Together 202: A Community Building Corridor ___________________________________ A Local Demonstration Project for Together North Jersey Somerset County

Together 202: A Community Building Corridor___________________________________A Local Demonstration Project for Together North Jersey Somerset CountyBridgewater Township, Somerville Borough, Raritan Borough, Branchburg Township Hunterdon CountyReadington Township, Raritan Township, Flemington Borough

Public Workshop #1 January 23, 2013

Welcome and Introductions

What is Together North Jersey?• A planning initiative currently underway in the 13-county North Jersey Transportation 

Planning Authority region of New Jersey• In November 2011, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 

awarded Together North Jersey a $5 million grant to develop a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (RPSD)

• Create a comprehensive and balanced plan that invests in the region’s existing communities where housing, jobs, educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities are made more easily accessible to most residents without having to drive to them

What are Local Demonstration Projects?• The LDP is intended to provide technical assistance to local partners throughout 

Northern New Jersey to undertake strategic planning activities promoting sustainable and livable, transit-oriented development and advance the broader goals of the RPSD

• Potential LDP projects include a variety of local planning activities to make transit corridors and communities more livable

Route 202 Study Area

This project proposes to: • Foster a working and collaborative network of interested citizens, residents, business owners, property owners, advocates and stakeholders living in the targeted communities participate in the process and support project actions and outcomes

• Develop a deep understanding of the Route 202 Corridor, including demographic, land use, transportation and market trend analyses to understand the opportunities for growth and connectivity along the corridor

• Develop a stakeholder-driven vision for the corridor that identifies opportunities and provides recommended strategies that link land use to business development, redevelopment and transportation enhancements

Scope

Phase I: Research & Analysis – Where are we now? Where are we headed?• Review of Master Plans, Studies and Reports• Demographic/economic profiles• Corridor Tour

Phase II: Outreach & Ideas - Where do we want to go?• Focus Groups (Mayors, Transportation, Business)• Community Workshops

Phase III: Implementation Strategies - How do we get there?• Corridor Vision Plan

Scope

Timeline: October 2012 through April 2013

- Project Team:• Regional Plan Association• The Williams Group• Arup• Level G Associates

- Steering Committee: • Somerset County• NORWESCAP• Somerset County Business Partnership• Hunterdon County Chamber of 

Commerce• Raritan Valley Community College• HART TMA• Ridewise TMA• Flemington Borough

• Trans-Bridge Bus• Hunterdon County • Bridgewater Township• Somerville Borough• Raritan Borough• Branchburg Township• Readington Township• Raritan Township• NJTPA

Project Team, Steering Committee and Schedule

Meeting Purpose

- Kickoff Meeting, Oct 2012:• Municipalities, counties, and several organizations • “Dotmocracy” exercise to identify priorities • Mapping exercise to pinpoint transit and land use issues along the corridor • Discussion underscored how the region is losing its competitive edge due to the 

combination of expense of business, dispersed growth patterns, lack of targeted amenities, and transportation options not linked to land uses

Where are we now? Where are we headed?

ROUTE 202

Getting Places Expanding Economic Opportunities

Connect workers, residents and employees to key employment and commercial destinations

through enhanced transit

Make recommendations for existing businesses to capitalize

on transit/corridor improvements

Where are we now? Where are we headed?

ROUTE 202

Growing in Place Working Together

Identify target opportunity sites for redevelopment, reinvention

or repositioning

Work closely with state agencies to implement

recommendations

Where are we now? Where are we headed?

ROUTE 202

Keeping Healthy, Safe & Vibrant

Find ways to improve connectivity along the corridor

Where are we now? Where are we headed?

- Corridor Tour, Nov 2012:• The project team completed a corridor tour along Route 202 in the seven 

municipalities, speaking with local planners and municipal representatives• The team identified issues that pertain to the corridor as well as opportunity areas that 

can potentially link land use, transportation, and connectivity

Where are we now? Where are we headed?

Where do we want to go?

Where do we want to go?

- Transportation Round Table, December 2012:• Opportunities to better connect land use and transportation

• Additional Stops/Park & rides with redevelopment• Better connect downtowns and other amenities along the route• Better connect to existing neighborhoods• Bike/pedestrian connections• Transit and businesses on the corridor

- Business Roundtable, February

- Mayor’s Meeting, March

- Public Workshop #2, TBD

Next Steps

Exercise I: Mobility in the Corridor

Exercise II: Land Uses in the Corridor

Center

Edge

Crossroads

Rural neighborhood

Parkway

“Flemington-Somerville 202 Gateway” (Opportunities Concept Slide)

