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 | TCSP-1999 Grant Proposals"Transit-friendly Communities for New Jersey" |
TRANSIT-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES FOR NEW JERSEY
PROJECT INFORMATION
Type of Project Request: Planning and Implementation
Organization: New Jersey Transit
Key Contact: L. Richard Mariani
Address: One Penn Plaza East, Newark, NJ 07105
Phone/Fax/Email: 973-491-7208/973-491-7352/cedclrm@njtransit.state.nj.us
Grant Request: $535,000
ABSTRACT
By the start of the 21st century, NJ TRANSIT (NJT) will have spent more than $7.5 billion to repair, rehabilitate, expand, and connect all of the state's passenger lines - built in the late 1800s by competing rail companies - into one seamless transit system. Together, these connections, upgrades and a new waterfront light-rail line will result in one interconnected rail network with more than 150 stations serving the majority of state residents. This enormous commitment, which has begun to reverse years of neglect of transit in favor of the highway network, represents a major opportunity for NJT to expand upon its initial mission to provide bus and rail service in order to help "build and support" the communities it serves.
Despite this massive infusion of transit funding and commitment by NJT, there is a lack of awareness in many New Jersey communities about how to leverage these transit investments to revitalize their downtowns, encourage business and local economic development, and reduce reliance on the private car. This proposal seeks to work with diverse community partners to develop specific ways that New Jersey towns can become more "transit friendly," by building on both NJT's initiatives to make train stations themselves "passenger friendly" and on statewide "smart growth" initiatives to reduce sprawl and encourage new development within walking distance of transit stations.
NJT proposes to work with a consortium of non-profit organizations, the New Jersey Office of State Planning and the Department of Community Affairs, and local public and private sector partners on a statewide initiative which includes educational workshops, technical assistance and demonstration projects in four to six communities to shape a new vision for linking train stations to community enhancement. Implementation of a series of short-term, catalytic demonstration projects in the districts immediately around train stations will help spur community involvement and leverage local investment and participation. To maximize its relevancy to the state's diverse communities, this program will be structured to select communities with diverse socio-economic, ethnic, and population demographics, and a variety of station types.
This program will allow NJT to leverage the talents and resources of its non-profit and government partners - leaders in smart growth, community and downtown revitalization, regional planning, and public education - to shape the future of communities around NJT stations well into the 21st Century. The results will be models for other New Jersey communities to follow in future NJT projects. In addition, the project will ensure that communities understand how transportation investments can enhance the environment, create strong downtown centers, and improve quality of life. Moreover, NJT is committed to using the process developed under this program as a way to take its innovative efforts from "pilot projects" to "the way we always do business." With its diversity of station types and communities, this program will be a model for the nation.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Beginning in 1996 with its Midtown Direct service, NJT continues to connect formerly separate rail lines to provide millions of residents with one-seat, direct access to midtown Manhattan. Over the next five years, approximately 80 of NJT's 150 rail stations will offer direct service to Manhattan and the new Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System (HBLRTS), now under construction, will open. These initiatives will have significant impacts on ridership "Midtown Direct ridership is already up 40 percent" and will place increased development pressures on existing stations to provide increased access and create new centers of community life.
Recognizing that the old way of doing business was obsolete - where improvements made to station facilities were neither sustained over the long term by NJT nor by the local community - NJT began to change its mode of operation seven years ago with its award-winning Station Renewal Program (a pilot project in five stations), and the production of the Transit-Friendly Handbook, which was reprinted and distributed nationally by the Federal Transit Administration. This spring, as a major new initiative of newly appointed Acting Executive Director, Stanley J. Rosenblum, NJT will launch a new Model Stations & Shelters Program to focus and sustain enhancements at NJT stations. In addition, the Governor of New Jersey has just announced a new "Transit Village Program" to encourage public and private investment in housing and commercial facilities within walking distance of four passenger rail stations and one major bus facility.
This is a critical time for New Jersey. New Jersey is at the forefront of the Smart Growth movement and is taking more steps than any other state to channel development - efforts approved repeatedly by voters at the ballot box. Its innovative State Development and Redevelopment Plan, while a national model, requires local participation in order to be implemented.
The "Transit-Friendly Communities for New Jersey" program is an ideal way to generate much-needed local support and participation and provides the "missing link" and resources to "jump start" all of these other planned investments and programs. Unless communities themselves recognize the potential of their stations and work in partnership with NJT and its "smart growth"partners, they are likely to experience all of the problems of increased ridership (congestion, lack of parking, etc.) while realizing little, if any, of the potential. By working closely with communities to become "transit friendly," NJT will unleash the local resources and interest necessary to leverage its massive investment while ensuring that the communities it serves reap the full benefit.
