Walking Towards the GreenShaping New Jersey

Camden Waterfront South Walking Audit May 2015

Tri-State Transportation Campaign | New Jersey Conservation Foundation | YMCA of Burlington and Camden County

Local residents, community leaders and Shaping

New Jersey partner organizations took to the
streets on May 15 and 16 to assess conditions for
walking and bicycling in the Waterfront South
neighborhood of Camden, New Jersey. The
health impact and livability assessment focused
on ways to make active transportation
connections between local parks, schools,
community gardens and businesses.
Assessment participants stand in front of a sign stating
No Big Trucks. How best to calm truck traffic was one of
During the first half of each day, assessment
the major issues identified during the assessment.
participants met at the Camden County
Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA)
auditorium and learned about complete streets principles, the benefits of walking and
bicycling and discussed opportunities to connect local parks, community gardens and
neighborhood centers with sidewalks, trails and bicycle lanes.

Following this discussion, participants broke into groups and conducted walking audits in
various sections of Camdens Waterfront South neighborhood, and were encouraged to
document obstacles to pedestrian and bicyclist safety, with a specific focus on how routes
between local green spaces could be
Waterfront South at-a-Glance
improved.
Participants returned to the CCMUA
and each group reported on its
findings. Participants flagged such
issues as lack of bike lanes, fading or
missing crosswalks, the need for
pedestrian walk signals and the need
to reduce and/or reroute truck traffic
away from local streets.
With 38% of households in the 08104
zip code, where the Waterfront South
neighborhood is located, lacking
access to a motor vehicle, it is
essential that walking and biking be
made as safe as possible throughout
the area to allow them to get to their
destinations safely.

Population*
08104 zip
code area**

City of
Camden

United States

24,364

77,356

311,536,594

Cardrove
alone

60.3%

59.8%

76.3%

Public
Transportation

16.5%

14.5%

5.0%

Walk or
Bicycle

10.2%

7.6%

2.8%

Total
Population
Commute Mode***

*Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates 2009-2013

**08104 zip code area encompasses Waterfront South neighborhood
***Source: United States Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates 2009-2013
Means of Transportation to Work

Graphic: Tri-State Transportation Campaign

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Findings
The major concerns documented during the assessment can be placed into
four categories, as follows:

Pedestrian Infrastructure The assessment found several issues on sidewalks

and streets throughout Waterfront South that can hinder walkability. These
problems can make it unsafe and inconvenient to walk in the area and should
be addressed to allow roadway users to reach their destinations with greater
ease.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5.
6.

Unmarked or poorly marked crosswalks;

Lack of, or deficient pedestrian crossing signals;
Sidewalks in need of repair;
High speed limits and speeding;
Poor lighting;
Wide roadways without pedestrian median islands; and
Large trucks utilizing local roads.

The intersection of Ferry Avenue, 4th Street and Carl Miller Boulevard. This intersection displays many of the
roadway safety deficiencies in Waterfront South that can make pedestrian travel unsafe. Ferry Avenue
has a 35 MPH speed limit leading into the intersection, which is too fast for a roadway leading into a
residential area. The streets here are wide and the intersection lacks a pedestrian median island which
can help slow down traffic and give walkers a safe place to stop if they do not make it all the way across.
New sidewalks are also needed. Image: Dumitru Tomsa
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Bicycle Infrastructure The assessment also uncovered examples of the

lack of bicycle infrastructure. No dedicated bike lanes were found and offroad trails were limited. The assessment revealed other issues that contribute to
a poor environment for bicyclists, namely:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Lack of dedicated bike lanes;

Limited off-road trails to connect neighborhoods and local parks;
Poor roadway pavement condition; and
Truck traffic on local roadways.

Ferry Avenue between Webster and Carl Miller Blvd. This section of Ferry Avenue has sidewalks in good
condition, but lacks bicycle facilities and is home to a high speed limit and commercial truck traffic.

Broadway and Carl Miller Blvd. Recent upgrades on Broadway, such as new sidewalks, crosswalks and
pedestrian ramps have greatly improved the safety of walking on the roadway; however, the road lacks
facilities for the many bicyclists that use it.
4

Truck Traffic The assessment found that large commercial trucks can be
found using multiple roadways throughout Waterfront South. While these trucks
contribute to the local economy, more needs to be done to ensure that they
are not utilizing local roadways and hindering travel by pedestrians and
bicyclists. Issues included:
1. Trucks using local roads;
2. Lack of sufficient truck route signage;
3. Wide roadways without traffic calming features that would help to reduce
speeding.
Connecting Parks Waterfront South is home to
wonderful parks and community gardens,
including the Father Michael Doyle Fishing Pier,
Liney Ditch Park and the brand new Phoenix
Park. Better connections should be made to
allow users to access these amenities with
greater ease. Issues include:
1. Lack of a complete trail connection
between the Father Michael Doyle Fishing
Pier, Liney Ditch Park and Phoenix Park; and
2. Limited and/or uninviting entrances to local
parks.

