the goal of a road diet to community members and city leaders.
As an advocate for safe, equitable access for everyone in Asbury Park, I personally appreciate the ability to engage with city leaders, and NJ legislators who want the best for our city, and NJ. It was a pleasure to see and speak with Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, NJDOT Commissioner Gutierrez-Scaccetti, Senator Vin Gopal, NJ Representatives Eric Houghtaling, and Joann Downey.
This is a great example of how our legislators truly get what it means to embrace complete streets philosophy. Making streets safe for everyone, especially the most vulnerable. Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition worked with AP city council and DOT to move forward to implement the Rt 71 road diet, improving the way traffic flows, and creating a safer, better, healthier environment for people and businesses on Main Street, Asbury Park. This is how we work together.
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NJ Bike & Walk Summit!

Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition founders will be participating in the NJ Bike Walk Summit on June 5th! Polli Schildge is moderating again this year, and Pam Lamberton will be representing Asbury Park in a FREE virtual Zoom round table discussion with representatives from 9 municipalities in NJ entitled Advocates In Action Part 2: Pandemic And Beyond.

Register and donate:

NJBWC SUMMIT 2021

Drawing on the momentum for change spurred by the pandemic, NJBWC is pleased to offer you the opportunity to learn lessons from communities that took action to open their streets to people, learn more about current Vision Zero, Complete Streets, and equitable mobility initiatives impacting your community, gain insights into different stages of trail development, learn about available public funding sources for your bike/ped projects, and identify strategies to advocate for a more bike and pedestrian friendly and therefore, more livable New Jersey.

 

Tuesday June 1- Saturday June 5

*via Zoom*

Welcome to the Twelfth Annual 2021 New Jersey Bike & Walk Summit, to be held during the week of
June 1 – 5.

The NJBWC Summit is New Jersey’s statewide meeting of bicycle and pedestrian advocates, elected officials and other township leaders, transportation and urban planners, bike shop owners and managers, cycling, walking, fitness and health enthusiasts and experts, recreation, trails and club leaders and others who are interested in making our state a better place to live.

 

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Cars Don’t Bring Business. People Do.

ReOpen Asbury Park Returns!

This is the way a city makes space for people, and enables businesses to expand and grow.  Cities all over the world have had plazas and open streets for people to gather, dine, and shop since long before the pandemic. Asbury Park is among these most beautiful and progressive cities.

To allow for the expansion of dining and retail and create a Downtown Pedestrian Zone, the following areas will be open to pedestrians, and closed to through traffic and parking on Friday 4/30 at 1pm:
  • Cookman Avenue from Bangs Avenue to Emory Street – will be open to pedestrians, and closed to through traffic and parking, 7 days a week beginning Friday, April 30, 2021 at 1pm through Monday, November 29, 2021 at 7am.
  • Cookman Avenue from Emory Street to Main Street – will be open to pedestrians and closed to through traffic and parking on weekends beginning Friday, April 30, 2021 at 1pm through Monday, November 29, 2021 at 7am. Parking and through traffic will be prohibited each week from Friday at 1pm through Monday at 7pm.