"Transit-Friendly Communities for New Jersey" will be a statewide initiative that focuses on communities along key train line corridors undergoing major transformation (Morris-Essex, Main, Bergen, Pascack Valley and the new HBLRTS where ridership is expected to greatly increase in the next four years. With TCSP support, NJT and its consortium of partners will introduce this fundamental new approach for how a transit agency relates to and functions within communities. NJT will:
The ultimate goal of this program will be to achieve immediate, visible results in selected demonstration communities while greatly increasing public interest and awareness across the state of the opportunity for transportation to leverage community enhancements and improve livability.
The components of the program are as follows:
Workshops: "Making Your Community Transit-Friendly"
The NJT Team will conduct two, one-day workshops for targeted communities throughout the state to:
Key issues to be addressed in the workshop include:
Demonstration Projects
Four to six New Jersey communities will be selected to participate in demonstration projects (dependent upon the extent of resources required for each potential project). A number of communities have already expressed interest and are ready to move forward. Before proceeding with designation of specific projects, however, NJT is committed to completing the workshop programs first - to give communities that may not have thought of this approach before a chance to participate. Criteria to be used in strategically selecting demonstration communities/projects include:
Technical assistance, to be led by Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS) and the Regional Plan Association (RPA) will include:
For a select number of municipalities, faculty and graduate students of the (Rutgers University) Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy will conduct studio assignments to prepare station area plans in conjunction with communities.
Implementation
Within the context of the long-term comprehensive plans, potential short-term projects will be identified which link the community to the train station. Projects will include improvements to the districts around stations, and improvements at the station itself that allow for increased public/community use. For example:
NJT will work with local communities to identify other funds available for implementation, as well. Although no local match will be required under this program, it is NJT's experience that local monies and in-kind contributions tend to become available as local communities begin to understand, and wish to enhance, the value of the project. In addition, NJT is committed to augmenting the TCSP funding with funds from the Model Stations Program. NJT also anticipates that the results of the TCSP project will help NJT shape its capital program for the next 10 years to ensure the $15 million that NJT spends annually on station improvements is spent most effectively.
Documentation and Dissemination
A broad education and media campaign promoting the value of transit-friendly communities will be carried out through newspapers, other media and at association conferences. These efforts will be led by New Jersey Future and Downtown New Jersey, with technical assistance from the Rutgers Transportation Policy Institute. This campaign will have both statewide and local dimensions. The importance of transit and its relationship to community building as a critical element of state policy will be stressed in publicity leading to and emanating from the workshops. Local press, especially weekly newspapers, will be cultivated to generate coverage of the public involvement component in the selected municipalities and other municipalities along the train lines that must prepare for new ridership. Finally, the results of this project will be shared nationally through written and oral presentations at conferences, seminars and in national trade publications and newsletters.
Evaluation
An evaluation component to the program is integral to the work plan, and is described in more detail as the last section of this proposal.
PURPOSE AND CRITERIA
New Jersey offers a microcosm of the nation for building communities around transit. The state has over 150 commuter rail stations, 11 existing light rail stations, nearly 2 dozen additional light rail stations under construction and 18 more being planned for a new South Jersey light rail line. These stations are situated in a wide variety of settings ranging from older downtowns, to established suburban commuter villages to roadside "park-and-rides." Many of these stations will see new and expanded service as a result of NJT's new initiatives, leading to new parking and development pressures which will require sensitive community-based planning that respects the needs of both the commuter and the community.
With its inclusive participatory process, TCSP is in a position to support the NJT Team and its approach. The funding sought here can help the state "break through" the governmental and institutional barriers that traditionally segregate funding (transportation, planning, community development) - barriers which do not encourage partnerships among states, counties, local governments, and citizen groups. The TCSP approach however:
Applicability Of "Transit-Friendly Communities For New Jersey" Program To TCSP Goals
This proposal is able to effectively meet all five categories of "objectives" enumerated in the TCSP request for proposals, which we see as intertwined and interdependent. For example, clustering development activities near more attractive and better maintained rail stations and bus stops can simultaneously lead to a more efficient transit network, fewer environmental impacts, less need for costly new transportation and other infrastructure investments and easier travel, while offering economic development opportunities.
