Final Transportation Element

The Passaic County Planning Department is proud to present the Final Transportation Element & Appendices (October 2012).

A New Blueprint for the County’s Transportation System

The Transportation Element of the Passaic County Master Plan serves as the blueprint for the county’s future transportation system including roads, transit, waterways, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. It identifies the types of policies and investments needed to ensure future mobility for our residents, support economic vitality, and contribute to a high quality of life throughout the County over the next several decades.

The Transportation Element uses surrounding land uses along transportation corridors in order to develop priorities for transportation investments. Technical standards for improvements and access to these corridors will be governed by Complete Streets guidelines that reflect the surrounding community and levels of activity. These guidelines will be used during plan review, engineering capital improvements, and when designing access to mass transportation and alternative transportation modes.

Key Activities

Key technical activities for the Transportation Element included:

• Reviewing current land use plans and policies
• Inventory of the existing transportation system
• Scenario analysis to identify future issues and needs
• Reviewing roadway design standards for different corridor types
• Transit system analysis
• Bicycle and pedestrian alternatives

Project Goals and Objectives

• Identify measures to coordinate the county’s transportation system with current needs. There have been dramatic changes since the last Transportation Element was prepared in 1982, when fuel costs were a fraction of what they are today and residential and travel patterns were different. The Transportation Element will use scenario analysis to identify strategies that address these changing needs.
• Enable the county to become more transit-friendly and reduce reliance on the automobile. This may include providing better access to existing transit services, as well as defining priorities for new services, such as rail extensions, Bus Rapid Transit, or bus service enhancements. It may also include identifying locations for transit-oriented development, such as in-town housing for retirees.
• Integrate transportation with local land use plans to better support each community’s vision for its future. This includes improving the compatibility or relationship between county roads and their surroundings, with new perspectives on roadway design that emphasize walkability and improved aesthetics. It also means improving connections between destinations within the county.
• Work toward the creation of “Complete Streets” that better serve pedestrians and transit users, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities.