Together 202: Reimagining Complete
Communities along a Connecting Corridor
Public Workshop #2
March 28, 2013
Section title
Subtitle
Tonight
What is Together 202?
Who is involved?
Why are we doing the project?
Findings so far
Introduce Exercises
Break into groups
What
What is Together North Jersey?
• A planning initiative currently underway in the 13-county North Jersey
Transportation Planning Authority region of New Jersey
• In November 2011, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) awarded Together North Jersey a $5 million grant to develop a Regional
Plan for Sustainable Development (RPSD)
• Create a comprehensive and balanced plan that invests in the region’s existing
communities where housing, jobs, educational, cultural, and recreational
opportunities are made more easily accessible to most residents without having
to drive to them
What are Local Demonstration Projects?
• The LDP is intended to provide technical assistance to local partners throughout
Northern New Jersey to undertake strategic planning activities promoting
sustainable and livable, transit-oriented development and advance the broader
goals of the RPSD
• Potential LDP projects include a variety of local planning activities to make
transit corridors and communities more livable
What
What
This project proposes to:
1. Foster a working and collaborative network
2. Develop a deep understanding of the Route 202
Corridor
3. Develop a local-driven vision for the corridor
Together 202 Scope & Timeline
Phase I: Research & Analysis – Where are we now? Where are we
headed?
• Review of Master Plans, Studies and Reports
• Demographic/economic profiles
• Corridor Tour
Phase II: Outreach & Ideas - Where do we want to go?
• Focus Groups (Mayors, Transportation, Business)
• Community Workshops
Phase III: Implementation Strategies - How do we get there?
• Corridor Vision Plan
Together 202 Goals & Objectives
Getting Places
Expanding Economic
Opportunities
Connect workers, residents and
employees to key employment and
commercial destinations through
enhanced transit
Make recommendations for existing
businesses to capitalize on
transit/corridor improvements
Together 202 Goals & Objectives
Growing in Place
Working Together
Identify target opportunity sites for
redevelopment, reinvention or
repositioning
Work closely with state agencies to
implement recommendations
Together 202 Goals & Objectives
Keeping Healthy, Safe &
Vibrant
Find ways to improve connectivity
along the corridor
Who
-
Project Team:
• Regional Plan Association
• The Williams Group
• Arup
-
Steering Committee:
• Somerset County
• NORWESCAP
• Somerset County Business
Partnership
• Hunterdon County Chamber of
Commerce
• Raritan Valley Community College
• HART TMA
• Ridewise TMA
• Flemington Borough
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Trans-Bridge Bus
Hunterdon County
Bridgewater Township
Somerville Borough
Raritan Borough
Branchburg Township
Readington Township
Raritan Township
NJTPA
Why
The Study Area
The Study Area
The Study Area
The 202 Corridor
2035?
KEY FINDINGS
•
•
•
•
•
Steering Committee
Public Workshop
Transportation Round Table
Business Round Table
Mayors Meeting
Some land uses have to
change in order for there to be
better connectivity and
enhanced service
KEY FINDINGS
KEYCENTERS
FINDINGS
EDGES
CROSSROADS
RURAL NEIGHBORHOODS
PARKWAY
The Economic Future of the
Route 202 Corridor
Attracting Business and Development
•
•
•
•
Opportunities
•
•
•
•
Highly educated white collar
Strong skills in tech, math, life
sciences and education
Home ownership, Low crime
•
•
•
•
•
GAP
1.
2.
Existing Clusters—pharm, environ, life
sciences, health care = NJ fastest
growing industries
• Issues
•
Closing the
Strong MF housing demand
Strong tourism and natural amenities
Scores high for business attraction-health/pharm, related tech. & quality
of life
Scores low for empty nester housing =
19% below USA average
Corporate Sprawl, limited transit
Vacating Corporate parks
Oversupplied retail and office
Traffic along 202
Young graduates are fastest growing
demo. But demand not met
3.
4.
5.
6.
Foster downtown growth to
support transit/business
Support health,
environment and energy
businesses as growth
opportunities
Provide incentives for
businesses
Keep older baby boomers
in downtown & Attract
graduating college
professionals amenities
Maintain downtown
densities to support transit
Provide convenient
intermodal connections
• Future Vision
•
•
•
•
•
•
Downtown infill empty
nester housing
Imaginative reuse
•
Malls
•
Corporate campus
•
Big box
Marketing Plan to Attract
business
Zoning and Incentives to
locate businesses in
targeted locations
Linked transit connections
Zoning to discourage
sprawl
Comingling nature along
the 202 spine
The Exercises
THE EXERCISE
5 Stations
1. Centers
2. Edges (with design studies)
3. Crossroads (with design studies)
4. Rural Neighborhood/Parkway
5. Together North Jersey
(Information/comments)
5 Stations
• General Together North
Jersey questions
• General Together 202
Questions
• Overall Comments
5 Stations
5 Stations
CENTERS. EDGES.
CROSSROADS.
RURAL/PARKWAY.
5 Stations
CENTERS. EDGES.
CROSSROADS.
RURAL/PARKWAY.
5 Stations
EDGES.
CROSSROADS.
5 Stations
CENTERS.
RURAL/PARKWAY.
At Each Station – 15 minutes
1. Facilitator overview (5 minutes)
2. Interview your neighbor (6 minutes)
1. What you like
2. What you would change/how
3. Group discussion (2 minutes)
4. Post your neighbor’s ideas and move to next
station (2 minutes)
First Stop
1. Centers
2. Edges
3. Crossroads
4. Rural Neighborhood/Parkway
5.
T Together North Jersey