Fanwood Downtown Enhancements Survey
Our residents have been asked on several occasions in recent years to answer surveys about everything from recycling to recreation to communications. But this new and unique survey will have a direct impact on our downtown, specifically in the area of the train station. It is part of a grant awarded by the NJ Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) in conjunction with the American Planning Association (APA) aimed at finding ways to better integrate our train station into the fabric of the town.
What could that mean? It could mean better pedestrian walkways, new safe crosswalks, bike paths, easier ways to get from the South Avenue side to the North Avenue side and better access to our northside cultural venues including the Patricia M. Kuran Cultural Arts Center, the soon-to-be constructed new library, the Fanwood Museum and the Carriage House Park.
“There’s no doubt we already have a downtown to be proud of,” said Mayor Colleen Mahr. “But we have all these great cultural venues that need to be better connected. This program will help us develop new ideas for making the whole area north of the train station more accessible and the train station area itself more user-friendly.”
The grant enables a team to come to town and assess things like physical layout, transportation issues, pedestrian issues and infrastructure around the train station. This month, the team’s focus is on a survey of our citizens, businesses and community leaders to hear what they want to see happen to connect the train station to the rest of town.
“The survey is very unique,” remarked the Mayor. “It’s not just a series of yes/no questions. It asks for detailed commentary and even has an interactive map that allows respondents to place markers at places of interest and give specifics about what to do to improve them.”
Planning teams are composed of volunteers who are nationally recognized experts and will meet with residents, government officials, and other key stakeholders to offer planning assistance. Last year, APA-NJ Transit Hub Planning teams completed Transit Hub plans for the City of Passaic, Borough of Dunellen and Town of Bloomfield.
SURVEY LINK: https://live.metroquestsurvey.com/?u=yg7j7o#!/?p=web&pm=dynamic&s=1&popup=none
