TMA of New Jersey Newsletter Series
The Transportation Management Association Council of NJ (TMAC NJ) is comprised of the Executive Directors of New Jersey's eight Transportation Management Associations (TMA). TMAs are non-profit, public/private partnership organizations that work with businesses, commuters, county, and local governments, and regional and state agencies to implement programs that reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. TMA services are available in every county in NJ. This quarterly newsletter is designed to educate and inform its readers about the impactful work NJ’s TMAs are doing to improve the mobility needs of all persons in NJ. For information about the TMA serving your area, click here.
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Walk to School Returns to Hudson County! |
This Fall, Hudson TMA staff presented its Walk to School program to twelve elementary schools in Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Kearny. The program provided parents and guardians with information on the many benefits of walking to school. Parents/guardians were also asked to participate in a special walk to school with the students, their siblings, school staff, TMA staff and our mascot, Buster the Bus. Everyone who participated in the walks wore stickers or carried signs and banners supporting walking to school. TMA staff provided presentations at schools either in auditoriums or individual classrooms encouraging walking and biking to school with an interactive review of pedestrian and bicycle best safety practices. TMA staff also distributed safety activity books and quiz sheets, reflective slap wraps, “Buster pencils,” and stickers. Over two thousand children and family members participated in the walks and presentations. |
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150 Students Participate in CCCTMA’s
Golden Sneaker Walking Challenge in a Single Week!
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On October 25, 2021, Camden’s Yorkship Family and Egg Harbor City Community School partnered with Cross County Connection to begin the Golden Sneaker Walking Challenge. Over the course of a week, more than 150 students competed by recording their steps using CCCTMA provided pedometers.
The Golden Sneaker Walking Challenge is Cross County Connection’s premier SRTS event. Students participate in the challenge as part of a team with their classmates that challenge an opposing team of classmates. The team with the most steps wins!
Students were reminded that a key component of a healthy lifestyle is exercise. Walking daily and recording their steps helped students better understand the time and distance needed to achieve the recommended daily level of physical activity for school-aged children. The program also showed students how physical activity could be enjoyable, which is especially important during this time as students may not get as much physical activity due to limited extracurricular activities.
The Golden Sneaker Walking Challenge program is designed to promote pedestrian safety and the importance of walking as a part of a healthy lifestyle. It includes an electronic Most Valuable Steppers certificate and a trophy awarded to the class that walked the most steps.
Cross County Connection would like to congratulate all the students at Yorkship Family and the Egg Harbor City Community School for their enthusiastic participation and hard work, which allowed the top teams to walk over 100,000 steps in just one week!
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goHunterdon Recognizes 2020-2021 Awardees |
goHunterdon, the non-profit transportation management association (TMA) serving Hunterdon County, is celebrating the Individuals, businesses, municipalities, schools, and organizations that have worked in support of safe and sustainable transportation in Hunterdon County, NJ.
Awards are typically presented at the organization’s Annual Meeting and Awards Breakfast. Due to ongoing COVID19 concerns, the in-person event was canceled. In lieu of presenting awards in person, video profiles of each awardee have been created and posted to the goHunterdon website. Award video profiles may be viewed on the goHunterdon website: https://www.gohunterdon.org/about-us/annual-meeting
“While we were not able to recognize our 2020-2021 awardees in person this year, we did not want to miss the opportunity to publicly recognize these awardees, share their stories, and applaud the good work being done across the county,” says Tara Shepherd, Executive Director.
2020-2021 Awardees
TransBridge Lines 80th Anniversary
Celebrating 80 years in operation of this family-owned bus company and the valuable commuter service provided to Hunterdon residents
Hunterdon Land Trust
Recognizing the Hunterdon Trust on their 25th Anniversary of “protecting the places we love”
Custom Alloy Corporation- Columbia Trail Sign
In appreciation for the contribution of Custom Alloy in preserving rail history in High Bridge and for the donation of a custom sign installed at the Columbia Trail
Hunterdon County Department of Public Works, Division of Roads, Bridges, and Engineering, and High Bridge Borough
In recognition of pedestrian improvements along Main Street in High Bridge Borough
Town of Clinton
In recognition of adopting a Complete Streets Policy to prioritize pedestrian infrastructure and safety.
Jim Hintenach
In appreciation for championing the goals of the Safe Routes to School Program at Frenchtown Elementary School
Mary Bulger
In appreciation for years of championing the Safe Routes to School Program at Clinton Public School
Ed York
In appreciation for years of service as a Crossing Guard in Milford Borough
Safe Routes to School Statewide Recognition of Hunterdon Schools and Municipalities
Celebrating Hunterdon schools and municipalities that have achieved recognition under the statewide Safe Routes to School Program
Raritan Township
Applauding the installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations at municipal facilities
Big Bear Gear
In appreciation for promoting bicycling during the COVID19 pandemic
Hunterdon Family Medicine- Resident Training Program
In appreciation for including goHunterdon’s Transportation Coaching Program into medical resident training.
