December 2024
Posted: 12/24/2024 12:51:20 PM
The Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum’s annual meeting, held virtually December 6, featured presentations about a study to reconnect neighborhoods divided by the Cross Bronx Expressway, the future energy demand of freight systems in the region, and local opportunities during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The MAP Forum consists of 10 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and Council of Governments across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Reimagining the Cross Bronx
Rochelle Brahalla, Senior Project Manager for the New York City Department of Transportation, presented short-, mid-, and long-term concepts within the draft vision for the Cross Bronx Expressway, including capping the highway. The study was funded with $2 million through the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program.
The draft vision identified 13 potential locations for caps along the Cross Bronx. Some locations that Brahalla highlighted would create open space, improve noise pollution and restore pedestrian connections while reducing vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. Other locations where the highway could be capped would connect two neighborhoods with new park space, expand a playground, and provide direct access to a subway line. Where caps might not be feasible, she said new, wider pedestrian bridges could make walking and biking more pleasurable across the highway.
To learn more, visit
Reimagine the Cross Bronx.
Energy Demand and Freight
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has a goal of reaching net zero emissions for all of its facilities and operations by 2050, according to Stephan Pezdek, Freight Planning Manager at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. To do so, he said, the Port Authority will need to greatly expand measures to cleanly power not only ships, trucks and other vehicles involved in moving freight but its offices, computer systems, and other operations throughout the network. The agency is looking to electrify where it can and explore the use of alternative fuels such as ammonia for powering ships and more.
“A lot of things we see on a regular basis, like long-haul trucks and short-haul deliveries, have bigger emissions footprint than maritime and rail operations,” Pezdek said. Fuel is a large portion of all these operating modes and total operating costs. Investment in production and delivery of next-generation fuels are vital for freight, he said, and currently they’re at a competitive disadvantage locally to creating these without local product and distribution. “This is part of larger supply chain throughout the world that needs to be built up.”
But there are great opportunities for development and growth. “This all sounds doom and gloom but the good thing is we’ve been working at this effort the last 18 months,” Pezdek said. In November, the Port Authority brought together different players from around the world, including fuel providers, the those involved in storage, bunker, and delivery vessels, and more. “Everyone agreed this is a major problem. They’re all starting to strategize as to how to move the effort forward. It takes a lot of understanding, investment, and coordination. Right now, we’re in the process of next steps.”
Prep for World Cup 2026
Zoe Baldwin, vice president, state programs, for the Regional Plan Association (RPA), discussed ways in which municipalities and MPOs can capitalize on the 2026 World Cup, which will feature a record 48 teams, and eight matches played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, including the final.
In her presentation, “Regional Opportunities for FIFA World Cup 2026,” Baldwin implored local and county governments to begin discussions, if they haven’t already, about how to capitalize on events and other benefits for their communities that will outlast the tournament.
Unlike other high-profile events, the World Cup final will draw people beyond just those going to the five-week extravaganza and will be a major happening for people who live here. These events can be used to make the region a “better, cleaner, and greener place to live, work, relax and have fun.”
MPOs could be convening with board members to get an idea of what people are thinking about. “Having these conversations now is very important given the short time available,” she said. There are actions that MPOs can take to facilitate conversations about the broader World Cup event:
- Grant Prioritization: Consider prioritizing parklet, planning, and placemaking grants for communities hosting local events to help them get long-term improvements.
- Street closures: Consider liaising with the Department of Transportation and your members to ensure an easy application and permit process. She suggested using these events to have a broader conversation about placemaking.
- Shuttles: Consider whether there is a role for TMAs and where shuttles could facilitate pedestrian-friendly areas. It’s not just the Meadowlands, Baldwin said, as teams will have training facilities and practices around the region. “These are just more opportunities. People like to visit those facilities around the area and everyone’s going to be soccer mad.”
A recording of the MAP Forum’s annual meeting can be accessed here:
https://youtu.be/HsHWyXlBmJc
Posted: 12/17/2024 11:04:34 AM
Download a full size calendar here. 
Posted: 12/17/2024 9:44:56 AM
The New Jersey Department of Transportation, in partnership with NJTPA, is accepting applications for Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program funding. Pre-application meetings are required and must be scheduled by April 11, 2025. This program provides federal funds for non-traditional transportation related projects designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation’s surface transportation network. Municipal and county governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, tribal governments and other local or regional governmental entities responsible for transportation oversight are invited to submit applications.
The program makes available design assistance of up to $750,000 for consultant engineering services for grant recipients. Projects must fall into one of the following seven categories to be considered for funding:
- Design and construction of on-road and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of vehicles.
- Conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized transportation users.
- Construction of scenic turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas.
- Historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities both land and water such as building structures and canals.
- Community improvement activities, specifically streetscaping and corridor landscaping.
- Environmental mitigation to address stormwater management, control, and water pollution prevention or abatement related to highway construction or due to highway runoff.
- Reduce vehicle-caused wildlife mortality or restore and maintain connectivity among terrestrial or aquatic habitats.
Among its objectives, the program seeks to encourage walking, bicycling, and rolling as an alternative mode of transportation; make active transportation a more attractive option to get around, and provide benefits to vulnerable members of your community, including low-income residents, minorities, those with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, children and older adults. For more information, visit the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program page.
Posted: 12/12/2024 12:52:38 PM
This year’s round of Vibrant Places Program (VPP) will aim to connect communities through underutilized green spaces near commercial areas in Paterson and the revitalization of railroad underpasses in New Brunswick.
