Easy Rider Anniversary Issue

ANNIVERSARY ISSUEFALL/WINTER 2014-15

A PublicAtion with trAnsPortAtion news You cAn use

2 Fall•Winter2014-15

It’s Easy to

The mosT comprehensive, definiTive resource for regional TransporTaTion informaTion

detailed maps

Bus routes

rail services

Web apps

•displays the nearest public transportation based on your current location

• IdentifiesNJTRANSITbus stops by id#

•receive text message updates telling you whenthenextNJTransiT bus will arrive

• includes links to bus and rail timetables to view on your mobile device

www.transitlocator.com

with DRIVELESS.COM

FREEAPPS

WWW.driveless.com856.596.8228

EASYriderBoard of TrusTees:

carol ann Thomas, president*Burlington county dept. of engineering

alan maiman, vice president*NJTRANSIT

Bruce easterly, p.e., Treasurer*Taylor Wiseman & Taylor

richard orth, p.e., p.p., secretary*orth-rodgers & associates, incorporated

BarryJ.Lem*

William dayNJDOT–RegionSouthOperations

JohnRinkgeneral manager

delaware river port authority/paTco

calvin edghillusdoT, federal highway administration

mary K. murphyNorthJerseyTransportationPlanning

authority

Brian Bauerlecooper university hospital

Theresa c. Bracchievesham Township

andrew levecchia*camden county division of planning

JuhanRunne,Esquire*archer & greiner, counselors at law

JohnWarddelaware valley regional planning

commission

*executive committee

cross counTy connecTion sTaff:

WilliamJ.Ragozine,ExecutiveDirector

RondaR.Urkowiz,ProgramDirector

JosephWilson,MarketingDirector

MarianneE.Sperry,OfficeManager

JohnA.Hainsworth,GIS/Technologycoordinator

david calderetti, srTs coordinator

patrick farley , land use & Transportation specialist

matthew Bodnar, Transportation specialist

SeanSchweitzer,ResearchAssistant

valerie laranko, marketing outreach & education specialist

gretchen Tholen, graphic designer

michele geiger, administrative assistant

dorin foster, administrative assistant

Cross County Connection

This cross county connection Transportation management association publicationisfundedbytheNorthJerseyTransportationPlanningAuthority(NJTPA)and the u.s. department of Transportation

federal highway administration. The FederalGovernmentandtheNJTPAassume no liability for the contents.

4A Eves Drive | Marlton, NJ 08053 856.596.8228www.driveless.com


contentstable of

Fall/Winter 2014-15

BIKE ROUTE LOCATOR APPCCCTMA's new bike route locator app now available

BIKEWAYS INVENTORY PROJECTnew proposed bikeway

projects throughout southern New Jersey

TRANSPORTATION FACTSquick facts on New Jersey

transportation developments

BURL. CO. BICYCLE MASTER PLANburlington county becomes the

most bicycle-friendly county in southern New Jersey

CCCTMA'S 25TH ANNIVERSARYCCCTMA celebrates 25 years

of service in southern New Jersey

TRANSIT TECHNOLOGY TIMELINEhow technology advancements have

improved New Jersey trasnsportation options

SCHOOL TRAVEL PLANSplans to facilitate student

travel, by bike or foot

04

06

05

08

18

16

14

EVOLUTION OF TRIP PLANNINGhow far we've all

gone over the years12

COMPLETE STREETS: LESSONS LEARNEDmaking strides to better

communities' transportation options10

H


Bike Route Locator ApplicationCross County Connection has launched a new mobile device

application to help you find a better way around Southern New Jersey. The Bike Route Locator is an exclusive web app that shows known existing bikeways in the region. It works with the built-in GPS capabilities of iPhone and Android devices and identifies your approximate GPS location on an interactive Google map. Bike Route Locator can also be viewed with web browsers on desktop computers and other mobile devices. The app includes over 400+ bikeway segments in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. Selecting an individual bikeway reveals information such as the route name, type of facility, length, and location. Click the Legend icon to view the classification of Bikeways within the app. NJDOT Bicycle Touring Routes

are also shown in the app. There are numerous touring routes statewide, including the 238-mile High Point to Cape May Route as well as the newly released Explore the Jersey Shore Bicycle Routes. Selecting any of these tour routes in the app reveals a link to the GPS enabled PDF tour guides that you can use to navigate. Google Streetview is an available service within the application. Simply drag the little yellow person icon onto the roadway you would like to see and it will open a panoramic view of the bikeway that you can pan and zoom. This feature allows you to familiarize yourself with the conditions and location of each route before you head out the door. To access the Bike Route Locator App visit www.bikeroutelocator.com on your mobile device or desktop computer.

BIKE ROUTELOCATOR

Cross County Connection's New App is Now Available!

FREE WEB APP

TO ACCESS THE BIKE ROUTE LOCATOR GO TO

WWW.BIKEROUTELOCATOR.COM

by: John Hainsworth, GIS/Technology Coordinator

5 Fall•Winter2014-15 EASYrider • 5

Transportation Quick Facts

Public transportation provides personal mobility and freedom for people from every walk of life.

Access to public transportation gives people transportation options to get to work, go to school, visit friends, or go to a doctor’s office.

Public transportation provides access to job opportunities for millions of Americans.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATIONSAVES MONEY

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION GIVES ACCESS

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SAVES FUEL, REdUCES CONGESTION

In 2013, Americans took 10.7billion trips on public transportation.

35 million times each weekday, people board public transportation.

Public transportation is a $58 billion industry that employs nearly 400,000 people.

More than 7,100 organizations provide public transportation in the United States.

From 1995 through 2013, public transportation ridership increased by 37.2%--a growth rate higher than the 18% increase in U.S. population and higher than the 20.3% growth in the use of the nation’s highways over the same period.

The average household spends 17.5 cents of every dollar on transportation, and 94% of this goes to buying, maintaining, and operating cars, the largest expenditure after housing.

A household can save more than $10,100 by taking public transportation and living with one less car.

Access to bus and rail lines reduces driving by 4,400 miles per household annually.

Americans living in areas served by public transportation save 865 million hours in travel time and 450 million gallons of fuel annually in congestion reduction alone.

Without public transportation, congestion costs would have been an additional $21 billion.

dId YOU

KNOW?

SOURCE: www.pUbliCtRanSpORtatiOn.ORg


Off-road segment of the Bayshore Byways

Tour in Port Norris, Cumberland County

The Bikeways Inventory ProjectBicycling is becoming increasingly popular as both a mode of

transportation and a recreational pastime. To meet the growing demand for safe places to bike, communities throughout South Jersey have been planning and constructing bicycle infrastructure at a rapid rate. Keeping track of these improvements at a regional level can be a daunting task; however, Cross County Connection has undertaken the on-going project of maintaining an inventory of every existing and proposed bikeway in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties.

BikewaysInventoryProject


Every year, Cross County Connection selects one of these counties and revisits its catalog of existing and

proposed bikeways to ensure that the information is up-to-date. The first step in this process is to send surveys and bike network maps to municipal and county staff and officials, who review the information and provide updates as needed. Cross County Connection then revises the bikeway maps accordingly and conducts field work to document specific bikeways. The survey results also provide insight about other bicycle planning and programming that is occurring in these communities, such as recently adopting a bicycle and pedestrian master plan or participating in the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. The information obtained through the inventory process is formalized in a report, which is intended to assist communities with identifying bicycle network gaps and functions as a snapshot of bicycle planning and implementation activity in the county for that year. Cross County Connection updated the Camden County Bikeway Inventory in early 2014 and published the document in June. In addition to providing current bicycle maps, the report highlights newly constructed and proposed bikeways, documents existing bicycle-friendly programs and policies, provides funding resources, and offers a model for identifying high-priority proposed bikeways. Cross County Connection is now updating the Cumberland County Bikeways Inventory. By surveying these communities and conducting field work, Cross County Connection learns about innovative and interesting bikeways and develops an understanding of the culture of bicycling in a municipality. Many existing bikeways may appeal to both utilitarian and recreational

bicyclists and may also be of interest to local and county government officials that are curious about what their neighbors have done to accommodate bicyclists. Below are several bikeways in Cumberland and Camden counties that you should check out, whether you are a bicyclist, a public official, or interested resident.