1. Improve the efficiency of the transportation system by enhancing access to train stations and increasing ridership.
Increasing the efficiency of transit in New Jersey can be accomplished by ensuring that the investments of the past and those planned for the future are used most effectively. The 150 rail stations and the 18,000 bus stops in New Jersey are the gateways for mobility around the state and to neighboring New York City and Philadelphia. By ensuring that these gateways are attractive and accessible, more transit riders will come to the transit network and the system will become more efficient, maximizing the large investment already made and improving the cost-effectiveness of planned investments.
A dozen competing rail companies built the New Jersey rail network in the 19th Century. The unconnected, competing rail lines gradually have been pruned and consolidated over the past 50 years, but as of the early 1990s, the network still did not operate as one system. Only three rail lines provide service to Penn Station in Manhattan while seven lines converge on Hoboken, requiring awkward and time-consuming transfers to reach Manhattan.
To overcome this serious deficiency, NJT is nearing completion of a major, $6 billion capital program to connect all passenger lines into one seamless transit system. In 1996, Midtown Direct (a.k.a. the Kearny Connection) was completed, allowing three of the seven Hoboken-bound lines to connect to the Northeast Corridor and offer one-seat service directly into Manhattan. The Secaucus Transfer, now under construction, will provide passengers on three additional Hoboken-bound lines with direct access to Manhattan. The Montclair Connection, also under construction, will connect the final Hoboken line directly to Manhattan, completing the transformation of northern New Jersey's rail network and giving millions of residents near 80 rail stations one-seat or direct access to midtown Manhattan. The 30 stations, which will gain direct service to New York with the completion of the Secaucus Transfer by 2002, will see their ridership double.
Meanwhile, construction totally $1.5 billion is nearing completion for the HBLRTS, which will connect all Hudson River waterfront communities from Bayonne to Hoboken to each other as well as to existing east-west transit links. Together, these connections, upgrades and new lines will result in an interconnected rail network serving most state residents.
Despite this significant investment, many communities are not prepared for the prospective growth at their stations. Their use is constrained by access problems, insufficient station parking, a lack of feeder bus service, and inhospitable walking or biking options. And traffic around stations inevitably will worsen. The intent of this proposed program is to help to overcome these problems by working with affected communities, thereby maximizing ridership while minimizing added costs.
The transit system becomes more efficient when rail stations become - with more local control or stewardship - safer, more attractive and surrounded by new development, an objective of this proposed program. In these ways, as has already occurred in stations revitalized under NJT's earlier Station Renewal Program, transit ridership can grow without added service, lowering per-rider costs. Indeed, more attractive and more functional station and bus stop areas can also bring in more "reverse" commuters who represent "gravy" to the transit operator because of the plentiful availability of seats on these services.
Finally, the increase in transit ridership has the obvious dual benefit of lowering auto traffic volumes, which can result in more efficient movement of traffic.
2. Reduce the impacts of transportation on the environment by reducing commuter trips by cars, reducing automobile traffic during peak hours, and redirecting millions of passenger trips to rail and bus service.
When rail stations and bus stops become more efficient and attractive, they attract more passengers, which translates to fewer automobiles on the road, especially in the peak period which is an obvious environmental benefit. But at transit access points, too many automobiles vying for parking in station areas can inadvertently cause environmental difficulties and could conflict with downtown activities, impede traffic circulation, or consume valuable development space. A large part of this proposed effort will involve working with local communities to resolve these potential conflicts to the satisfaction of the community, the transit rider and the transit operator.
By concentrating development at or near rail stations and bus stops, there will be less development pressure outside of town centers, thereby saving valuable farm, forest and unique open spaces. Forested and scenic parts of western New Jersey are at great risk from development as are farmlands in central and southern New Jersey. This proposal can work toward protecting these lands.
3. Reduce the need for costly future investments in public infrastructure. By focusing on improving the existing network of streets, roads, and transit, communities can avoid costly road construction with lower-cost enhancements to these existing systems.
Too many communities are unprepared for the impacts and opportunities that increased ridership brings to their stations. Many stations are in a relatively poor state of repair, and are no longer considered attractive focal points of the community. Preventative maintenance of existing station buildings, bus stops and shelters through cooperative efforts with local communities and the private sector can lessen the need for rebuilding these facilities. Cooperative efforts to share parking facilities that can serve downtown residents at night or shoppers on weekends will also reduce the need to build costly, duplicative facilities.
