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The Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition, a grassroots committee of residents, asked candidates seeking to fill the three City Council seats up for grabs in the Nov. 8 election to participate in a Questionnaire centered around the group’s mission to bring a uniformed approach to creating safer roadways for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

With an outlined vision of installing everything from uniformed bike racks across the city to smart road design that accommodates all modes of transportation, the group has voiced support of the proposed Road Diet, that would see Main Street redesigned into a two lane road, with center turn and bicycle lanes.

The incumbent Asbury Together ticket comprised of Eileen Chapman, Yvonne Clayton and Amy Quinn, is being challenged by the Citizens For Asbury Park ticket of Daniel Harris, Kenneth Saunders Jr and Stephen Williams.

Complete Streets Coalition member Doug McQueen said responses were not received at the time of their deadline by Yvonne Clayton, Kenneth Saunders Jr or Stephen Williams.

Below are the questions and responses:

1) [Incumbents only] The City Council passed a Complete Streets Policy in October 2015 by Resolution 2015-358. What Complete Streets measures have been implemented?

EILEEN CHAPMAN: The initiatives that have been implemented since I’ve been appointed to the Asbury Park City Council this past summer include the addition of new bike racks to further biking as a mode of transportation. We’ve also been working with Brian Cheripka of IStar to improve the waterfront area in regards to implementing Complete Streets ideas as part of the waterfront amendments. We are awaiting additional data from New Jersey Department of Transportation on Main Street traffic counts.

We are also awaiting implementation of our road projects that have been stalled due to Gov. Christie’s freeze we have the opportunity to then implement the aspects of the Complete Streets Program.

I am personally researching and reviewing other towns that have included Complete Streets design and aspects to their communities.

AMY QUINN: Hiring a transportation planner, adding bike racks throughout the downtown and making the process easier to request one, ensuring bike lanes are part of the street repaving program (Sunset and 4th to start), requirements for developers to install bike racks & transit village designation application.

Grants: Applied for Bike Lane planning grant; Applied for Safe Routes to School; Applying for Transportation Alternatives Program

2) [Incumbents only] In the year since this council passed a Complete Streets policy, which Asbury Park city officials have received specific training or instruction regarding the planning or implementation of Complete Streets?

EILEEN CHAPMAN: As I have not had the pleasure to serve the city for an entire year, I’ve reached out to our City Manager. He stated that the Mayor and a police officer in charge of traffic attended a Department of Transportation training earlier this year. Our City Planner has also undergone training as part of required professional training.

AMY QUINN: Mayor John Moor with Officer Joel Fiore went to a workshop in Trenton and received a Certificate. I have not completed a training, however I continue to have conversations regarding complete streets with the Director of Community and Constituent Relations, NJ Department of Transportation; Cyndi Steiner, Executive Director, New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition, and Elise Bremer-Nei, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Coordinator.

ALL CANDIDATES:

3) The Asbury Park Master Plan and all of the City’s redevelopment plans make specific reference to the need for streets that better accommodate bikes and pedestrians. If elected, what specific measures will you take to ensure that Asbury Park becomes a safer, more accessible place for pedestrians, bike riders and those without automobiles?

EILEEN CHAPMAN: The City has just hired a Transportation Planner who, as part of their job, will ensure all transportation aspects (walking, biking, riding, mass transit, etc.) are met. We will continue to review any and all road plans and improvements to ensure all needs can be met and will continue to work with IStar on their plan amendments to improve the waterfront for those without automobiles.

We saw many more visitors using train service to our City and I’m grateful for the free shuttle but we also need safer crosswalks and wayfaring signs to make our City more welcoming. I’d also like to see us provide walking tour, biking tour, historic tour and church tour pamphlets to residents and visitors to encourage walking and biking.