Town of Clinton, Flemington Borough, Frenchtown Borough, Tewksbury Township
In recognition for conducting Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety campaigns
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North Plainfield Street Smart NJ Report Now Available |
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In June 2021, RideWise partnered with the Borough of North Plainfield and the North Plainfield Police Department to conduct a Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety campaign. This campaign was the second Street Smart campaign conducted in North Plainfield (the first conducted in 2016) and focused on two target locations: Somerset Street and Race Street, and Somerset Street and Chatham Street. A speed study was conducted simultaneously along Greenbrook Road using RideWise’s speed sentry.
Street Smart NJ is a collaborative effort between public, private, and non-profit organizations. As part of the statewide Street Smart NJ initiative, the campaign reminds people that everyone has a role to play in making streets safer. Drivers need to obey speed limits and stop for people crossing; pedestrians must use crosswalks and cross the road with the signal, and everyone needs to avoid distractions.
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The campaign resulted in:
- A 26 percent decrease in pedestrians crossing mid-block at target location 1
- A 8 percent increase in pedestrians using the crosswalk at target location 2
- A speed study revealed the average speed traveled along Greenbrook Road: 31-36 mph (14,613 drivers).
- 148 English survey responses and 5 Spanish survey responses across both pre-and post-campaign surveys. The surveys revealed:
- A decrease in unsafe behavior sightings after the campaign.
- A slight increase in awareness of the Street Smart message.
- That all survey respondents use cars for transportation on a weekly basis, and many also walk and bike for transportation.
- That most survey respondents feel distracted driving and pedestrians disobeying traffic laws are extremely serious problems in North Plainfield.
- A change in opinion on speeding between the pre-and post-campaign surveys; Pre-campaign, most English survey respondents said speeding was not at all serious, but after the campaign felt speeding was an extremely serious issue. Conversely, most pre-campaign Spanish survey respondents felt speeding was extremely serious, but post-campaign they were evenly split between feeling neutral and feeling speeding was not at all serious.
North Plainfield’s business community helped spread the Street Smart NJ message by displaying flyers in windows and offering tip cards and coffee cup sleeves. Bruce Heyman, president of the North Plainfield Business Association, assisted in outreach by delivering Street Smart NJ signage and materials to numerous businesses along Somerset Street. The North Plainfield Police also conducted outreach, posting Street Smart NJ signs in English and Spanish at every block on Somerset Street.
RideWise also recently wrapped up a Street Smart NJ campaign in Franklin Township, which took place in October. The final report will be available in the coming months. To read the full North Plainfield report, visit our website. To hold a Street Smart NJ campaign or speed study in your community, contact us at staff@ridewise.org or 908-704-1011.
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TransOptions TMA
Hydrogen Car Challenge Coming Soon!
Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all the Hydrogen Car Challenge (H2) action next month! In lieu of in-person racing, students are currently creating videos that we will host on our YouTube channel. (Click here to see last year's submissions.) Next month, we invite you to visit our YouTube page and vote on which one of this year's videos you would like to see win the student choice award!
H2 motivates students to design and build hydrogen-powered model cars. A panel of virtual judges hailing from various STEM fields score the short 3-4 minutes videos created by the students.
Videos are due December 6th and winners will be announced in a YouTube video premiere on December 17th. We will have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners as well as a student choice winner. Winning teams receive a plaque and gift card!
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Street Smart NJ: Little Falls Report Released |
The final report for the Street Smart NJ campaign conducted earlier this year has been released!
Efforts were evaluated using online surveys before and after the campaign. Survey results showed a positive increase in awareness of pedestrian safety messaging and the presence of the Street Smart NJ campaign in the community. The surveys were available in both English and Spanish.
While in-person activities were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to provide education virtually by developing paid social media advertisements targeting social media users in Little Falls and the surrounding area.
To read the complete final report on our website, please click here.
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KMM Launches a Virtual Webinar Library
Over the course of the past year, Keep Middlesex Moving, created, produced, and aired a series of webinars. These webinars were geared to businesses, municipalities, and local residents and covered a wide range of topics such as sustainability, economic development, electric vehicle usage, and much more. Once the webinar was complete, recordings were then uploaded to KMM’s YouTube Station and their social media sites.
Now with 20 + webinars recorded, KMM created a virtual webinar library organized by subject matter. The webinars are featured on KMM YouTube stations and can be viewed, downloaded, and shared at no charge. In addition, should viewers have any questions not already answered within the recording, KMM can pass along all inquires to the speakers. Presentations made within the recordings can also be forwarded upon request. To see the complete library, visit https://kmm.org/media-library/kmm-webinars/
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Ryde4Life - A Transportation Lifeline During the Pandemic |
Reducing the risk of exposure to the virus was the primary concern for our riders. The Ryde4Life program that we provide with Lyft and Uber was well- utilized by many of our older and other disadvantaged riders to travel to medical appointments, pharmacies, vaccinations sites, and supermarkets. While Ryde4Life is open to riders ages 18 and up, many of our clients are older - the average age of our riders is 78, with about 28 percent of riders over 90 years of age.