The proposed work program is targeted in the more fully developed portions of New Jersey, including Bergen, Hudson, and Essex counties, where highway congestion already is excessive. By reducing peak-period vehicular traffic, this program also can lower the pressure to expand the capacity of the highway network - an expensive proposition, to say the least. With clustered development near transit stops instead of new or sprawling developments, the need for extending utilities, such sewers, water supply, electric lines and added local roads can also be reduced - and development incentives refocused to areas where these services already exist.
4. Ensure efficient access to jobs, services and centers of trade by revitalizing existing downtowns, making them safer and more pedestrian-friendly, and encouraging more commuters to abandon their cars for direct access to both New Jersey employment centers and New York City.
One of New Jersey's greatest assets is its pre-war, traditional downtowns, most of which still retain their essential role - albeit compromised in many cases - as centers of jobs and services for all types of communities, wealthy and disadvantaged. These downtowns often were shaped by the development of train stations. Seizing the opportunity to repeat this process is a critical aspect of the New Jersey State Development Plan (State Plan).
By focusing development near transit stations and stops, more people will have easy access to jobs, shops and other services required on a daily basis. The need for a second automobile will diminish for local residents who would be able to walk or bike to station areas. Out-of-towners using transit will not need another vehicle to reach their destination, which would be a short walk once disembarked from transit. Working in these communities without using an automobile to get there will become a real possibility. The effect will be an upward spiral, with more attractive service generating more ridership, resulting in more development at stations to serve the added riders. Then more riders (and non-riders), locals and out-of-towners, would be attracted to the station area for the new shopping, office or other services offered. Stations truly would function as mobility and community gateways for New Jersey.
5. Encourage private sector development patterns by developing and focusing positive community and economic activities around train stations to make them natural focal points for new housing and investment, encouraging human interaction and community building, and linking community institutions to their neighborhoods.
With more attractive station areas and more riders and others attracted, it is natural to expect that development near stations and bus stops will ensue. Entrepreneurial activities around stations related both to transit riders (concierge services, convenience shopping, newsstands, coffee shops, etc.) and other shops and offices can emerge. All this activity can add to a sense of security and a sense of place at the station, making it the center of a town's social activity, linking community activities to one another and to strengthening the community. Property values near stations can also increase which clearly was demonstrated int he communities served by NJT's Midtown Direct service over the last three years.
Some New Jersey communities have long had this tradition, but it has been weakened by the spread of development elsewhere and disinvestment in station areas. The new transit projects - Secaucus Transfer and the HBLRTS - now can be the catalyst to reverse this trend by targeting stations where station-centered communities can flourish.
Relationship of "Transit-Friendly Communities For New Jersey" Program to Established Community Preservation Practices
The implementation component of this program, although only dealing with short-term, low-cost improvements, fits well within the following programs in New Jersey which:
This opportunity comes at a key time in the evolution of public consciousness in New Jersey. There is a growing awareness of the importance of preserving open space and channeling growth to places where adverse environmental impacts are minimized. Governor Whitman has dedicated her second term to the concept of smart growth and sustainable development.
In 1998, New Jersey voters elected to constitutionally dedicate almost $2 billion in state funds for open space purchases and historic preservation. In addition, some 100 municipalities have taken similar actions by voting to raise local taxes for preservation. The projects undertaken under this TCSP grant will reinforce these local and state efforts by encouraging development in places where "smart" development is sought. A key concept in this policy is to encourage ridership on the state's existing extensive public transportation network, thereby lowering reliance on the single occupancy vehicle and reducing the associated air and water pollution that result.
In addition to the state and federally funded investments in New Jersey's transit infrastructure described previously, NJT has demonstrated capacity in undertaking a program to revitalize stations and surrounding downtown districts. NJT's previous and current programs include:
NJT often works closely with Special Improvement Districts (SID) in downtowns, where property owners may pay an additional tax to support additional services such as maintenance, security, and promotional activities. There are 33 SIDs in New Jersey.
Finally, $1 million is available in TEA-21 funds through the New Jersey Department of Transportation for pedestrian improvements. The Transit Enhancement (TE) program already made $60 million available over six years for transportation enhancements, of which NJT has received approximately $1million. Under the first ISTEA bill. TEA-21 will provide additional funds under the TE program, the implementation of the TCSP program will assist NJT in identifying specific project opportunities and approaches that will enhance NJT's future TE projects.
