Burlington County Schedules Public Information Sessions for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Plan

Burlington County is developing a plan to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists across the county, and residents and stakeholders are invited to provide input at any of five upcoming public information sessions.

The Burlington County Complete Network Plan is being developed by the Burlington County Department of Resource Conservation and the County Engineer’s Office and its Regional Planning Division with consulting group NV5. The project’s goal is to analyze data and public input to determine locations in the county where pedestrians and bicyclists are most at risk and then make recommendations for specific improvements to enhance user safety, including potential new off-road pedestrian and bicycle trails.

During the public information sessions, attendees will be able to learn about the work completed on the plan to date. There will also be opportunities to ask questions and provide input.

“No matter whether you walk, drive, bike, or roll we want everyone to be able to safely move about Burlington County and connect to the downtowns, parks, historic sites, and other areas that make our county special,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Dr. Felicia Hopson. “The Complete Network Plan will help identify and prioritize transportation projects that improve safety for the most vulnerable users and make our communities more accessible and connected.”

“As leaders, we have a responsibility to prioritize the safety of our communities, so it’s gratifying to see Burlington County undertake an in-depth review of pedestrian and bicyclist safety across all parts of our county,” added Assemblywoman Andrea Katz. “This is a crucial step to eliminate fatalities and serious accidents, and by working with residents, stakeholders, and transportation planners, we can ensure that all users can move about our county safely without fear.”

The public information sessions will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the following locations:

• November 17: Evesham Municipal Complex (984 Tuckerton Road, Evesham)
• November 19: Chesterfield Municipal Building (295 Bordentown-Chesterfield Road, Chesterfield)
• December 1: Delran Municipal Building (900 South Chester Avenue, Delran)
• December 3: Pemberton Community Library (16 Broadway Street, Browns Mills)
• December 9: Virtual Meeting at https://bit.ly/VirtualPIC

The Complete Network Plan is being funded with a federal Safe Streets for All grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. It will serve as a companion to a Regional Vision Zero plan developed by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission that aims to improve traffic safety for all users across South Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia region.

From 2021 through 2025 there were 54,414 traffic accidents in Burlington County and 203 fatalities, according to New Jersey Department of Transportation crash data. Forty-five of the deaths were pedestrians or bicyclists, the data showed.

“There is no acceptable number of fatalities or injuries, which is why we’re collaborating with DVRPC, municipal partners, residents, and other stakeholders, to develop ways we can make traveling through our county safer,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, liaison to the County Department of Resource Conservation and the County Department of Public Safety. “This plan will review all 820 square miles of Burlington County and make recommendations on what can be done to improve safety for all users, but especially vulnerable pedestrians and bicyclists.”

Public input from the information sessions will be incorporated into the final plan, which is tentatively expected to be completed next spring. 

“Burlington County residents know their communities best so we want to encourage them to attend one of the upcoming Public Information Sessions to learn more about this initiative and provide input on how we can make our county safer,” said Commissioner Tyler Burrell.

For more information about the County’s Complete Network Plan, visit https://bit.ly/CompleteNetworkPlan .

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