[Adopted 5-22-2019 by Ord. No. 12-2019]
[Amended 6-10-2020 by Ord. No. 06-2020]
There is hereby created an advisory committee, which shall be
known as the "Complete Streets Advisory Committee."
[Added 6-10-2020 by Ord. No. 06-2020]
A.
Compensation, funding and clerical assistance. The members of the
Complete Streets Advisory Committee shall receive no compensation
for their services. The Borough's governing body may, in its discretion,
allow the employment of clerical assistance for the Complete Streets
Advisory Committee and annually appropriate funds for compensation
and/or expenses for said clerical assistance (if so assigned by the
governing body). Funding for the operations of the Committee shall
be appropriated by the Borough Council and expenses financed through
ordinary budgetary means.
B.
Powers and duties. The Complete Streets Advisory Committee shall
have the power to:
(1)
Investigate and analyze issues affecting pedestrian and bicycle safety.
(2)
Recommend to the Mayor and Council initiatives and policies designed
to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety.
(3)
Collaborate with Borough boards/committees, residents, volunteers,
employees, governmental agencies etc., to share resource information
and ideas consistent with the purpose of the Complete Streets Advisory
Committee.
(4)
Encourage participation in Complete Streets projects and undertake
factual investigation to determine the need to create, continue and
expand Complete Streets initiatives, which shall include, but not
be limited to, walking and bicycling programs to encourage individuals
to be more physically active and to connect our community's parks
and recreational amenities.
(5)
Participate in annual training to research and analyze methods, trends
and studies so as to incorporate the best approaches to Complete Streets
for a healthier and safer environment for the residents and travelers
of the Borough of Eatontown.
(6)
Develop strategies to create and expand upon the benefits of Complete
Streets and to make the Borough more walk and bike friendly.
(7)
Maintain communication with the public, private agencies and organizations
of local, state, and national scope, whose programs and activities
may have an impact on, and are compatible with, the Complete Streets
initiatives, and can be of assistance to the Complete Streets Advisory
Committee.
(8)
Review and submit comments regarding the finished Complete Streets
checklists that are submitted to the Planning and Zoning Board and
Borough professionals in accordance with Ordinance No. 12-2019.
(9)
Carry out other such duties as may be assigned from time to time
by the Borough Council and/or Business Administrator.
(10)
Create and disband subcommittees as they deem appropriate or
as requested by the Borough Council.
(11)
Encourage and seek participation of other residents of the Borough
in their activities.
C.
Membership, terms.
(1)
The Complete Streets Advisory Committee shall consist of eight regular
members and three advisory members.
(a)
Regular members shall consist of:
[1]
One member of Beautify Eatontown.
[2]
One member of the local Board of Education.
[3]
One member of the Environmental Commission or Green Team.
[4]
One member of the Historical Committee.
[5]
One member of the Shade Tree Commission.
[6]
One member of the Traffic Advisory Committee.
[7]
Two members at large who represent the mission and advocacy
of the Complete Streets Advisory Committee or Priority Communities
as defined by the Department of Transportation's Complete and Green
Streets For All Model Policy and as incorporated in Ordinance No.
12-2019.
(2)
Regular members who represent other Borough committees shall be appointed by the Borough's governing body. The member from the Board of Education shall be selected by the local Board of Education. To reflect the long-term planning involved with Complete Streets initiatives, subject to Subsection C(3), terms of regular members shall be three years or expire earlier if the member is no longer a member of their respective Borough committee or the local Board of Education. Subject to Subsection C(4), advisory members serve an annual term.
(3)
The original regular members shall be appointed within 60 days after
the effective date of this article and shall serve for a term expiring
on December 31, 2023. All subsequent appointments, except to fill
vacancies, shall be for a full term of three years beginning January
1 of the first term year.