COORDINATION
The program outlined here reinforces many existing state and local policies and practices, including the innovative State Plan, adopted in 1991. This TCSP proposal speaks directly to six of the eight goals of the State Plan, including: revitalize the state's cities and towns; conserve the state's natural resources and systems; promote beneficial economic growth, development and renewal for all residents; provide adequate public facilities and services at a reasonable cost; preserve and enhance areas with historic, cultural, scenic, open space and recreational value; and ensure sound and integrated planning and implementation statewide. The Governor also has pledged to channel development into new and existing centers using the State Plan, which was adopted in 1992 to counter suburban sprawl. The key concept in this Plan is for development to be concentrated around existing infrastructure. While not binding on communities, its strength lies in its use by state agencies in regulatory and investment decision-making.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is supportive of the State Plan and is reshaping its program to achieve the goals of the Plan. The Office of State Planning and the Department of Community Affairs which oversee the Plan are partners in this proposal, ensuring coordination between state policy and the projects described herein.
Beyond the state plan, New Jersey is at the forefront of the Smart Growth movement and is taking more steps to channel development than any other state. With the decision of voters in 1998 to dedicate state funds to for open space purchases, more than 40 percent of New Jersey's land will be permanently preserved in the next decade. This makes the decisions we make now about how we develop all the more critical.
PARTNERS
Over the past year, NJT has been working closely with a consortium of non-profit organizations as part of a statewide initiative to promote community renewal and enhancement through transportation investments. A "Building Livable Communities Through Transportation" workshop held last June at Rutgers attracted more than 100 people, and an exchange with transit and urban planners from Berlin was completed last summer, both supported by the German Marshall Fund.
The team that has come together to apply for this grant is especially well-suited to fulfill the goals specified by TCSP and, through the non-traditional partnership that it represents, offers a full complement of skills, resources and talent.
Moreover, the Team is in a position to highlight this effort in a new national initiative that it is in the process of formulating with the American Public Transit Association, The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, the Institute for Transportation Engineers, the National Association of Homebuilders, the Urban Land Institute, and the International Downtown Association. This partnership is seeking to bring "success stories" to their memberships that address transportation investments as catalysts for meeting a broad range of community needs.
SCHEDULE
The consortium is prepared to move quickly once funding is received. Assuming a grant award by May 1, we expect that the workshops would be organized in September, and technical assistance activities would be largely completed by March 1, 2000; however, demonstration projects could be underway as early as January 2000 with a goal of final completion by June 2000.
BUDGET AND RESOURCES
The consortium is proposing a total program of $835,000 of which $535,000 would come from the TCSP program. Approximately half the funds will go for training and technical assistance support, and half for short-term implementation. The proposed breakdown of the budget is as follows:
Budget
New Jersey Transit (or portion) Administration $75,000
Training & Technical Assistance:
Workshops (direct expense for mailings, printing, publicity, and site costs) $20,000
Technical Assistance (consulting fees & expenses for 4-6 sites) $260,000
Documentation & Dissemination (to cover staff time of consortium members) $35,000
Evaluation (fees and expenses for Rutgers University) $95,000
Sub Total $485,000
Implementation* $350,000
Total $835,000
Resources*
TCSP (proposed) - Planning & Implementation $535,000
New Jersey Transit, Model Station Program funds - Implementation $200,000
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs - Workshops/Technical Asst. $25,000
New Jersey Transit, contribution of in-kind staff time - Administration $75,000
Total $835,000
* Does not include potential for optional supplemental local implementation funds.
PROJECT EVALUATION
The Rutgers Transportation Policy Institute will assess the effectiveness of both the planning process and the short-term impacts of demonstration projects. Through interviews with participants and review of documentation both before and after completion of the planning and implementation processes, the evaluation will assess the degree to which the process met its objectives of creating an on-going partnership between often separate and uncoordinated entities (NJT, the municipality, and local community organizations and citizens). This evaluation will include the roles and effectiveness of all the participants in this program during the selection process, planning, and implementation - the project team, NJT, local municipal governments and other groups, such as commuter groups, special improvement districts, chambers of commerce, and individual entrepreneurs.
The Evaluation Plan will first address the success of the project team in establishing a process for creating awareness in the municipality and its community of the economic and functional importance of the transit station. It will then address the project team's record in developing and implementing plans, in concert with the municipality, businesses and users, to make the station's environs and functions more transit-friendly and to identify what problems were encountered and how they were overcome. Following implementation, Rutgers will evaluate the impact of the short-term improvements. Tables outlining both the process and product evaluation follow.
