Conducted through a partnership between the Center for Community Planning, the American Planning Association New Jersey Chapter (APA-NJ) and the NJTPA, the Transit Hub Planning Program enables development of strategic plans to re-use, redevelop, or improve areas surrounding a bus, rail, light rail, or ferry station or stop in selected communities. These plans help communities to identify implementable strategies to improve access to the transit station, increase economic activity in the hub area, create improved public spaces and promote a more vibrant and connected community.
Program Approach
A team of volunteer planners is engaged to provide technical planning support for up to two community groups or municipalities. The projects are selected on a competitive basis by a committee made up of staff from the three organizations and generally follow the processes and principles outlined in the NJTPA Guidebook for Transit Hub Planning.
Eligible Entities
Any municipality or community organization in New Jersey is eligible. Any projects that are selected in the NJTPA’s 13-county region – Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties – would be eligible for support from the NJTPA staff.
Planning Activities
- Evaluate transportation and land use conditions at the transit station and surrounding project area.
- Conduct a robust community outreach process in collaboration with municipal officials and leaders.
- Set goals and objectives for the area.
- Identify challenges in the area and opportunities for future improvements.
- Identify transportation, land use, business, and quality of life improvement recommendations.
Products
- Strategic Plan outlining potential solutions and approaches.
- Guidance for advancing the elements of the plan including advancing an application to New Jersey’s Transit Village Program, which is administered by NJ TRANSIT and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). (http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/community/village/index.shtml).
Additional Information
Selected municipalities are expected to provide planning and engineering champions to support the work and be available for discussions with agencies at the municipal, county, regional, and state levels.