Housing is a Complete Streets issue.

 

Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition advocates for equity in accessibility, mobility, and everything that happens on our streets that affects health and safety of residents and visitors,

We advocate for housing which is not dependent upon parking minimums, providing ADUs (accessory dwelling units) so people can age in place, and to enable people to find housing where they might not have otherwise, and places for people, meaning play spaces, arts venues, any gathering places, which do not depend upon providing parking, or parking minimums.

We all deserve the right to be able to get where we want to go safely, and to have a place to live in Asbury Park.

AARP: What’s Good for Older Americans Is Good for All of Us

Infrastructure Is an Important Part of the Equation

“The first thing is just having good principles of urban planning, being thoughtful about making sure that a neighborhood can be navigated by people in the community, whether they’re in a car, walking, using public transportation, bicycles, etc. And there’s one other piece that I want to make sure to mention, and that’s safety. Safety from hazards, like a dangerous rusted staircase at a transit station, or broken sidewalks. But also good lighting and the other things that keep people feeling safe as they’re navigating their community.The bottom line is that a really livable community has both the housing options that people need, regardless of their income or physical ability, it has the transportation options that people can use to get around, and it’s got supportive community features and services.”

Equity in access for everyone means NOT deferring to drivers of motor vehicles as the priority.

Traffic and the demand for parking –  parking requirements and any factors that limit affordable housing – displacing residents, negatively affecting the school district, and hurting the character of the city as a livable community.”

Asbury Park was designed in the mid-1800s to be accessible on horse and buggy,  walking, then trollies,  including bicycling, and now includes all forms of micro mobility. When cars ere added to the mix we succumbed like cities everywhere to the ravages of traffic, demands of drivers, and parking regulations.

Our roads were NOT designed for cars.

Our cities were designed for people to live, socialize, and to do business, without fear of being threatened, or killed by drivers.

Streets must be designed for everyone, from the youngest children to elderly. Asbury Park is getting closer to offering opportunities of housing options with ADUs.

Let do this Asbury Park. You know you can if you want to.

Onward~

Polli Schildge

Editor

 

 

TRAFFIC CALMING EFFECT OF BIKE LANES

Hello readers~

Whether you ride a bike or not, you’ll probably agree…

Asbury Park has been slow to implement bicycling infrastructure.  Over four years ago some painted stripes and sharrows (stenciled “sharing arrows”) were installed, but since then there has been negligible painted implementation, and there are no protected, delineated bike lanes anywhere in the city.

After this Rutgers study was done in 2022 there was some hope that it would have inspired permanent implementation of protected bike lanes, or even painted striping, particularly in this area of the study, since bike lanes were proven to have a positive traffic calming impact.

There are no protected, delineated bike lanes, or markings of any kind in the area of this study, and we are still waiting for bicycling infrastructure to be  implemented consistently throughout the city.

We expect Asbury Park leaders to recognize that it is inequitable to prioritize driving over vulnerable road users, and to take action to make our streets safe for everyone.

From the NJ 4′ Safe Passing Law advocate Rebecca Feldman:

Let’s be clear about the endgame. It’s not that we want people to travel slower, it’s that we NEED fewer people being injured and killed by speeding drivers. 

Related: APCSC and other advocates testify for Target Zero at Senate Transportation Committee

TRAFFIC CALMING EFFECT OF BIKE LANES

In this study, protected bicycle lanes marked with simple traffic cones and plastic delineators were associated with a reduction in average maximum speeds of 20 to 30 percent.

The findings prove the traffic calming effect during the time of this pop-up in 2022.

The findings come from an analysis of almost 10,000 cars during a temporary pilot demonstration project in Asbury Park, N.J., where bike lanes were both painted and delineated with traffic cones. The study incorporated 24-hour video footage of the intersection for 10 dates in March and April 2022.

The results of the study: The Traffic Calming Effect of Delineated Bicycle Lanes,” by nine researchers at Rutgers University, including the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, will be published in the June volume of the Journal of Urban Mobility.

Average top speeds of vehicles dropped by 28 percent, by 21 percent for vehicles turning right, and by up to 8 percent for drivers going straight.

Painted-only bike lanes were also associated with a reduction of 11 to 15 percent solely for vehicles turning right. Traffic moving perpendicular to the bicycle lane experienced no decrease in speeds.

Bicycle lanes with traffic delineators will have a stronger traffic calming effect, such as reductions in speed, than with painted-only bike lanes, according to the study. 

“In the context of traffic safety and Vision Zero initiatives, this finding is significant in that it suggests that delineated bike lanes can reduce traffic speeds, making the overall road environment safer for all. The pop-up bike lane reduced the traffic lane width and created a sharper turning radius, which likely served as a traffic calming mechanism.”

There is no shortage of assistance to help New Jersey towns and cities to take action, such as from NJTPA. The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority is the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization for the 13-county northern New Jersey region. Each year, we oversee over $2 billion in transportation improvement projects and provide a forum for interagency cooperation and public input.

