Auckland, Australia street improvements (upper left), 10 Green Street, Woodbridge, NJ (lower left), Best Practices for Vision Zero (upper right), Camden, NJ skyline (lower right)
NJ TOD News
Camden Gets a Business Upgrade
David Madden, KYW News Radio, November 24, 2019
Camden officials have expanded the city’s Special Services District into more sections of the city through a contract to implement a Business Improvement District (BID). According to City Councilwoman Felisha Reyes-Morton, the main objectives of the BID are beautification, graffiti removal, and street cleaning along business corridors. A 13-member board will direct the BID, which will implement strategies similar to those pursued by BIDs in Philadelphia and New Jersey.
Prism Launches Construction for Woodbridge Transit-Oriented Community
Linda Lindner, NJ Biz, December 2, 2019
Construction has begun on the 10 Green Street development project, a five-acre mixed-use community next to the Woodbridge Station. Prism Capital Partners will build 232 apartments – a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes – and 12,000 square feet of retail space.
NJ: Hunterdon Officials Ride NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley Rails in Hopes of Improving Them
Caroline Fassett, NJ.com, December 2, 2019
The Hunterdon County Office of Economic Development organized a Ride the Rails event for 12 county residents and officials in November. The group rode the Raritan Valley Line train from High Bridge Station to Newark Penn Station, and discussed rail service improvements and strategies to increase ridership. Suggestions included adding weekend service, extending service hours, and increasing the number of express lines or adding lines with skipped stops to decrease travel time. Officials are considering creating a position paper to begin formally interacting with NJ TRANSIT on possible changes to the service.
Cooper Grant Market Rate/Mixed Income Housing Development
ESI Econsult Solutions Inc. December 2, 2019
ESI examined a 14-townhouse development in Camden, New Jersey and provided commentary on the economic potential of the project that will include both market rate and affordable units. The development is expected to cater to homeowners who want high-quality units close to the waterfront and downtown Camden.
Regional and National TOD News
Streetcar from the airport to Tucson Mall? A federal grant could put plans in motion.
Jake Steinberg, Arizona Public Media, December 1, 2019
Tucson and South Tucson are raising funds to build a high capacity transit line between Tucson International Airport and Tohono Tadai Transit Center. The cities are requesting $950K from the federal government to fund planning for either streetcar infrastructure or a 15-mile bus rapid transit project. Representatives of the Tucson Department of Transportation say the planning process could take up to three years. The plan would encourage mixed-use development along the transit route and address potential gentrification and displacement.
How DC-area Leaders are Planning for Expected 1.5 Million New Residents over Next 25 Years
Kristi King, WTOP, December 1, 2019
D.C. area planners are focused on transportation issues as they anticipate significant population increases. A new American Legion Bridge between Maryland and Virginia is underway, and plans are progressing to improve traffic conditions at Long Bridge, the only railroad bridge between D.C. and Virginia. Planners are also looking at land use reforms and incentives to encourage transit-oriented development and reduce dependency on private vehicles.
Best Practices: Five Vision Zero Tips for Suburbs
Aaron Short, Streetsblog USA, December 3, 2019
Montgomery County, Maryland, is adopting innovative traffic safety policies that could serve as examples to other, auto-oriented, suburban places. The county has recently installed bike signals on state roadways and bike-friendly intersections. The county has partnered with the Maryland State Highway Administration to advance this initiative and to address safety issues posed by high travel speeds. County planners will soon implement a safety master plan that prioritizes the needs of pedestrians and cyclists and will identify areas in need of more and improved crosswalks and sidewalks.
Kauai: You Won’t Need A Car If You Live In This New Urban Village
Allan Parachini, Civil Beat, December 3, 2019
Developers Michael Serpa and the Koloa Village LLC are building a low-rise, mixed-use, high-density community in Old Koloa. Koloa Village is designed to be affordable, walkable, and bike-friendly—a contrast to upscale, gated communities like nearby Kukuiula. Construction begins in January 2020. The first phase consists of commercial spaces and is expected to take 12 months to finish. Construction of the housing will follow, and is expected to take 18 months.
International TOD News
NEW ZEALAND – Colourful Streetscape Makes Sale Street Safer for All
Our Auckland, November 21, 2019
Sale Street in Auckland’s city center received a colorful makeover in the name of safer streets. The city council installed planter boxes and painted patterns on the roads and pedestrian crossings earlier this month to slow down vehicles in traffic priority areas frequented by cyclists and pedestrians. Pedestrians still have to yield to traffic, but the area is much safer now that drivers are more cautious. The project was funded by the City Centre Targeted Rate and took only two weeks to install.
CHINA – Xinjiang Casts Uncertainty Over the Belt and Road Initiative
Wei Shan, NUS East Asia Institute and Taiwan News Lens, December 3, 2019
Violence and riots stemming from ethnic tensions and income inequality threaten Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure projects and business expansion in the Xinjiang region and surrounding areas. The Chinese government plans for Xinjiang to serve as a transportation hub and a commercial, logistics, and cultural center for the BRI. As China strengthens its global connectivity, its policies to repress the culture of the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority ethnic group, has kept business away and attracted international criticism.