Coalition Calls on NJ Governor Corzine to Enact a ‘Complete Streets’ Policy

PRESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release: October 13, 2009
Contact: Jay Corbalis, New Jersey Future 609-393-0008 ext 110;
Zoe Baldwin, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, 609-271-0778


Citing 33% Increase in Pedestrian Fatalities, Coalition Calls on Governor Corzine to Enact a ‘Complete Streets’ Policy

TRENTON – Today a coalition of planning, environment, transportation and health groups called on Governor Corzine to adopt a "Complete Streets" policy in New Jersey as a means of improving safety on roadways and creating viable transportation choices.

The coalition included Tri-State Transportation Campaign, New Jersey Future, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the New Jersey Chapter of the AARP, Disability Rights New Jersey, and Environment NJ.

This call was made in response to a Tri-State Transportation Campaign analysis of state data, which showed a 33% rise in pedestrian fatalities to date in 2009. Through September 30, 2009, New Jersey saw 121 pedestrian fatalities, compared to 91 through the first three quarters of 2008.

“New Jersey has made strides in recent years towards a more balanced transportation policy, but these numbers prove that the state still has a long way to go before our roads are safe for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers,” said Kate Slevin, Executive Director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “A Complete Streets policy will ensure our roads are designed for all users.”

“For a variety of reasons, a lot of people are walking, biking, and taking mass transportation in New Jersey, yet we are still building and upgrading streets with no sidewalks, no crosswalks and no bike lanes. This has to stop,” said Pete Kasabach, Executive Director of New Jersey Future.

“Older people deal with the effects of incomplete streets every day, and make up a disproportionate share of pedestrians killed by cars in New Jersey. The needs of seniors and other pedestrians must be taken into account when streets and highways are built and repaired,” said Janine Bauer, a volunteer transportation advocate for AARP in New Jersey.

“The Bicycle Coalition supports Complete Streets because it encourages people to get out of their cars and make green transportation choices. But in many places in New Jersey, walking to the corner store or biking to the bank just isn’t safe,” said John Boyle, Advocacy Director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

A Complete Streets policy would require that engineers design roads to accommodate the needs of all users any time a new road is built or an existing road is retrofitted, except where infeasible. According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, 107 jurisdictions nationwide have adopted Complete Streets policies, including the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Oregon, and Illinois. The enactment of a Complete Streets policy is one of a number of actions municipalities can complete to be certified under the Sustainable Jersey Program. Those actions were vetted and approved by a broad coalition of municipal officials and experts led by the League of Municipalities’ Mayors’ Committee for a Green Future, and the New Jersey Sustainable State Institute at Rutgers.

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The Tri-State Transportation Campaign is a non-profit organization working toward a more balanced, transit-friendly and equitable transportation system in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. www.tstc.org

New Jersey Future is a statewide nonprofit research and policy organization advocating smart growth, environmental preservation, neighborhood revitalization and transportation choice. www.njfuture.org

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia: Making bicycling better through advocacy and education by promoting biking as a healthy, low-cost, and environmentally-friendly form of transportation and recreation. www.bicyclecoalition.org

Environment New Jersey is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. Our professional staff combines independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for New Jersey's environment. Environment New Jersey draws on over 30 years of success in tackling our state's top environmental problems. www.environmentnewjersey.org

NJ AARP: AARP’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for all as we age, leading positive social change and delivering value to members through information, advocacy and service. www.aarp.org/states/nj/

Disability Rights New Jersey is the consumer-directed, non-profit organization that serves as New Jersey's designated protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities in the state. www.drnj.org