The NJTPA bases planning decisions on the performance of the transportation system, particularly how well it provides accessibility and mobility to the region’s travelers. Fundamentally, this is about questions such as: How reliable is the transportation system? Can people readily access employment? Do they have access to transit? How bad are highway delays? Is freight movement efficient? How safe and convenient is travel by bicycle and on foot?
To address these issues, the NJTPA analyzes a wide variety of data and identifies beneficial types of improvements throughout the region through an established process that includes Strategy Evaluation, Strategy Refinement, and other planning work by NJTPA member and partner agencies that are incorporated in the 2005 Regional Transportation Plan. As federally required, this process serves as a regional congestion management process (CMP), and is integrated into decision-making at many stages.
North Jersey Strategy Evaluation
The heart of the NJTPA regional CMP, the North Jersey Strategy Evaluation was developed and approved in 2002 based on technical analysis and incorporating review and consultation with staff, consultants, a technical advisory committee, a stakeholder advisory group, and partner agencies. It includes the following steps:
Localized Performance Goals and Needs
• Performance was analyzed in 158 districts designated according to their density.
• Measures were used to examine accessibility, reliability, intermodality, sustainability, highway mobility, transit mobility, walk/bike mobility and freight mobility.
• Localized performance goals were established for each district based on its urban, suburban or rural character.
• Comparing performance forecasts to the goals, needs were identified district by district.
Candidate Location-Specific Strategies and Benefits
• Types of strategies were analyzed in possible corridors and other locations.
• Using performance measures, the relative benefits (how well identified needs could be addressed) of all candidate strategies were estimated throughout all locations.
Location-Specific Strategy Selection
• Location-specific strategies were prioritized and selected for follow-up.
• Related proposed PDWP and TIP projects were examined for consistency with identified needs and strategies.
• The Regional Transportation Plan incorporates the Strategy Evaluation findings.
Strategy Refinement
The Strategy Evaluation was directly followed up with a Strategy Refinement Study, conducted from 2004 to 2005. The Strategy Refinement systematically
investigated Strategy Evaluation-identified strategies intended to address high needs in priority locations. The analysis grouped adjacent districts with similar needs and honed in on the specific beneficial strategies identified to address those needs. As in the Strategy Evaluation, insight from NJTPA subregions and other planning partners was instrumental in this study.
The Strategy Refinement produced over two dozen concepts. Each includes an assessment of the place’s needs and strategies, specific potential transportation improvements, anticipated benefits, basic consideration of environmental issues, rough cost estimates and recommendations for implementation. The concepts are incorporated in the Regional Transportation Plan and several are being advanced for follow-up project development work at the NJTPA and by partner agencies, including NJDOT, NJ Transit, and Transportation Management Associations (TMAs). Three are already included in the FY 2006 PDWP.
Related Planning
Major focused performance planning efforts —modeled after the Strategy Evaluation but addressing specific issues—include the NJTPA Regional Safety Priorities update and ongoing freight planning. The NJTPA also partnered with the NJDOT on the statewide Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan, and continues to coordinate with NJDOT on operation of the pavement and bridge infrastructure management systems.