Federally, the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Transportation Discretionary Grant program provides a unique opportunity for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to invest in road, rail, and transit.

The Rutgers New Jersey Bicycle & Pedestrian Resource Center assists public officials, transportation and health professionals, and the public in creating a safer and more accessible walking and bicycling environment through primary research, education and dissemination of information about best practices in policy and design.

Let’s make Asbury Park an accessible, equitable city for everyone. 

Onward.

Polli Schildge, Editor

 

 

 

Open House: Asbury Avenue. Thurs., 2/15/24 Your input needed.

Have you experienced or observed any issues, or had difficulties traveling by bike, scooter, or walking on Asbury Avenue?

Whether you walk, bike, scooter, or drive … beginning at Rt 35, what’s your experience? Are you commuting the whole distance? Are you walking or riding a bike from home to the beach and back?  If part of your travel is on Asbury Ave., are you getting around the city safely?

Everyone in Asbury Park, Neptune Township, and Ocean Township is invited to attend an open house to discuss the need for mobility improvements on Asbury Ave.
Asbury Ave

You’re invited to attend the open house on Feb 15th 4:30-7pm focusing on conditions Asbury Ave. Monmouth County, in cooperation with the City of Asbury Park, will be hosting a Public Information Center for local residents, officials, businesses, and the general public to discuss the need for roadway safety improvements along County Route 16 (Asbury Avenue) from Ocean Avenue to Route 35 in the City of Asbury Park, Neptune Township, and Ocean Township.

Part of Asbury Ave

Fill out this short survey to help provide information for improvements on Asbury Ave: Survey: Asbury Avenue Improvements in Asbury Park, Monmouth County

Public Information Meeting Details The Public Information Center meeting is being conducted in conformance with State regulations and is open to all members of the public. Attendees may arrive anytime during the meeting to discuss their concerns regarding the safety of the corridor, ask questions and to provide comments. A formal presentation will not be made, allowing the public to speak one-on-one with the County’s representatives anytime between the hours of 4:30 to 7:00 PM.

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024

Arrive Anytime: 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM  Questions & Comments

Place: City of Asbury Park City Hall- Council Chambers

The Monmouth Paths: Access for All study, a transportation planning study that will identify and develop measures to reduce or eliminate mobility barriers for Monmouth County residents. The study seeks to identify and develop measures to mitigate barriers to mobility of all types including but not limited to improving public awareness of travel options, infrastructure improvements, and policy changes within Monmouth County. The study will provide guidance and countermeasures for local jurisdictions that reduce, overcome and/or prevent barriers to mobility,

Provide your input to help understand the mobility barriers you face when heading to work, school, medical appointments, shopping, and recreation destinations.

From the Monmouth County Paths meeting in Nov., the survey here: How are you getting around in Asbury Park, and in Monmouth County?
Please fill out the survey. It only takes a few minutes using the mapping tool to help improve accessibility on Monmouth County roads.

UPDATE on Railroad Crossing Closures: CC Meeting Video

Thanks to The Coaster for this excellent coverage of the RR crossing closure issue.

The Coaster: 3 Railroad Crossing Closures Under Review in Asbury Park

Cover photo of The Coaster June 14, 2023 article.

The city council meeting went well on Wednesday night 6/14- each person who spoke made very effective points. Thanks so much for stepping up to the mic!

APTV video of the City Council Meeting

Public comment segments:

29:27 – 34:30 (Polli Schildge)

38:44 – 41;29 (Michael Kushner)

42:20 – 50:30 (Rhiannon Long; Mimi Jen; Sylvia Sylvia AP Chamber Of Commerce)

Polli Schildge
Michael Kushner
Mimi Jen
Rhiannon Long
Sylvia Sylvia

✅Thank you for your letters. Continue to spread the word: Email: apcompletestreets@gmail.com. The new DOT contact is:  Christopher.Yandoli@dot.nj.gov..

✅IF YOU WANT A TEMPLATE FOR A LETTER please email: apcompletestreets@gmail.com.

DOT communication with the city this week said that the closure at 6th is “on hold” now, pending more study. But it there is no guarantee that it will not be closed.

We need to stay diligently on top of this.

Onward~

Polli Schildge, APCSC Editor

 

 

 

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.”

Cars Should Not Own Our Cities

Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition has focused on making the city safer for everyone – streets that are safe for anyone “8 to 80″, in other words, for the most vulnerable. We have worked with the City Transportation Manager and gotten input from the community to create a Plan For Walking And Biking, an evolving plan, which now during the pandemic is adapting to include open streets and other methods of making streets more open to people walking and using micro-mobility, and less accommodating to cars. Cars should be guests in cities, not OWN cities.

Traffic must be slowed, and every effort needs to be made to reduce the need to drive, especially during the pandemic, when people are in need of safe spaces to be able to spend time outdoors for exercise, shopping, and dining.