Bayshore Byways Tour | Maurice River Township, Commercial Township, and Millville City

Bayshore Byways is an NJDOT bike tour that traverses a variety of individual bikeways in Maurice River Township, Commercial Township, and Millville City in the southeastern portion of Cumberland County. The tour is primarily comprised of on-street bike routes, but also features several segments with bike lanes and off-road trails. This bike tour and adjacent bikeways bring cyclists to a variety of scenic areas in Cumberland County, including to the East Point Light House, through historic villages of Mauricetown, Port Norris, and Leesburg, and across scenic wetlands and natural areas. Please visit NJDOT’s Biking webpage to learn more about this tour, and keep an eye out for the Cumberland County Bikeways Inventory to learn about other bikeways in the area.

Gibbsboro Trail Network | Gibbsboro Borough

Gibbsboro Borough has the most extensive off-road bicycle network in Camden County, with 8.69 miles of trails and paths in this 2.2 square mile borough. The majority are located in the wooded area in the eastern portion of the borough between Old Egg Harbor Road and United

States Avenue. Some of the longer trail segments are the United States Avenue Trail, the Gibbsboro Bike Path, the Old Egg Harbor Road bikeway, and the Blueberry Hill Trail; however, most of these trails are interconnected and feature way finding signage so you can ride all day.

Voorhees Township Bike Network |Voorhees Township

While Gibbsboro has the largest off-road trail network in Camden County, Voorhees Township has the largest overall existing on-road bikeway network. Bikeways in Voorhees consist primarily of on-street bicycle lanes and signed routes. Much of the eastern part of the municipality can be traversed by bicycle due to the presence of connecting bikeways on Cooper Road, Centennial Boulevard, Kresson Road, and Victor Boulevard. The bike lanes on Victor Boulevard also link to Gibbsboro’s trail network. There are many other bikeways and municipal bike networks in these counties that are equally impressive, such as the Gloucester Township Health and Fitness Trail, the Cooper River Trail, the Merchantville Bike Path, and Camden City’s ever-growing bike network. The best way to experience these bikeways is to hop on your bike and utilize Cross County Connection’s Bikeway Locator app, bikeroutelocator.com (but not while riding!). Next time you want to get out of the house on a Saturday afternoon, load the Bikeways Locator app and bicycle through towns on the scenic Delaware Bay, ride trails that were once rails in Gloucester Township, explore parts of Gibbsboro that cannot be seen from the street, or leave the car at home and relax in Connolly Park in Voorhees.

by: Matthew Bodnar, Transportation Specialist

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I 4A Eves Drive, Suite 114Marlton, NJ 08053(856) 596-8228www.driveless.com

LegendBikeways

Proposed County BikewaysPrimary BikewaySecondary Bikeway

Inventory Proposed Bikeway

Regional ConnectionEE

Existing, Off-Road, Bicycle PathExisting, On-Road, Bicycle LaneExisting, On-Road, Bicycle Route

8 Fall•Winter2014

Burlington CountyBicycle Master Plan

An Exercise in a Flexible, Data-Driven Approach to Bicycle Master Planning

by: Patrick Farley, Land Use & Transportation Specialist

Cross County Connection Transportation Management Association recently completed work on the Burlington

County Bicycle Master Plan. The Bicycle Master Plan was the product of two years of dedicated commitment, collaboration and creative problem solving Cross County Connection, with the assistance of Burlington County staff, was tasked with creating a plan that acted as a guide for New Jersey’s largest county to become a leading example of bicycle friendliness in the state. Barring unreasonable budget requests, Burlington County’s size alone meant that conducting fieldwork on every mile of county roadway was out of the question. Cross County Connection had to develop a cost effective

approach to analyze Burlington County’s existing bicycling environment and prioritize projects that could improve it. The result was a planning process that utilized data driven processes to the greatest extent possible to create a Bicycle Master Plan that is flexible and user friendly. Burlington County’s 799 square miles span the width of New Jersey. Travelling the length of the county reveals a setting that is diverse in character; beginning as dense small cities and suburbs along the Delaware River that gradually transition into rolling farmland toward the county’s center, before culminating in the protected forests of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The Burlington County Bicycle Master Plan sought to maximize the

relative strengths, and correct the weaknesses, of the bicycling environment in each of these settings. The Burlington County Bicycle Master Plan was a two phase project. Cross County Connection completed Phase I of the Burlington County Bicycle Master Plan in September 2013. The resulting document laid the framework for an ambitious future for bicycling in Burlington County. Phase I proposes an additional 394 miles of bike lanes, multi-use trails and dedicated bike routes that reach every corner of the county, which would increase county bikeway network mileage roughly 256%. Proposed bikeways were divided into two categories: Primary Corridors and Secondary Corridors. A bikeway’s corridor classification

