NJDOT announces a series of Complete Streets
policy and design workshops
Goal is to educate and encourage local governments

The first workshop in a series of 12 will be held Thursday, April 19 at the Rutgers Voorhees Transportation Center/Bloustein School in New Brunswick. The workshops will be led by a team of experts, including NJDOT Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety representatives and their engineering partners, who have developed an educational curriculum for decision-makers to learn about the benefits of adopting their own Complete Streets policies and how to design Complete Street improvements.

“When it comes to Complete Streets, New Jersey is leading the way toward safety for all who share the road,” said Commissioner James Simpson. “Our Department-wide policy, adopted by NJDOT in 2009, has earned high praise for New Jersey and is being used as a model by other states and communities as they craft their own policies.”

NJDOT is sending workshop invitations to municipal officials to alert them of the date and location of the most geographically convenient workshop. Ten of the twelve workshops have been scheduled, with one more planned for Monmouth County and one for Atlantic and Cape May counties. Workshop participants can expect to achieve a better understanding of Complete Streets, the policy and design issues, and how to create a safer environment for all roadway users in their communities.

Adopting a Complete Streets policy at the local level can go a long way toward raising awareness among residents, elected officials and the private sector. When projects adhere to Complete Streets principles, pedestrian, bicycle, transit and mobility-impaired accommodations are no longer an afterthought – they become an integral feature of an overall capital investment design and plan.

The Complete Streets concept is gaining traction statewide. Along with NJDOT, 26 municipalities and one county in New Jersey have followed suit with formal policies in place. The goal of the workshops is to dramatically increase those numbers.

NJDOT has been recognized as a national leader for advancing ‘Complete Streets’ policies. NJDOT’s Policy received the highest ranking among the more than 210 communities and states that have adopted formal Complete Streets policies, according to a report released by the National Complete Streets Coalition in May 2011. The Department’s policy requires that future roadway improvement projects include safe accommodations for all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and the mobility-impaired.