We are intent upon creating a safe, healthy, and environmentally equitable city, not divided by city streets teeming with traffic.

In cities all over the US, “transportation issues negatively affect people of color” .  Highways and roads that cut through, or over, Black, Latino, and immigrant neighborhoods.” Asbury Park’s Memorial Drive, train tracks, and our own Main Street have served to bisect the city into the east and west sides, and maintained the inequity of a city with a history of two faces. But now Main Street is currently nearing the end of a years long DOT reconfiguration, calming traffic and allowing people to walk and ride bikes for transportation and recreation,  and a safer Memorial Drive is on the horizon.

Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition is committed to helping to build infrastructure that enables everyone to safely access the city on foot, a wheelchair, or on a bike or scooter, throughout this time of COVID, and beyond.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2418853/reclaim-cities-from-cars

This Is Our Chance to Reclaim Cities from Cars

The pandemic has led to an unexpected positive—people reclaiming streets in ways that have made urban America more bikeable, walkable, and enjoyable. Preserving that will take work, but it’s worth it.

“It’s callous to call a global pandemic an opportunity, but the crisis has altered our view of public spaces in ways no other event could. In Denver, which closed several streets to through traffic, that wouldn’t have happened without a catalyst. “If we had tried to roll this out pre-pandemic, we would have been met with opposition,” says Eulois Cleckley, executive director of the city’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. “But the situation people were placed in changed their perspective overnight.””

“For walking, cycling, and so-called micromobility options like scooters to really function as everyday transportation choices for more than just hardcore commuters…there has to be a safe route from anywhere in a city to anywhere else.”

Read more about it.

 

Equity In Urbanism Is A Matter Of Life And Death

We have much to learn as we work to create a city for people, by taking antiracist action in the built environment.  We must:

  1. Acknowledge that equity is a matter of life and death — not an “add-on”.
  2. Center Black communities in transportation planning.
  3. Honor Black anger.

‘Centering Equity is a Matter of Life and Death’: Responding to Anti-Black Racism in Urbanism

 

Five visionary leaders shared their wisdom on how to take antiracist action in the built environment professions. Here are a few of the highlights for Streetsblog readers.

 

For the video:

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2020/06/24/centering-equity-is-a-matter-of-life-and-death-responding-to-anti-black-racism-in-urbanism/

Covid-19 Recovery And Long-Lasting Change

City leaders all over the world are establishing measures to permanently maintain the improvements to the environment by creating ways for people to get around without cars. Asbury Park can do this.

“Action needs to be taken now which will help people move around without the congestion, pollution and ill-health that comes with car use now and after lockdown is lifted.”

“…the recovery from the Covid-19 crisis could be “a catalyst for long-lasting change in the way we live and travel, especially in towns and cities. What Covid-19 has also done is to highlight the crossovers between the quality of our places, public health, economy, transport, education, air quality and social justice.”

City leaders aim to shape green recovery from coronavirus crisis

Mayors coordinating efforts to support a low-carbon, sustainable path out of lockdowns

Cities around the world are already planning for life after Covid-19, with a series of environmental initiatives being rolled out from Bogotá to Barcelona to ensure public safety and bolster the fight against climate breakdown.

Mayors from cities in Europe, the US and Africa held talks this week to coordinate their efforts to support a low-carbon, sustainable recovery from the crisis as national governments begin to implement huge economic stimulus packages.

Many cities have already announced measures, from hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in Milan and Mexico City to widening pavements and pedestrianising neighbourhoods in New York and Seattle.

Here’s a start Asbury Park!

Seven things city leaders can do to drive a green, fair recovery from Covid-19

  • Remove through motor traffic from residential streets and extend pavements near shops, schools and parks to make walking safe and enjoyable for transport and exercise.
  • Introduce safe access routes on foot, bike and scooter from homes to parks and green spaces and introduce automatic pedestrian lights at crossings so people do not have to push buttons and risk infection.
  • Establish safe cycle routes to and from work for key workers, especially hospital staff, by closing roads and carriageways where necessary so people have a safe alternative to private cars and public transport.
  • Create safe walking and cycling routes to and from schools, and close down streets around schools to motor vehicles at drop-off and pickup times.

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/01/city-leaders-aim-to-shape-green-recovery-from-coronavirus-crisis

Vision Zero #Slowthecars

Vision Zero is working in cities all over the US. “To actually make progress or commit to Vision Zero, it will really take a transformative shift in how your city is prioritizing safe mobility.”

Asbury Park is actively working on strategies to reduce automobile speed on city streets. Stay tuned for our initiative #slowthecars.

Vision Zero Network Hires Big Gun To Focus on Slowing Drivers Down Already

About 30 U.S. cities have committed to Vision Zero, but that’s the easy part. Map: Vision Zero Network
Read more…

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/08/21/vision-zero-network-hires-big-gun-to-focus-on-slowing-drivers-down-already/