9 Fall•Winter2014-15 EASYrider • 9

denotes its function within the county’s bikeway network. Primary corridors, totaling approximately 152 miles of proposed bikeways, are major continuous bicycle travel corridors that link population and commercial centers – in effect, the spines of the bikeway network. Secondary corridors, totaling approximately 242 miles of proposed bikeways, provide the important linkages between these spines. Corridors were designated with the assistance of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s analysis of Burlington County roadways using their Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) model. The BLOS model employed Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to analyze data and determine a county roadway’s suitability for bikeways. Phase II planning efforts of the Burlington County Bicycle Master Plan began in the fall of 2013 and were completed in June 2014. This stage of the planning process was largely focused on effectively implementing the 394 miles of network recommendations.

A highlight of Phase II is Cross County Connection’s own GIS based Project Prioritization Model, which scored each recommended project based on a series of criteria. Criteria were separated into two categories – Utility and Feasibility. Utility criteria measure an individual project’s ability to enhance the usefulness of the bikeway network. These criteria are dedicated largely to measuring a proposed bikeway’s connectivity to people, places and things. Feasibility Criteria identify each project's relative ease of implementation. Projects were given a separate Utility and Feasibility score. Each project’s Utility and Feasibility score were then combined to provide a final score that provided the basis for the overall ranking of projects. All three scores are reported in the Burlington County Bicycle Master Plan to allow the county staff to develop a flexible implementation approach. For instance, the Feasibility Score can be used to identify the “low hanging fruit,” or projects that can be an easy win in Burlington County’s

efforts to expand bikeway network mileage. Or conversely, when a project’s feasibility score is taken into account with a utility score, Burlington County staff will also be able to identify important projects that may require a large amount of resources to implement, but are still worth pursuing. The results of these data driven processes are all included in the final comprehensive document that combines the results of both phases of the planning process. Other topics covered in the final Bicycle Master Plan include; bicycle facilities design; bicycle supportive program and policies; and funding opportunities. The final comprehensive Burlington Bicycle Master Plan is currently under review by county staff. To learn more about the Burlington County Bicycle Master Plan, or Cross County Connection TMA’s other bicycle planning work in South Jersey, please visit bikeplan.org or driveless.com.


Traditional transportation planning and roadway design has tended to focus on the needs of motorists, often at the

expense of other road users. According to the 2010 Future of Transportation Survey, approximately 66% of Americans want more transportation options, and nearly 73% of Americans feel that they have no choice but to drive as much as they do. One way to provide more transportation choices is to create streets that are accessible by all modes of travel, a concept known as Complete Streets. Communities demonstrate their commitment to creating roadways that are designed for everyone by adopting a Complete Streets policy. While these policies are permissive, adopting one solidifies a community’s intent to consider the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users of all ages and abilities in roadway projects. The Complete Streets movement has been embraced in New Jersey, and as of August 2014, NJDOT, 104 municipalities, and seven counties in New Jersey have adopted Complete Streets policies. In Cross County Connection’s service area, one county and twenty-two municipalities have adopted Complete Streets policies, with many more under consideration.

Adopting a Complete Streets policy, while commendable, is only the first step to creating a community with a variety of transportation options. Implementing a Complete Streets policy and rethinking the local transportation network is necessary to create physical improvements. While Complete Streets is a relatively new concept, communities throughout New Jersey have been making strides to implement their Complete Streets policies. Cross County Connection is in the process of meeting with representatives from Complete

Streets communities in its service area to discuss the motivations for adopting the policy and learn about progress that has been made with implementing Complete Streets. The findings from this process will be compiled into a report, entitled Complete Streets in South Jersey: Lessons Learned. This document will serve as a resource to communities interested in adopting a Complete Streets policy and will highlight

successful pilot projects to inspire recent adopters. While Cross County Connection still has many communities to meet with to discuss their experience with Complete Streets, several municipalities have already provided insight on the motivations behind adopting such a policy. Improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, providing alternatives to automobile travel, and promoting economic development are some of the common incentives to adopt a Complete Streets policy. As one may

predict, cost can be both a perceived and actual barrier to implementing Complete Streets. Despite having limited resources, Medford Township

and Woodbine Borough are examples of communities that have executed innovative pilot projects that showcase the benefits of having a Complete Streets policy. On Fairview Road in Medford, the township reduced the size of travel lanes to incorporate a wide shoulder when repaving the roadway. While this segment has not been marked as a bike route and a large portion of Fairview Road still has yet to be

