In July, the Draft DVRPC Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for New Jersey (FY2016-2019) was put out for public comment.  It layed out the transportation priorities for the four New Jersey counties in the Greater Philadelphia region.  This was an opportunity for Circuit supporters to send a message to their elected officials to dedicate transportation funding for Circuit trails in Mercer, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.  

The Circuit Coalition put out a call to action asking supporters to contact their county officials and ask that a "line item" for the Circuit be included in the Transportation Improvement Program.

By the August 10th deadline, 137 individuals from the general public with some on behalf of five advocacy groups submitted over 200 written comments on the Draft TIP via email on 214 different issues.  61% of those comments requested  a new TIP project/line item for the Circuit.

On September 30th, the DVPRC Board approved the TIP without a line item for the Circuit.  DVPRC and each of the four counties provided a response to the Circuit line item comments.  The responses were as follows:

Agency Response by DVRPC: Thank you for your comment. DVRPC supports the development of a regional multi-use trail system. Improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities is important for those residents that use these modes to meet their daily needs, including travel to jobs and local errands. Creating an interconnected network of multi-use trails provides an alternative to motorized transportation. Improved local, non-motorized mobility promotes economic development and enhances quality of life. DVRPC included the Circuit in Connections 2040: Plan for Greater Philadelphia. This 750-mile interconnected regional multi-use trail network will provide for bicycle and pedestrian access across the region, complementing local investments in bike lanes, sidewalks, and similar infrastructure. Investments have been made in Circuit trails in all four New Jersey counties in DVRPC’s service area, and more are identified in New Jersey’s FY2016 Transportation Improvement Program. Though a Circuit-specific line item is not included in this TIP, DVRPC will continue to explore options for increasing investment in these important facilities.

Agency Response by Burlington County:

See attached letter for Burlington County's response to comments that request a new line item in the TIP for the construction of Circuit trails in the DVRPC region. Go to this link and scroll to p.27 to see Burlington County's letter

Agency Response by Camden County: 

Camden County supports the development of an inner connected regional trail system and is currently using the TIP programs like Transportation Enhancements to improve trails and bike lanes within the County. Camden County uses local, county and federal resources to support all trail development throughout the County.

Agency Response by Gloucester County:

Thank you for your support. The County of Gloucester will continue to be an advocate for trail funding within Gloucester County. The County continues to push for funding the Circuit Trail system with the current ROW and Construction funding contained within the TIP for the extension of the Multi-Purpose Trail from its current terminus at Delsea Drive (Route 47) to Rowan University and to the Elk Township Recreational Park (which connects to the Elephant Swamp Trail and Salem County). We are actively looking at funding opportunities for the continuation of the Circuit Trail beyond Rowan University to existing facilities at Chestnut Branch Park and onward to Camden County’s Blackwood Trail. Branch trails are also being looked at for funding including connections to Washington Lake Park and James Atkinson Park.

Agency Response by Mercer County:

Mercer County values the enthusiasm and energy of our local biking and active recreation advocates. We do more by working together. In this spirit, in recent months, County staff have worked with municipal representatives on the Mercer County Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force, hosted by the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, to identify current and future potential multi-purpose trail projects, especially those that tie into larger networks. Projects were prioritized for funding from sources that suited their stage of development, size, complexity, and so on, and County staff continue to advocate for those funds and add projects to the priority list. Different funding sources have different requirements and federal funds allocated in a TIP line item are the most onerous, for which only large projects executed by local governments are appropriate. State funds, also allocated through the TIP, are a little more flexible. Mercer County actively advocates for local trail projects under existing federal funding programs, including Transportation Alternatives, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality, Safe Routes To Schools, Safe Routes To Transit, and other State DOT and DEP programs. For specific, construction-ready projects of appropriate size, the County will also support individual TIP actions. If a number of such projects arise in our work with trail partners in years to come, the County will consider advocating for an ongoing TIP line item. The County will also continue to make significant investments in trail, bike, and pedestrian facility development using County Open Space and highway and bridge capital programs. So, to our partners and enthusiastic advocates, thanks for watching, thanks for pushing, and let’s keep pushing in the same direction.