Current temporary main entrance to brand new Phoenix

Park on the Delaware River waterfront.
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Large commercial trucks are found

throughout Waterfront South and can
occupy much of the road space.

Current sidewalk leading to Father

Michael Doyle Fishing Pier.

Potential Solutions
Pedestrian Infrastructure Recommendations:
1. Repaint faded crosswalks or paint new crosswalks where they do not exist;
2. Install high-visibility thermoplastic crosswalks to improve motorist awareness
of pedestrian activity;
3. Repair broken push-to-walk buttons and install where missing;
4. Repave sidewalks as needed to repair dangerous pavement conditions;
5. Install pedestrian median islands.

Five-way intersection of 48th St., Baltimore Ave. and Florence Ave. in Philadelphia, PA. Similar to the
intersection of Ferry Ave., 4th St. and Carl Miller Blvd. in Waterfront South, this improved intersection offers
an example of how relatively inexpensive materials can be used to get a project implemented quickly.
Flower pots, granite blocks and paint were used to create a safer pedestrian realm, with new crosswalks
and slower automobile traffic. Image Source: University City District

Bicycle Infrastructure Recommendations:

1. Install dedicated bike lanes along Ferry Avenue and
Broadway;
2. Where appropriate, build buffered bike lanes that
include physical separation between bicyclists and
motor vehicles;
3. Utilize green paint in conflict areas to show where
all road users should use extra caution, such as at
intersections or driveway crossings;
4. Repair and repave Ferry Avenue to ensure a
smoother ride for bicyclists.
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Dedicated bike lane with

buffer on Washington Street,
Newark, NJ.

Truck Traffic:
1. Implement City of Camdens signage improvement plan on I-676 to direct
truck traffic to proper routes and reduce accidental truck traffic through
Waterfront South;
2. Consider measures to reduce speed and volume of truck traffic on Ferry
Avenue, such as narrowing the roadway south of Atlantic Avenue, reducing
the speed limit or installing bicycle lanes.

Ellis Street, Haddonfield, NJ. Adding pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure and reducing the width of
vehicle lanes can slow and reduce local traffic, especially with commercial trucks. Treatments like this
mountable median allow for adequate space for trucks to make necessary maneuvers.

Connecting Parks:
1. Complete Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority plans for off-road
trail loop that connects the Michael Doyle Fishing Pier, Liney Ditch Park and
Phoenix Park;
2. Improve entrances to key local parks, such as Liney Ditch and Phoenix Park.

Current entrance to Liney Ditch Park from Jasper

Street. Image Source: Patrick Farley

LeDroit Park, Washington D.C. Park

entrance offers example for Liney Ditch.
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For More Information

The May 2015 health and livability assessment was organized by Matthew Norris,
South Jersey Coordinator (TSTC), Sue Brennan, Senior Project Director (Coopers
Ferry Partnership), Olivia Glenn (New Jersey Conservation Foundation) and Valeria
Galarza (NJ Partnership for Healthy Kids), with significant support from Shaping
New Jersey.
This toolkit was written by Matthew Norris.
For more information, contact Matthew Norris (TSTC) at matthew@tstc.org or
856.963.0236.

This assessment was completed with generous support for the New Jersey Department of
Healths Shaping New Jersey program. Shaping NJ is the state partnership for nutrition,
physical activity and obesity prevention. The goal of this partnership is to prevent obesity and
improve the health of populations that are at risk for poor health outcomes in New Jersey.
Lead organizations included Tri-State Transportation Campaign, New Jersey Conservation
Foundation, Coopers Ferry Partnership and the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids/YMCA
of Burlington and Camden County. Survey participants that collected data or provided
feedback for this report included:

The residents of Camdens Waterfront South community;

Cross County Connection;
The Heart of Camden/Sacred Heart Church;
The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority;
Susquehanna Bank;
The South Jersey Port Corporation;
The District Council Collaborative Board,
The Center for Environmental Transformation.