(4)
The original advisory members shall be appointed within 60 days after
the effective date of this article and shall serve for a term expiring
December 31, 2021. All subsequent appointments, except to fill vacancies,
shall be for a full term of one year beginning on January 1 of the
term year.
D.
Officers and records. The Complete Streets Advisory Committee shall
meet annually to reorganize and determine when it shall meet and how
often, however, the Committee shall meet quarterly, at least four
times per year. At its annual meeting or reorganization meeting, the
Committee shall designate amongst its members a Chairperson, who shall
serve for a term of one year. The Complete Streets Advisory Committee
may re-elect the same individual as Chairperson on an annual basis.
At any annual meeting of the Complete Streets Advisory Committee,
its members shall elect, from among themselves, all officers and establish
rules and procedures for its members to follow. The Complete Streets
Advisory Committee shall keep accurate minutes of its meetings and
transmit to the Borough Clerk its minutes when approved. It shall
file an annual report with the Borough Council which shall cover the
activities and work of the Complete Streets Advisory Committee and
include recommendation as may be necessary to fulfill the purposes
of this section and Ordinance No. 12-2019.
E.
Intent. This section shall be deemed an exercise of the powers of
the Borough Council to establish a committee with the responsibility
to research connections that will create safe, convenient, accessible,
equitable, healthy, and environmentally and economically beneficial
transportation options for all users within the Borough, including
pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers
of commercial goods, transit vehicle users, residents of Priority
Communities and those who cannot afford a car or who choose to reduce
their car usage.
F.
Effective date. This section shall take effect immediately upon final
passage and publication as provided by law.
A.
Policy. The Borough of Eatontown shall develop an integrated and
connected multimodal transportation system of Complete Streets that
serve all neighborhoods and populations. Towards this end:
(1)
All transportation projects shall create Complete Streets that allow
safe, environmentally healthy, economically sound, equitable, accessible,
and convenient travel along and across streets for users of all ages
and abilities and for all modes of transportation, including motorists,
bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and their passengers, and
pedestrians, and strive to meet the following goals.
(a)
Safety: Eliminate all road fatalities, significantly reduce
crash severity and injury, and minimize crime risk.
(b)
Environment: Improve air quality, water quality, and stormwater
management; reduce flooding; mitigate traffic congestion.
(c)
Economic: Stimulate economic prosperity.
(d)
Health: Increase physical activity and social connectivity with
the goal of lowering the risk of obesity, reducing chronic disease
and promoting wellness.
(e)
Equity: Implement policies and distribute funding and other
resources equitably and responsibly in all neighborhoods, particularly
in priority communities; improve non-motor vehicle transportation
systems.
(2)
The Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, along with their
respective planning and engineering professionals, shall incorporate
this Complete Streets policy into its reviews and recommendations
of major site plan and development/redevelopment projects; that all
initial planning, designing studies and reviews for projects requiring
funding or approval by the Borough should (a) evaluate the effect
of the proposed project on safe travel by all users, and (b) identify
measures to mitigate any adverse impacts on such travel that are identified.
(3)
This section shall apply to all public and/or private transportation
projects, including those using funds awarded by the federal, state,
regional, county, municipality, or any other local agency. This shall
include new construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration,
repaving, rehabilitation, private development projects, and maintenance
of highways, roads and streets.
(4)
The Eatontown Borough Council, Borough Planner and Engineer shall
routinely work in coordination with each other and adjacent jurisdictions,
and any relevant advisory committees/teams, to create complete and
green streets and to ensure consistency with the Borough of Eatontown's
Master Plan and Elements and any other existing pedestrian/bicycle/multimodal
plans, stormwater management plans, and pollution prevention plans.
(5)
Within two years of the effective date of this policy, the Complete
Streets Advisory Committee working with the Borough Administrator
shall recommend priority items and create a feasible timeline to inventory
and update procedures, policies, plans, documents, training programs,
performance measures and other guidance documents to be consistent
with this policy. The purpose of this policies and practices review
is to identify areas where tenets of this policy will need to be incorporated.
This includes, but is not limited to, funding, planning, designing,
operating, and maintaining transportation infrastructure. The Eatontown
Borough Council will use this audit to incorporate this policy as
updates to its procedures, plans, policies, etc. as they are scheduled.
(6)
Transportation projects and master and capital plans shall include,
when appropriate and feasible, sustainable design elements, including,
but not limited to:
(7)
Transportation projects and master and capital plans shall include
where appropriate and feasible pedestrian and bicycle design elements
and transit amenities, including but not limited to: curb extensions,
sidewalks, radar feedback signs, pedestrian countdown signals, pedestrian
refuge islands, road diets, lane width reductions, chicanes, roundabouts,
bike lanes, protected bike lanes, bike parking, lighting, wayfinding,
seating, trash receptacles, transit amenities, etc.
(8)
The Borough Administrator shall implement this policy and formally
coordinate with the Borough Planner and Engineer with advice and input
from the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, and Complete
Streets Advisory Committee to set measurable goals to ensure the successful
implementation of the Complete Streets Policy in priority communities.
(9)
The Eatontown Borough Council shall utilize the most current editions
of guides, manuals, and best practices on street design, construction,
operations, and maintenance that apply to bicycle, pedestrian, transit,
stormwater and highway facilities. All manuals, standards, and guidelines
shall be made publicly available online, when applicable.
B.
Public participation.
(1)
The Eatontown Borough Council has established a Complete Streets
Advisory Committee to help the Borough of Eatontown to comply with
the Complete Streets policy/ordinance and to provide ongoing feedback
to the Borough related to the implementation of the Complete Streets
Policy/Ordinance. The Complete Streets Advisory Committee, through
the coordination of the Borough Administrator, shall solicit the feedback
of a broad group of stakeholders including, but not limited to:
(a)
Borough elected officials;
(b)
Law enforcement;
(c)
Public works;
(d)
Planners;
(e)
Engineers;
(f)
Emergency medical service (EMS);
(g)
Fire;
(h)
School;
(i)
Business and developer community;
(j)
Civic and advocacy groups;
(k)
Public health professionals;
(l)
Transit professionals; and
(m)
Community members, including persons with disabilities, senior
and youth organizations, persons representing low- and moderate-income
communities, people with limited or no access to a vehicle, people
with limited English proficiency, and persons of racial/ethnic minorities.
(2)
Beginning with the planning stage, the Borough of Eatontown shall
identify an existing process or develop a new process that allows
for public participation in decision-making concerning the design,
planning, and use of streets and roadways covered by this policy.
C.
Exceptions.
(1)
A transportation project may not be required to accommodate the needs
of a particular user group if the Borough Administrator and Borough
Engineer/Planner determines in writing that any one of the following
occur:
(a)
The use of the transportation facility by the particular user
group is prohibited by law;
(b)
There is a demonstrated absence of both a current and future
need to accommodate the category of user (absence of future need may
be shown via demographic, school, employment, and public transportation
route data that demonstrate, for example, a low likelihood of bicycle,
pedestrian, or transit activity in an area over the next 20 years);
and
(c)
The adverse impacts of implementing this Complete Streets policy
significantly outweigh the benefits.
(d)
Public projects will be reviewed by the Borough professionals
and they will deem whether or not the project is in the public's best
interest.
(2)
An exception shall be granted only if:
(a)
Request for an exception is submitted in writing, with supporting
documentation, and made publicly available with a minimum of 30 days
allowed for public input; and
(b)
The exception is approved in writing by the Borough Administrator
and Borough Engineer/Planner and the written approval is made publicly
available except in extenuating circumstances.
D.
Program reporting.