DAN HARRIS: First would be to send City Council members, the Mayor, City Manager, City Planner, the Michaels Group and Interfaith Neighbors with chosen members of the Complete Streets Coalition to Ocean City and Newark. They would meet with their city officials to see how their Complete Streets Programs were implemented. This would eliminate the cost of a consultant. Just look at a program that works in an urban center and one that works in a beachfront community. Then sit down with a qualified engineer and planner to develop a timetable for implementation of the program. If after that we felt that a consultant was needed, we would hire one. I mention interface and the Michaels Group because I feel that Springwood Ave corridor is perfect for the Complete Streets Program.

AMY QUINN: Better signage, better traffic calming measures, a comprehensive bike plan, better traffic signals and crosswalks.

4) What does the term “complete streets” mean to you?

EILEEN CHAPMAN: Simply, a complete street that is designed to be safe for all: pedestrians, bikes, vehicles, mass transit, the young and the old, the physically challenged, etc. More broadly, it’s not just improvements to a road; it represents commitment and change to an entire community.

DAN HARRIS: Complete Streets means streets that can be used by everyone. Safe corridors for bikes, walkers and cars. It means handicapped accessibility for the handicapped. It means less pollution and stores that will be doing better because people will have time to look at them while driving. It also means less accidents because people will be driving slower. It means more sophisticated in traffic signals to control traffic. But in the end it means a safer city.

AMY QUINN: An environment that provides safe, efficient, and healthier transportation for all users.

5) If elected, what specifically will you do to work with county and state agencies to ensure that Complete Streets are implemented on state, county and local roads within Asbury Park?

EILEEN CHAPMAN: I understand that the State, the County and Asbury Park have adopted Complete Streets Policies. I will network with our fellow elected officials and their staff to ensure that our needs our met. For our local roads that starts at staff and design. I have, and will continue to make clear, that Complete Streets is something that we must continue to incorporate.

DAN HARRIS: Meet with these officials on a regular basis. I am retired so it is easy for me to make time. It would definitely mean going to workshops in reference to the implementation of the program. We would also explore the possibility of acquiring grants from the county and state to make it happen.

AMY QUINN: Remain in contact with all the State and Local agencies regarding complete streets.

6) If elected, what will you do to ensure that community advocacy groups like AARP and the Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition can participate, both formally and informally, in the process of making Asbury Park’s streets safer and more inclusive for all users?

EILEEN CHAPMAN: I would like to see a formal presentation prepared by the Complete Streets group to the City Council and the residents and stakeholders of our city. Public comment is extremely important to the implementation of such policies. I implore advocacy groups to review our agendas that are posted on our website and come speak publicly about concerns. Public engagement and transparency are very important to me.

DAN HARRIS: First by including members on strategic boards and committees throughout the city. The first two would be the planning and zoning boards. The shade tree commission would be another. We would also create an ad hoc committee to study the condition of streets and sidewalks throughout the city. It is impossible to implement a plan without looking at the locations. We would also lobby residents of the affected neighborhoods to participate. This would give them input and create a bond between the AARP and APCSC members. This is one way of unifying a city without creating animosity or exclusion.

AMY QUINN: Increase outreach to interested parties.

7) In 2015 the current City Council rejected a NJDOT proposal for a “road diet” reconfiguration of Main Street. The design is consistent with the Asbury Park Master Plan [See pages 83, 91, 93, 96 to 104] and 2008 Main Street Redevelopment Plan [See pages 10 and 30]. What is your position on the road diet proposal for Main Street?

EILEEN CHAPMAN: I was not on the Council at the time but had spoken to the Mayor who was, as well as our City Manager and City Planner. I was told that the DOT and their consultant did a horrible job of presenting the Road Diet plan to them and that was the reason that it was rejected. I am currently doing my own research and reaching out to do my own fact-finding. I am anxious to make this a priority with our new Transportation Director when they come on board in November.

DAN HARRIS: It should be implemented immediately. One only needs to travel to Avon to see the effect of their Complete Streets plan.

AMY QUINN: I have an open mind to the Road Diet on Main Street. We are waiting for July Traffic Counts and provided those traffic counts are low I will request DOT provide two plans to the City Council, one that includes a road diet and takes into consideration the concerns addressed with the last plan (turning queues, updated counts and modeling, bus stops).

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