The NJTPA funds technical assistance for placemaking projects through the Vibrant Places Program, conducted in partnership with Rutgers University’s Voorhees Transportation Center.
The Vibrant Places team will work in partnership with coLAB Arts in New Brunswick to develop a placemaking plan to revitalize the network of Amtrak rail underpasses that connect downtown with the Esperanza neighborhood.
Working with local organizations like the Esperanza Neighborhood Project, the study will develop strategies to enhance the underpasses, transforming them into welcoming gateways that create a sense of place and civic pride, while connecting the area’s downtown and largely Latin community. The vision plan will be used to inform future improvements and guide implementation funding.
The Vibrant Places team will also work with the City of Paterson and the County of Passaic to connect green spaces and create a sense of place along south Paterson’s commercial district.
The team will seek to enhance underused parks to better support nearby businesses and enhance the natural environment for residents. A set of design recommendations for each park will be developed through in-person and online engagement along with community input via pop-up events, visioning sessions, and stakeholder engagement.
Vibrant Places is among the NJTPA’s Municipal Programs offerings. Placemaking is the application of community planning that integrates arts, culture, and other community assets to attract investment and strengthen the local economy. It links job creation to specific places by enhancing public spaces, streets, and other community amenities.
Previous VPP projects include the Springwood Avenue Heritage Walk in Asbury Park, which this year won the Outstanding Community Engagement Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association, and Prospect Park drafted a Vision Plan outlining strategies to transform North 8th Street into a pedestrian-friendly and economically vibrant neighborhood that meets the community’s needs.
Solicitations for the VPP program are conducted annually, with the next round expected in summer 2025. To learn more, visit the Vibrant Communities Technical Assistance page.
Posted: 12/3/2024 3:59:16 PM
The NJTPA hosted the biannual meeting of the Morris Canal Working Group (MCGW) on Dec. 2, with various reports and updates about efforts along the 111-mile Morris Canal Greenway.
Joe Macasek and Tim Roth of the Canal Society of New Jersey (CSNJ) provided updates on various projects during presentations at the virtual meeting.
The restoration of Lock 2 East has been completed. Mechanical parts for the lock have been installed and furnishings and exhibits for the Lock Tender’s House are planned as part of the final phase. Inclined Plane 2 East in Ledgewood is one of the most easily accessed points of the canal, Macasek said, with a restoration project completed. A pending interpretive sign project by the Canal Society will feature seven new panels and a park sign. Future work is planned to create a circular pathway.
Cooperation And Connectivity
Macasek described Boonton as among the best partnerships, featuring many pieces of the greenway. It’s “one of the best examples of cooperative effort and connectivity,” he said. The greenway trail in Boonton will be at the center of a greenway trail plan that will connect historic assets, including the Arch bridge, a railroad trestle that will be acquired by the town and made into a pedestrian walkway.
Restoration of the Arch Bridge, at the north end of the site, was completed this summer and will provide additional access to the Boonton Iron Works property. Restoration included a new pathway laid across the top of the bridge that has been standing since 1866, new rails and a new surface. It’s an important connection between the upper part of the site and the Iron Works and the inclined plane at the lower part of the site, Macasek said. CSNJ’s final sign project of the year will provide interpretive signage to tell people why the bridge is there.
Macasek described the Canal Society’s 2024 Greenway signage projects:
- JFK Park, Dover: Site of Dover Canal Basin
- Lock and New Streets, Newark: Site of Lock 16 East
- Canal Park, Ledgewood: Sites of Locks 9, 10, and 11 East
- Grace Lord Park, Boonton: Arch Bridge Restoration
- Griffith Park, Powerville: Site of inclined Planes 2 and 3 East
An ongoing restoration of the Collins House, associated with the inclined plane in Bloomfield, has progressed and will create a Morris Canal Greenway Visitor Center. “It gets us some visitor nodes along the greenway,” Macasek said.
Warren County portion of Morris Canal Greenway
Warren County recently acquired a site in Rockport, Mansfield Township, near a state game farm. The goal is to develop it into a greenway trail and then connect it to make one trail through Rockport. Initial efforts began last month with a trail surveying expedition. That involved “plunging into the woods,” looking at where the towpath is and devise a plan to develop a trail. Winter is a good time of year to start new trails because the brush is less thick and much less maintenance work is required, which typically takes up the warmer months.
The Museum at Meadow Breeze Park is a cooperative effort between Washington Township and the Warren County Parks Foundation, using many exhibits that are now at the Warren Heritage Museum at Bread Lock Park. The project is “moving at lightning speed,” Roth said, and is likely to open in 2025. “Hopefully, it will get this site more on the map.”
Like the Collins House in Bloomfield, the museum is not a direct canal asset and may not be entirely about the Morris Canal but a significant portion of it is.
Roth reported that the Warren Heritage Museum, and its monthly tours, remains closed after a huge storm in July 2023 undermined the vehicular bridge from Route 519. He hopes to report some progress on this at the MCWG’s spring meeting in May.
Morris Canal Greenway on AllTrails
Steve Krinsky reported that there are now 18 Morris Canal Greenway entries on the All Trails app. The trails are at least 1 mile or more in length though in some cases that includes out and back. Krinsky said his group of volunteers plans to hike and update map information on another half-dozen Greenway trails in the next few months.
A recording of the complete MCWG meeting is available here.