Despite the pandemic, we provided more than 17,000 rides compared to 19,000 a year earlier.
One significant difference - Unlike prior years when no subsidies were available, almost 75 percent of the rides were paid for by a sponsoring organization – county, town, or a non-profit. Together, the sponsoring organizations served clients in all 21-counties in New Jersey, making Ryde4Life an actual statewide program and including trips to major urban centers like Philadelphia and New York City. Many organizations like Essex County, Bergen County, Monmouth County Division of Work Development, and the Township of Montclair made Ryde4Life a cornerstone of their transportation strategy to serve their clients and pay for the rides. The need for subsidized transportation was loud and clear.
The Township of Montclair in Essex County, which suspended its senior bus program during the pandemic, demonstrates the perfect example of how the Ryde4Life program served as the ideal transportation solution. With the safety of the riders in mind, all seniors could socially distance and take a car with a masked driver to go where they needed to go. They also had the flexibility to schedule their trips on-demand six days a week: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The safety and flexibility of the program were very popular with the Montclair seniors, and the program provided more than 600 rides per month.
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“We don’t think of transportation as an ‘essential,’’’ said Ryde4Life user and Montclair resident Ellen Maydun. “Indeed, we don’t even think of how much transportation is an integral part of maintaining our independence. It enables seniors to maintain a sense of control. Access to EZ Ride’s Ryde4Life Program gives me a sense of stability, a sense of empowerment. During the pandemic, I felt safe using Ryde4Life because the drivers always wore a mask, and I could socially distance myself since I was the only one in the car. I could schedule rides quickly and get to my doctor’s appointments, the pharmacy, and the market. I would call several times a week and had a driver at my door within minutes. No reservations were needed. I don’t have to feel bad about relying on my family to help me. It gives me a sense of independence. I am in control of my transportation without being a burden on my family and friends. I want to thank EZ Ride and the Township of Montclair for offering this service, which I could otherwise not afford.”
If you would like more information about our EZRide Ryde4Life Program, please visit our website or contact Kinga Skora at kskora@ezride.org or call her at (201) 939-4242 ext. 131.
Photo caption: Montclair resident Ellen Maydun takes a Lyft vehicle to a medical appointment as part of the Ryde4Life program that services Montclair residents.
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GMTMA Launches PickUp, a New Transportation Solution
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On August 2, Greater Mercer TMA (GMTMA) launched a new transportation solution for employers and employees in the exit 8A warehouse area – PickUp. Though the number of businesses and jobs in the warehouse and distribution sector has grown significantly in our region—the ability to access these jobs has continued to be elusive for many.
The PickUp program was specifically developed to help with this barrier to employment. The new program provides improved access from Mercer County to job opportunities along the Rt. 130 corridor in the CR 571/Cranbury/ 8A warehouse area using the Waze Carpool peer-to-peer carpooling app. GMTMA partnered with Waze to have subsidies and incentives for riders and drivers built into the app within the PickUp group. Now drivers heading to work can get reimbursed for the cost of the drive when they provide a ride to another worker in their area and riders get a low-cost ride.
Drivers can receive up to $.56/mile while riders pay only $1 to get to or from work. Prices are set to reimburse drivers for gas costs. Riders pay in the app, so nobody has to worry about cash. Drivers and riders have more money in their pockets by using PickUp with Waze Carpool. Grant funding for the pilot program is provided by the National Center for Mobility Management.
Employers benefit from the program as well with an expanded labor market, reduced employee tardiness and absenteeism, reduced turnover costs, and increased productivity. GMTMA can assist employers in promoting this program at their worksite.
Learn more about the program details: Employers click here, Employees here.
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Transportation Management Associations
This quarterly newsletter is designed to educate and inform its readers about the impactful work being done to improve the mobility needs of NJ’s residents and employers.
At the logos below, click on the name of the TMA serving your county for information about their programs and services.
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Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
858-596-8228
Bergen County and western portions of Hudson County, eastern portions of Passaic, Union and Essex and Monmouth Counties
201-939-4242, toll free 866-208-1307
Hunterdon County
908-788-5553
Mercer County, Montgomery Township (Somerset County) and Ocean County
609-452-1491
Hudson County
201-324-6222
Middlesex County
732-745-4465
Somerset County, except for Montgomery Township
908-704-1011
Morris, Sussex, Warren, and western portions of
Passaic and Essex Counties
973-267-7600
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Transportation Management Associations |
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About Us: TMA Council of NJ (TMAC NJ) is comprised of the Executive Directors of New Jersey's eight Transportation Management Associations. TMAs are non-profit organizations that work with businesses, commuters, county, and local governments, and state agencies to implement programs that reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. |
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Funding for the TMAs, is provided in part, by the Federal Highway Administration, NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT), NJ TRANSIT, North Jersey Transportation Authority (NJTPA), Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), private foundations, local businesses and other sources. |
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