Councilman Concerned About Encouraging Walking on Major Highways

In keeping with the goals of the township’s circulation element of the master plan, the council introduced an ordinance Monday to build sidewalks on major roads.

But concerns arose as to whether it is appropriate to encourage walking there.

“Currently subdivision and site plans are on major roads like Route 22 and Route 202/206, which were exempt from sidewalk contribution,” said deputy clerk Hector Herrera. “This ordinance would require sidewalks on at least one side of the road.”

According to the ordinance, the township code formerly did not require sidewalks on major roads. But with the new ordinance, the master plan would recommend that any reconstruction on major arterial roadways, such as Route 22, would include sidewalks on one side of the road.

“In the circulation element, it talks about the quality of life issues surrounding walking and bicycling,” Herrera said. “This looks at accomplishing that.”

“More people would walk distances up to a mile if they had the opportunity, and this ordinance meets that request,” he added.

But councilman Matthew Moench expressed concern over the possibility of encouraging residents to walk on the highways.

“Do we really want to be encouraging people to be walking on these major arterial roads?” he asked. “I know people usually are anyway, but in the circulation element, it seems to say that by putting in the sidewalks in, we can encourage them to walk there.”

Moench said he does not believe the sidewalks will impact traffic in any way, but that it could be dangerous to walk on those roads and could become a cost burden to residents.

Township Planner Scarlett Doyle said the township has to consider the differences between the roads, particularly such arterial highways as Route 22 and Route 202, and other roads like Finderne Avenue and Route 28.

In speaking of arterial highways, the ordinance is referring to state highways, but it is using this change as a planning tool for the future.

For example, Doyle said, Finderne Avenue is on a state highway, and there are sidewalks there for most of the area until a spot across from one of the schools that has been waived for sidewalks currently.

“If there is no plan for sidewalks, the board will adequately review and make a decision if there should be,” she said. “If it is on Finderne Avenue, it would be good for sidewalks, but if on Route 202, that’s another thing and the board could come up with a reasonable compromise or conclusion.”

“Right now we have no authority to have sidewalks requested or make a requirement on state highways,” she added. “We only require it on local roads now.”

Doyle said it is difficult to negotiate to have sidewalks in locations where the ordinance clearly says they are not allowed, which is why this change has been presented.

And in addition, sidewalks in certain areas, such as Finderne Avenue, could assist in allowing the township to pay less money for hazardous busing for those students who would be eligible to walk to school if there were safer conditions.

But Moench said thinking about Route 28 and Finderne Avenue is different from his concerns about highways like Route 22 and Route 202.

“If the goal is to be able to put sidewalks where they are needed and not in other places, is this the way to do it?” he asked.

Both Moench and councilman Allen Kurdyla voted against the ordinance, but it was introduced by a vote of 3-2.

Also in an effort to match the circulation element of the master plan, the council introduced an ordinance to address parking regulations, with both stalls and off-street parking requirements.

The ordinance addresses the issues of the sizes of parking spaces, the number of required stalls and parking area design standards.

According to the ordinance, an environmental report in the circulation element of the master plan has determined that unnecessary impervious spaces have negative environmental impacts, while also increasing the volume of stormwater to be processed.

The ordinance reduces some of the parking, and adjusts the width of stalls and aisles for perpendicular parking. Some parking can also be banked in the event it is needed at a later date.

Council president Howard Norgalis had questioned the use of the word “supermarket” parking in the ordinance, asking whether that would apply to such stores as and as well.

Herrera said the language will be changed to “retail” stores instead to include all large centers.

Public hearings for both ordinances will be held June 2.