Last year, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), partnered with Collingswood Borough in New Jersey for an experimental pop-up program (ExPo): All Aboard Atlantic Avenue. The project was a complete streets demonstration project designed to test-run potential improvements that have worked in other places including a combination of traffic calming bump-outs, advisory bike lanes, and improved pedestrian crossings. All of these improvements are geared to accommodate all forms of transportation, reduce traffic speed and create safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists.
The project was such a success that residents of the Borough requested that the advisory bike lane and traffic calming bump-outs stay put for all to ride and walk along. With such a notable turnout, we wanted to visit Collingswood and capture the success of this project first-hand. Watch our video A look at All Aboard Atlantic Ave and Circuit Trails in Collingswood, NJ to learn more about the process of the project, what has stemmed from the feedback received from local residents and how this project has spurred interest in the development of more bike and pedestrian facilities and improved access to the Circuit Trails in Camden County.
What’s exciting about DVRPC’s ExPo program coming to Collingswood is how it inspired its mayor, the local residents, non-profit partners and PATCO to keep the momentum going. The team began identifying and addressing opportunities to improve bicycle and pedestrian accessibility for all shortly after the the project was completed. Right now, the latest is Collingswood’s Complete Streets Lab – PATCO Edition. Just last month, the Borough has partnered with Cross County Connection TMA, the county, PATCO and DVRPC to launch a temporary bike and pedestrian demonstration project and education campaign which included a bike boulevard along Maple Ave., traffic calming bump outs and a two-way separated bike lane along Bilson Avenue. To actually get folks out there, the Borough organized community bike rides to bring the experience and vision to residents that was spurred from the Connect 2020 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and survey results gathered over the years.
Curious about how a project like this can happen in your neighborhood? You can contact Patrick Monahan, the Bicycle Coalition’s Regional Organizer at patrick@bicyclecoalition.org for more information.