Minutes from the August 8, 2002 Meeting of The Mayor's Bicycle and
Pedestrian Task Force- West Windsor Township, NJ
Meeting Attendees: Kristin Appleget, Peter Bilton, Ken Carlson, Dan Fabrizio, George Fries, Shing-Fu Hsueh, Myra Hochman, Daryl McMillan, Alison Miller, Ken Naglak, Don Smart, Babu Veeregowda
Task Force Organization
- This was the first meeting of the Mayor's Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force.
- The mayor began the meeting by explaining his reasons for initiating the task force and his strong desire to improve bicycle and pedestrian access and safety within the town. He mentioned that the group should strive to produce a comprehensive plan that could ultimately be presented to and adopted by the Planning Board.
- The Task Force will meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month, at 7:30-9:00 PM in Rm A of the Municipal Center. Dates for upcoming meetings are: Sept. 12th, Oct. 10th, Nov. 14th, and Dec. 12th. The Recreational Trails and Bikeways Committee will meet the 4th Thursday of each month- all are invited to attend.
- Meetings will be agenda-driven, and meeting minutes will be taken and distributed.
- It was discussed that a Task Force Web Site would be useful to help organize and post information and as a mechanism for the public to find out about the activities of the Task Force.
- The Task Force needs to develop a Mission Statement and to establish clear goals. It was suggested that the Task Force use the RTBC's mission statement and goals as a starting point. The most recent RTBC brochures, which contain the RTBC Mission Statement, were provided to each member. As stated, the mission of the RTBC is to: work with the township to facilitate the creation and implementation of a Township-wide plan that provides bikeways
and recreational trails so that both adults and children can travel safely throughout town for business, commutation and recreation without having to rely on automobiles. Goals include:
- Develop and publicize safe bike lanes along Township roads, both for recreation and commuting.
- Develop bike/pedestrian paths to provide better connectivity both within the township and between West Windsor and its neighbors.
- Actively participate in regional bike trail development efforts.
- Advocate for the creation of safe bike/pedestrian crossing points to traverse major barriers such as the Northeast Corridor Train tracks and Route 1.
- Develop and publicize multi-use recreational trails on Open Space parcels for cycling, walking, running, rollerblading, and cross- country skiing.
- Advocate for pedestrian and bikeways for all new road construction and major reconstruction in the township.
- Promote bicycle safety within the township by increasing public awareness.
- It was suggested the mission statement and goals be worked on through e-mail ahead of the next meeting.
- It was suggested that the Task Force be divided into sub-committees to facilitate the Task Force's overall mission and goals. Suggested sub-committees include: 1) Planning, to formulate an overall bike/ped concept plan for the Township; 2) Funding, to work towards obtaining funding sources for projects from alternate (non-Township) sources such as the DOT or Design for Active Living; 3) Outreach/Key Contacts, to solicit the input of the general public and interest groups on bike/ped issues; and 4) Pedestrian/Sidewalk, to expand the Township's sidewalk system as may be appropriate. It was asked that each member consider his or her participation in one or more of these sub-committees. It was suggested that each sub-committee elect a chairperson to act as a contact person.
- It was suggested that Babu Veeregowda act as a liaison between the Task Force and SPRAB and perhaps be an advisor to Planning Board. One of the goals of the group will be to work with SPRAB (Site Plan Review and Advisory Board) and ultimately the Planning Board. George Fries will act as the liaison between the Task Force and the Township.
Initial Focus
- As the first official action of the Task Force, it was suggested that the next meeting be dedicated to a discussion of the Penns Neck Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In fact, the Penns Neck EIS and Millstone Bypass will likely be the initial primary focus of the Task Force given the potential for influencing the bicycle/pedestrian planning process of the Bypass project. Jon Carnegie of the Voorhees Transportation Policy Institute at Rutgers University made a presentation on the EIS process to the members of the RTBC on August 4th. The Voorhees Policy was selected by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to design and manage the Penns Neck Area EIS process. As part of the process of designing the Millstone (or Penns Neck) Bypass, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process is being developed that "embraces the principles of Context Sensitive Design, including flexible design, respectful communications and negotiation and conflict resolution". Princeton Borough, Princeton Township, Plainsboro and West Windsor are included in this process. There are currently 7 Bypass alternatives under consideration with a total of 18 potential options. The project deadline is late December for the issuance of a draft document and selection of an alternative will be finalized by April. To learn more about the EIS visit http://policy.rutgers.edu/tpi/pennsneckareaeis/.
- Ken Carlson reported that the RTBC was advised that the Bypass is now being considered a "mobility project" rather than a road project. Among the goals of the project are to relieve congestion by encouraging fewer auto trips and promoting "alternate trip modes". Basically, the goal is to get as many cars off the road as possible. This entails putting together a "Mobility Package", which includes a bicycle/pedestrian package and a commitment for improving bicycle and pedestrian accommodations as part of the Bypass. What this package will include has not yet been determined, but is clear that the EIS is focusing in the next six weeks on bicycle/pedestrian issues. It was the general feeling of the group that a review of the options under consideration be undertaken and appropriate input be provided as part of the EIS process. George Fries, who had previously downloaded maps of the various options under consideration agreed to provide each member with copies of the relevant maps as a first step. Each member was also provided with a West Windsor Township map outlining the conceptual bike plan of the RTBC for his or her review.
Action Items
- Task Force members should work on adapting the Mission Statement and Goals of the RTBC to fit the needs of the Task Force. Edits should be sent to the entire Task Force.
- Task Force members should communicate their preference for sub-committee assignments.
- Distribute maps of the various alternatives of the Millstone Bypass.
- George will investigate the Sunshine Laws to determine if the Task Force can hold ad hoc meetings without advanced public notice.
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