As residents of Trenton, we all have ideas and recommendations for what can be done to improve our community. When we allow all community members a seat at the table, we are better equipped to plan for a brighter, more equitable future for all. Voicing your opinion is one of the greatest gifts of living in a democracy and can lead to incredible improvements in the place you call home. If you want to make your voice heard, one powerful way is through the Trenton Division of Planning’s latest call for commentary regarding the Trenton Bicycle Plan.
No matter how you get around town, whether by car, on foot, or wheels, we can all benefit from safer streets and neighborhoods. To help make the city more accessible regardless of your preferred method of transport, the City of Trenton and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) have come together to develop an innovative new bike plan, Our Streets: A Trenton Bike Plan for All. This plan proposes adding bicycle facilities and implementing design changes on certain streets within the city to increase safety for all road users, no matter how you choose to get around. However, this plan can’t come together without your help!
Anyone interested in providing feedback may attend the upcoming request for comment on Saturday, August 5th. The in-person meeting will be held from 1 pm to 4 pm at the East Trenton Collaborative at 601 N. Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08638. As a thank you for your feedback, guests can enjoy free food and Mister Softee ice cream, participate in family-friendly art activities, and enter to win a bike and grocery gift cards. Residents can bring their bikes in for free tune-ups and test out a protected bike lane. Spanish language translation will be available on-site.
Vision Zero is an approach to transportation safety planning based on the notion that our transportation system can and must, be designed to anticipate human error and prevent crash fatalities and severe injuries on the road. Vision Zero recognizes that people will make mistakes, so infrastructure and policy should be designed to ensure those mistakes are not fatal or life-altering.
The bicycle plan proposes the following design changes to certain streets in Trenton:
- Adding bicycle facilities: The bicycle plan recommends which streets in Trenton are best suited for bicycle facilities, such as protected bike lanes, two-way cycle tracks, and neighborhood greenways. These recommendations are summarized by a map showing which types of bicycle facilities are proposed on which city streets. The map has been created based on careful consideration of data, on-the-ground conditions, and community input.
- Adding traffic calming infrastructure: When traffic speeds are reduced, crashes are less likely and less severe.
- Reimagining how street space is used for vehicles and people: To make room for the infrastructure needed for safe bicycling, the bicycle plan recommends changes to how space is used on certain streets. These changes might include moving parking toward the center of the road to fit a bike lane next to the curb, rearranging on-street parking to one side of the street in areas traditionally parking on two sides, and converting two-way streets to one-way streets.
“I encourage all Trentonians who walk or ride bicycles to provide comments at an in-person event or online. We’re so thankful for the ongoing collaboration with the DVRPC,” said Mayor W. Reed Gusciora. Meanwhile, North Ward Councilwoman Jennifer Williams echoed this sentiment: “This Council and Administration are taking steps to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety across the four wards. This is critical to revitalizing Trenton and making our city healthier for everyone. It will also help attract capital and innovation back to the Capital City. I encourage everyone to give their feedback on the bicycle plan.”
To view current recommendations and learn more about the Trenton Bike Plan, please visit the Our Streets website here: Our Streets – Trenton. Now is your chance to help shape the future of transport in Trenton, so don’t miss your chance to make your voice heard!