COMPLETE STREETS lessons learned

by: Matthew Bodnar, Transportation Specialist

"A Complete Streets policy injects dialogue about bicycle and pedestrian

access into the earlystages of a transportation project."

– NJDOT Commissioner James Simpson


repaved, this kind of forward-thinking is at the heart of the concept of Complete Streets. Because the township considered making improvements during routine repaving, the necessary infrastructure is in place to narrow lanes, calm traffic, and create a bike route on other segments of Fairview Road. This could have been a missed opportunity if the township repaved the roadway to match the existing geometry. Medford also constructed a crosswalk as a component

of this project to provide safer pedestrian access to Cranberry Pines Elementary School from the neighborhoods on the north side of Fairview Road. Woodbine Borough has continued to build upon their already expansive bicycle and pedestrian network by improving targeted areas throughout the municipality, such as the intersection of Dehirsch Avenue and Madison Avenue. Woodbine installed a high-visibility brick crosswalk, a flashing

LED pedestrian crossing sign, and ADA-compliant curb ramps at this intersection to enhance safety and alert motorists to the presence of pedestrians. It is hoped that these projects in Medford and Woodbine will inspire interested communities to adopt a Complete Streets policy and encourage those that already have policies to start implementing projects. Keep an eye out for Complete Streets in South Jersey: Lessons Learned, in 2015.

Newly paved Fairview Road with wide

shoulder in Medford Township

COMPLETE STREETS ELEMENTS INCLUDE:

Complete Streets are streets for everyone. They are roadways designed to meet the needs of all users:

Pedestrians Bicyclists Transit Riders Motorists --of all ages and abilities--


Not long ago, if you were planning a bus or rail trip it involved shuffling through numerous paper schedules and confus-ing timetables. No matter how well you planned it out, there was always a bit of guess work involved when it came to identifying the correct route, time, place to stand, and estimated fare. Not to mention, whether or not the bus was even running on time. Until the bus arrived at the stop there was always a bit of apprehension. With these uncertainties in-mind, taking that first transit trip on a new route or to a new location could be a stressful experi-ence. Now imagine for a second that it wasn’t your transit trip – but someone else’s you were planning – live, over the phone. Over 10 years ago, when I first started working at Cross County Connection, transit trip

planning was done with a stack of paper schedules and usually involved putting a caller on hold to grab the appropriate bus or rail schedule. Then, we had to interpret the schedule and double then triple-check the information we were giving out. Oh, and we had to do so in a timely manner so the impatient caller didn’t hang up. Not only did this process take a lot of time and care to ensure we were providing the correct information, but it left uncertainty in the minds of the people we were trying to assist. “Did that person just give me the right information?” Or, from our perspec-tive, “Did I just give that caller the right information?” Since then, the tools of transit trip planning have improved tremendously, and thanks to some great technological innovations, the guesswork has been

removed. These days, all anyone needs is a desktop computer or mobile device with internet access and you can plan a time-certain transit trip before you step out the door. Just consult Google Transit and it will identify the nearest transit route and provide the scheduled times from an automated system. Using itinerary planners, like Google Transit allows Cross County Connection staff to assist customers with with greater confidence and efficiency. Ever been stranded at the bus stop waiting and wondering if or when the next bus will arrive? This uncomfortable situation is becoming a thing of the past. Real-time transit information is an emerging technology that is becoming more and more commonplace in transit information services. NJ TRANSIT offers

EVOLUTION of Trip Planning

by: John Hainsworth, GIS/Technology Coordinator

Before electronic trip planners

were available, NJ TRANSIT provided Connection guides, usually referred to as “Bubble