(1)
The Complete Streets Advisory Committee shall establish benchmarks,
develop plans and set goals to ensure the successful implementation
of the Complete Streets policy, to make sure all users can travel
safely and conveniently along highways, roads and streets within the
Borough's jurisdiction and in its priority communities. Each year
the Complete Streets Advisory Committee shall prepare a report to
the Borough Council identifying barriers and proposing solutions to
successful implementation of the Complete Streets policy in priority
communities.
(2)
The annual report will allow the Eatontown Borough Council to evaluate
implementation of the Complete Street policy. Each annual report shall
include the data collected pursuant to program reporting, as well
as a list of ongoing and completed transportation projects during
that fiscal year. If any exceptions are applied to transportation
projects pursuant to exceptions to Complete Streets requirements herein,
such projects and the relevant exceptions should be identified in
the annual report. All benchmarks and reports shall be made publicly
available online.
(3)
The Borough Administrator shall assign appropriate responsibility
to collect and monitor data under the Borough's jurisdiction and in
coordination with the county and state when available to determine
compliance with the Complete Streets Advisory Committee's benchmarks.
Benchmarks shall include but are not limited to:
(a)
Mileage of new and existing bicycle infrastructure included
in priority communities (e.g., bicycle lanes, bike parking, paths,
and boulevards).
(b)
Linear feet (or mileage) of new and existing pedestrian infrastructure
(e.g., sidewalks, trails, transit amenities).
(c)
Number of new and existing ADA-compliant infrastructure (e.g.,
curb ramps, pedestrian buttons).
(d)
Number of new street trees.
(e)
Number of Green Street practices (e.g., rain gardens, bioswales,
permeable pavement).
(f)
Number of pedestrian and bicycle lighting improvements.
(g)
Bicycle and pedestrian counts.
(h)
Commute mode percentages (e.g., drive alone, carpool, transit,
bicycle, walk).
(i)
The number and percentage of designated transit stops accessible
via sidewalks and curb ramps.
(j)
The number, locations, and causes of collisions, injuries, and
fatalities by each mode of transportation.
(k)
The percentage of children walking or bicycling to school.
E.
Complete streets checklists.[1]
(1)
The Eatontown Borough Council shall develop and adopt one or more
Complete Streets checklists to be used during the project selection,
planning, designing, construction, funding and maintenance of all
transportation projects.
(2)
Each item in the checklist must include an area to provide a brief
description for how the item is addressed, not addressed, or not applicable
to the Complete Streets policy.
(3)
The checklist shall explain the process for granting exceptions and
indicate who is responsible for approving any exceptions before they
are granted.
(4)
The Borough Planner or Engineer shall be responsible for completing
the checklists and/or reviewing the checklists. For Borough-funded
projects in which there is no applicant the Borough's Planner and
Engineer will be solely responsible for completion and review. Applicants
that come before the Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment, however,
will have their professionals complete the checklist and submit it
the respective Board's professionals for review.
(5)
A complete streets checklist shall entail but is not limited to:
(a)
Existing pedestrian, bicycle, transit, motor vehicle, and truck/freight
accommodations (facilities) and operations.
(b)
Traffic volumes — Existing safety and/or access issues
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA compliance).
(c)
Land use within the study area including trip generators —
Existing and proposed streetscape elements including furniture, trees,
or other environmental enhancements.
(d)
Review of existing plans.
(e)
Proposed pedestrian, bicycle, transit, motor vehicle, and truck/freight
accommodations (facilities) and desired future operations.
(f)
ADA compliance of the proposed design.
(g)
Compatibility with the surrounding land use and density.
(h)
Consistency with applicable design standards and guidelines.
(i)
Opportunities to improve public health through physical activity
and mobility options.
(j)
Opportunities to manage stormwater through green infrastructure.
(6)
All complete street checklists shall be made publicly available.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Complete Streets Checklists are on file
in the office of the Borough Clerk.
F.
Checklist completion. When completing the checklist, a brief description
is required for each "item to be Addressed" as a means to document
that the item has been considered and can include supporting documentation.