Assessing the Planning Process
As outlined in the table on Process Evaluation, Rutgers will identify through documentation, direct observation, and interviews the planning process undertaken by the project team and will build upon survey data already available to NJT. Interviews will be conducted to determine stakeholder buy-in to the process in each selected municipality, the legal, political and financial legitimacy of the planning product, and reasons for success or failure. This task will be conducted after selection of the municipality, and before, during and after completion of the planning process.
Assessing Implementation
Through review of documentation and interviews with the project team after the completion of the planning phase in each municipality, Rutgers will describe the recommendations developed in each municipal planning process, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and compare these plans to pre-existing conditions. At the completion of the implementation of short-term improvements, NJT will conduct surveys of users at each municipality's station for opinions of satisfaction on quality of life (transit-friendly) issues that were to be addressed in the planning process. Interviews will also be conducted with key municipal officials and other non-traditional partners to gauge their degree of awareness of the station's economic revitalization potential and the future role of the municipality in its evolution. (See table on Implementation Evaluation for more detail.)
It should be emphasized that NJT is committed to on-going evaluation of its projects and programs over time. NJT already regularly undertakes passenger surveys regarding perceptions of service and facilities, and routine by as well as collects ridership information. This creates an ongoing basis for monitoring the success of building "transit-friendly communities for New Jersey."
PROCESS EVALUATION
Goal/Objective | Performance Measure |
| Select municipalities with reasonable prospect for follow through and results | - Plans approved and completed for station |
| Establish a sustained working relationship with municipal officials during project and stakeholder buy-in | - Participation and approval by municipal officials at various milestones |
| Include all relevant participants in planning process | - Inclusive process used to develop participant list - Breadth of representation in planning process |
| Involve non-traditional partners | - Processes followed achieved high satisfaction from participants - Documentation of private sector investment as a result of project - Assessment of whether project changed private sector development patterns - Assessment of whether project changed realtors perceptions |
| Satisfy participants in setting meetings and development of agendas | - Attendance at meetings - Efficiency of meetings - Participant satisfaction in meetings |
| Effectively articulate goals, issues, supporting data and timeframes and overcome problems | - Agreements on statements of problems - Agreements on proposed solutions - Approval of projects by municipality - Inclusion of projects in NJT/municipality capital plans - Responsive actions by private sector |
| New ways of doing business - concerning transit facilities, operations and economic development of darea surrounding station | - Establishment of on-going relationship between NJT, municipality, local groups - Perception of importance of "transit friendly" areas around stations |
| Consistent with Statewide and MPO planning process | - Construction projects included as required in approved State Capital Plan and MPO TIP |
| Process led to learning and innovation | - New approaches taken by different levels of government - Innovative ideas generated - New relationships formed: NJT, municipalities, and private sector |
| Process directed at achieving desired TCSP outcomes | - Interviews and focus groups, before and after planning, confirm that TCSP goals were addressed |
IMPLEMENTATION EVALUATION
Goal/Objective | Performance Measure |
| Adoption of plans or agreements to implement projects | - Adopted capital improvement, functional, zoning and private investment plans |
| Assurance that plans will be implemented | - Legal authority to implement plans - Funding resources identified - Provisions for implementation oversight - Implementation timeline w/ specific responsibilities (including management) - Formal stakeholder commitment/buy-in - Who does not support the plan |
| Project specific indications: pedestrian and biking improvements (before/after comparison) - will vary by project | - Pedestrian/biking conditions - Amount of sidewalk, lighting, traffic devices and crosswalks added - Number of bike racks/lockers added - Number and satisfaction of pedestrian and bicycle users of the station |
| Project specific indicators: other physical and activity indicators achieved (before/after comparison) - will vary by project | - Increase in number of parking spaces - Increase in available convenience services - Increase in transit ridership - Satisfaction of station users - Creation of community-based activities at stations - Investments in new and redeveloped housing in station proximity - Zoning changes: residential and retail |
| Project is innovative and provides a learning experience for others. Specifically, enables break through of institutional barriers | - Commitment of municipalities - NJT establishes ongoing program to work with municipalities |
| Effect on perception of transit as an economic revitalization tool | - Municipalities - Business/property owners |
| Integration of station issues into municipal and county Master Plan processes | - Integration of changes in Master Plan in affected municipalities and counties |
| Consistencies with state and regional planning processes | - Collaborative partnerships developed - Ongoing public involvement - Consistency with Governor's 21st Century Vision document |
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