Maps”. They were an invaluable resource when planning a bus trip

because they identified the transfer points along each bus route

and listed the routes traveling through each town. These guides

quickly identified the bus route options when

planning a trip


real-time bus tracking information with the “MyBus Now” service which estimates the arrival time of the bus based on GPS vehicle tracking. Real-time travel information is even available for many local transportation services. The BurLink Alert Service was developed to inform passengers of any delays on the Burlington County transit system. Messages from dispatchers are sent directly to passengers via email and text message when there is a delay in service, such as from inclement weather or a traffic accident. It also reduces the number calls coming in from worried passengers. We take these alert systems for granted now, but it wasn’t that long ago

when riders would be left curbside just waiting with uncertainty. Communication and peace of mind go a long way with retaining and building ridership. Below is an impressive list of technological advancements and tools. When transit information is combined with easy-to-use technology it has a great effect on the perception of public transit. Providing this level of detail to potential passengers increases the confidence in the transit system which helps find new riders, driving ridership numbers even higher. Transit system riders now feel empowered, not helpless when waiting at the bus stop. However, we can’t rely solely on electronic devices and computers for

important information. As we all know there are times when technology fails us, like if the internet goes down, the dreaded low battery message, no service, etc. Don’t forget that paper is technology, too. There will always be a place for printed transit resources and we feel that Cross County Connection’s South Jersey Transit Guide is the most complete example available. So, if all else fails just give us a call to receive a free copy of the Transit Guide. Although times have changed, Cross County Connection has not. We will still be here anytime (well, anytime Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm) for your travelling needs should you have a question about planning a transit trip in South Jersey!

Have a mobile

device? If you are standing at the bus stop

and trying to plan a trip in a pinch, there is an app for that too. There are several, more than we can list, actually. Here are a few of the best free transit apps that focus on New

Jersey and the Philadelphia/south

Jersey region

Call CCCTMA to receive your FREE Transit

Guide!

TRANSIT LOCATORCross County Connection’s own transit application. It identifies

your GPS location on a map along with every bus stop, route, and rail

station in New Jersey.WWW.TRANSITLOCATOR.COM

HOPSTOP Offers transit itinerary planning

for the Greater Philadelphia and New York City metro areas. Available on iTunes App Store

and on mobile web devices.WWW.HOPSTOP.COM

SEPTA Official application for

SEPTA bus, rail, and trolley services.

Available on iTunes App Store.

WWW.SEPTA.ORG

NJ TRANSIT MYTIXAllows passengers to purchase NJ TRANSIT rail tickets from their

mobile devices. Available on iTunes App Store and Google Play.

WWW.NJTRANSIT.COM/MYTIX

THE TRANSIT APPIncludes transit trip planner,

route maps, and identifies nearby transit services based on your

GPS location. Available on iTunes App Store and

Google Play.WWW.THETRANSITAPP.COM


SCHOOL

PLANST R A v E l

In New Jersey, there are many infrastructure grant opportunities for municipalities or school districts to apply for in order to obtain funding for infrastructure improvements that facilitate student travel, by bike or foot, to and from school. Improvements such as the construction or refurbishment of sidewalks and crosswalks, installation of traffic calming devices, and the creation of bikeways not only make it safer for students to bike or walk, but actually promote and encourage healthy lifestyles. Available grant opportunities to fund such projects are highly competitive. To accomplish any goal, such as pursuing grant funding, planning is key to ensure success. When applying for infrastructure grants, school districts and municipalities can benefit greatly from the creation of school Travel Plans. A Travel Plan is a document that identifies a school community’s strategies for coordinating bicycle and pedestrian encouragement activities, as well as analyzes areas in need of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvement along primary student travel corridors. A well-constructed Travel Plan will not

only identify flaws in existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, but also provide the recommendations necessary to make bicycling and walking safe and convenient for school aged children. Cross County Connection can work with your community to create a School Travel Plan at no cost. So you may be asking yourself, how is a Travel Plan created? A Travel Plan is created through the collection of data such as vehicle crash locations, traffic counts and existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Once compiled, the aforementioned data is then compared to the home locations of a school’s student populous to identify primary travel corridors. Once the primary travel corridors have been identified, walking and bicycling audits are conducted along with meetings with community, municipal and school district stakeholders to gather information After completing the audit, a Travel Plan is created which can serve as a tool for community planning. The report can be used to leverage support to make improvements to the bicycling and walking environment in a community. Many school districts and

municipalities have had Travel Plans created to prioritize engineering improvements and create neighborhood plans to facilitate walking and bicycling and educational and encouragement programs in schools. Additionally, Travel Plans can bolster the strength of a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) infrastructure grant application since NJDOTs grant application review process awards a point for having a Travel Plan. To date, Cross County Connection has created Travel Plans for many schools, including: Woodbine, Egg Harbor City, Pemberton, Southampton, Collingswood, and Voorhees. Travel Plans can be created for one school, multiple schools, or an entire district. Through a partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), Cross County Connection provides this service at no cost.

