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The State Department of Transportation will honor a group of Asbury Park residents advocating for safer streets for all who use them.

The Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition will receive a Complete Streets Champion Award during the State’s Complete Streets Summit in October.

“Thank you for your hard work and leadership in bringing safer, more complete streets to New Jersey, ”said Elise Bremer-Nei, coordinator of the NJDOT’s Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs in a letter to the group.

The grassroots organization formed during the summer of 2015.

Their steering committee is comprised of Paula ‘Polli’ Schildge, Pam Lamberton, Doug McQueen, John Grant, Eric Galipo, Chris Lanni, Joe Grillo, Tracy Rogers, Rick Lambert, and Michael Kushner.

“We’re so honored to have been nominated,” Schildge said.

The group championed a campaign for a city-wide street design that takes all modes of travel into consideration. Be it a bicycle, skateboard, wheelchair, car, truck, roller blades or skates, members lobbied stakeholders to transform the city roads into safe lanes of travel.

“We are trying to educate and inform as many people as possible about the principals behind the complete streets policy,” member Doug McQueen has said.

The group also advocated for the city’s Main Street Road Diet; hosts educational events; sets up information tables at local events, festivals, walks, and runs; administers a bicycle rodeo with the school district; and conducts group rides throughout the city.

Their next event will be a Light Up The Night Bike Ride, which asks participants to decorate and light up their bikes for a 6:30 p.m. ride around the city on Aug. 22. The ride launches from Springwood Avenue Park, located between Union and Atkins avenue.

Below is a narrative history by Schildge:

Pam Lamberton posted on ND in summer 2015 asking for any interested individuals to help with the bicycle code which she was reviewing and updating.  We had a few informal meetings which began with focusing on riding bikes on Ocean Ave and the boardwalk, and gradually evolved into discussion about safety on AP streets and the most vulnerable users-bicyclists and pedestrians.  In October 2015 we learned that the city had resolved to reject the NJDOT redevelopment plan for Main Street.  Part of the plan included a road diet involving changing from 4 travel lanes to 2 with a left turn lane, and bike lanes. The executive director of NJ Bike & Walk Coalition attended one of our first meetings, and they have provided continued support and guidance.  Our founding members included 3 who have extensive background in urban planning. Others in the group each have unique strengths, and we’ve worked together to bring awareness and educate the community about Complete Streets. We utilized a research document, infographic, lots of community engagement, a FB page and a website.  We garnered support from businesses with a logo letter, and a petition for the Main Street reconfiguration, both presented to the city council. We had many individual and group meetings with the mayor, members of the city council and within the community, as well as presentations at council meetings. This was our first specific initiative, which was successful in May 2017 when the city resolved to rescind the resolution to reject the NJDOT plan! We continue to engage with city leaders and administration to advocate for equitability and safety of city streets, and to make Asbury Park a great city to live in and visit.

For more about Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition, visit their website and Facebook page.

[Photos courtesy of Complete Streets Coalition]

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