by: David Calderetti, SRTS Coordinator

If you are interested in finding out more about how Cross

County Connection can assist your community, give us a call at

(856) 596-8228.



General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) was developed

as an open source, standardized data format to include transit routes

and schedules into Google Maps.

A 21st CenturyTransit

TechnologyT I M E L I N E


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A Message from CCCTMA's Executive Director, Bill Ragozine:

I am very proud to report that our “little” non-profit transportation organization has reached the ripe old age of 25 years since its official incorporation! No small feat as corporations go – especially non-profit corporations! Cross County Connection TMA (CCCTMA) began as a rideshare agency in support of NJ Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) carpool system – the system that is advertised to this day on little blue signs along NJ highways that state: Carpool Information, 1-800-245-POOL. Our “region” consisted of Burlington and Camden Counties, where we would address rideshare requests on behalf of NJDOT and transit information requests on behalf of NJ Transit, and we had a staff of three (3) hard working individuals. We are a membership organization, and our members included – and still include - our funding agencies, a lot of concerned private companies, counties, municipalities, and the State’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Within a short period of time, CCCTMA was asked to expand our region to include all seven (7) southern NJ counties, and to expand our services to include employer programs, and increasing the awareness and use of alternatives to the single-occupant-vehicle (SOV), such as transit,

biking, walking, vanpools, telework, etc. Soon thereafter, and as a result of a lack of readily-available information and in an effort to encourage change, CCCTMA began a program of educating young children about the environmental benefits of using an alternative means of transportation instead of an SOV. Our “Pollution Solutions” training sessions became a model for similar classes across the entire State, as we trained thousands of young children annually. As a result of an increase in safety concerns, our efforts expanded to include safety education and increasing awareness of the pedestrians and bicyclists that access the transportation network along with motorized vehicles. With support from the Federal Highway Administration and NJDOT, we became coordinators for the NJ Safe Routes to School program in our region and have worked with hundreds of schools to further their involvement in this safety program. Our child education program evolved into a safety education program for children walking or bicycling to school. A few years ago, and with Board approval, CCCTMA purchased thousands of reflective arm bands and provided them – free of charge – to thousands of walkers and bikers in our 7-county region.

We then began to work closely with our municipalities and counties in order to assist them with the expansion of their pedestrian and bicycling networks with our planning expertise, always with the goal of developing a connected network suitable for commuters across our entire region. In that process, we developed an inventory of every formal bicycle route within our 7 counties, and continually utilize this in working with the communities in order to facilitate connections to adjacent routes, municipalities and counties. Working with our region’s counties, we began assisting with – and then administering – County shuttle programs that greatly expanded the availability of transit – and connections to NJ Transit services – within southern NJ. Recently, and in order to more progressively make available valuable transportation network information, we have developed smart phone and web applications concerning transit options, real-time traffic conditions, major road construction projects and detours, available bike routes, to name a few.As you can see, it has been an incredible run, and I can only imagine where this “little” organization will go in the next 25 years! But, then again, maybe I can!

Stay Tuned!


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Jeff Kehr & Jesse Lippert of HERE, a Nokia Company

CCCTMA kicked off it's 25th anniversary celebration at the annual

members' breakfast early in Sepetember.

CCCTMA Technical staff presented project updates

CCCTMAMEMBERS' BREAKFAST

2014

EASYriderCROSS COUNTY CONNECTIONTRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

4A Eves Drive, Suite 114Marlton, NJ [email protected] 856.596.8228F 856.983.0388

Current Occupant, or:

www.driveless.com

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Cherry Hill, NJPermit No. 241

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This Cross County Connection Transportation Management Association advertisement is funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. The Federal Government and the NJTPA assume no liability for the contents.

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Documents

Easy Rider Anniversary Issue