Edges

• Downtown Venues• Gateway Tourism• Historic , Adventure, Eco, 

Cultural ,Epicurean, Agri, Bicycle, Beer /Wine, Transit, Health & Rural Tourism

• Gateway to Hiking Sports Venues

• Historic Building Renovation

Parkway

• Green space Plan• Mixed-Uses connected by 

walking & bike trail loop• New entrance to Flemington 

& Somerville• Access to transit options 

Crossroads

• Pharmaceutical• Green Tech• Sustainability• Green Energy• Green and organic consumer 

products• Bio Tech• IT• Health Care• R&D• Manufacturing

Centers

Transit Corridor CommunityTown Center• Hotel Conf. Ctr.• Mixed-Use Residential• Retail Shops/Restaurants & 

Market• Fitness Center to Attract Young 

Professionals• Parking & Sports Ctr.• Downtown Culture & History

Rural

• Highway Scape• Seasonal Variation• Tourism & Recreational• Bike Trails• Art in the Fields

RT 202

Mobility

• New Transit Facility• Rail Trails• Separate Auto from 

Pedestrian• Shuttle Connecting Town 

Centers

Issues and OpportunitiesCrossroads 

Tomorrow• Top growth industries in the 

USA are as follows:– Financial Services– Energy– IT Services– Health Services

• Top Growth States are:– Florida– Georgia– Texas and Tennessee for these 

sectors• Top Growth in New Jersey

– Environmental Services– Energy including Green– IT Services– Health Services

• Route 202 has– Health /Pharmaceutical presence– And Environmental Source: The Newton Bee--Trinity Solar

Issues and OpportunitiesCrossroads 

TODAYRoute 202 Business Clusters--Strength in Health/Pharm primarily:• Pharmaceutical examples, 

– Janssen Pharmaceuticals– Imclone Systems– Lifecell Corporation– Roche– Ortho Mc Neil Pharm– Veridex –a Johnson and Johnson Co– WF Fischer –lab animal diets

• Tech– Verizon – Delta Soft (combo health and tech)– Signal Control Products (traffic control)

• Health– Environmental Services– Energy including Green

• Other Inc. Manufacturing– US Bronze Powders

– GM Stainless Inc.– Falcon Safety Products– Chubb– Specified Technologies—fire stopping

Roche Molecular, Branchburg

Issues and OpportunitiesCenters

Today– New graduates (age 21-24 yrs.) and aging baby boomers over 65 are the fastest population growth 

categories in the route 202 corridor– At same time, the family age group of 35 to 44 is declining– The household incomes are very strong for the corridor and anchoring cities-- supporting good quality 

housing and services– Overall the average age of the population is 5 years older than the USA suggesting  decline in support for 

suburban housing– The overall 55 age group is affluent and can support downtown retail and services—should they be 

encouraged to stay in the corridor???– Young professionals prefer more urban housing, services and amenities and culture

  Household Income (est)

Monthly Affordable Rent

Population at 6 miles out by 2018

over 55 years  $160,000.00   $4,400.00  18000Age 21 to 24  $49,000.00   $1,347.50  3500

Source: TMS Report and Clarita's Demographic Snapshot Dec 2012

Issues OpportunitiesCenters

Today• Over retailed--Average per capita retail inventory is more than 50% higher than USA averages, at 

32sf/person vs. 23sf/person in the USA• There is no overall Opportunity Gap in retail ---$133Million in oversupply (supply vs. demand)• Clothing is most oversupplied• However, based on spending, 110,000 sf of specialized retail can be supported in the downtowns• General merchandize and office is most undersupplied as well as specialty local including crafts, 

gifts, sundries, bakeries

Source: Clarita's Dec 2012

Issues and OpportunitiesCenters

Tomorrow• Young professionals are increasingly residing in downtown neighborhoods. • …people between …25 and 34 represented nearly 25 % of the downtown population…, up from 13 % in 1970. .. • 44% of downtown residents in the sample had a bachelor’s degree or higher . • Younger workers are one potential source of labor for filling anticipated worker shortages created by retiring Baby

Boomers. The nation’s 77 million Baby Boomers started turning 60 in 2006. … a number of new workers will be needed to fill replacement jobs left by retirees, while also filling the need for newly created jobs. 

% of PopulationPop. 3 miles

from Center 202 Pop. 6 Miles USAEducational Assets      Collage Graduates 30% 29.4% 17.7Masters Degree or Betters 15.9% 15.7% 7.3Professional Degrees 3% 3.5 1.9Doctorate Degree 3.2 3 1.2

Tomorrow– Create a village– Support Transit– Increase tax base– Enhance property values– Support for retail and services– Reduces infrastructure cost– Sales of additional good sand services– Save Greenfields– Local stores create an average of 

$326/1000 sf of space in surplus dollars– Small business of less than 20 persons 

are 85% of new businesses– Local business owner return $0.60/dollar 

to local retail sales– Old buildings can become new housing—

preservation visitors spend more than $62 a day than other visitors

Issues and OpportunitiesCenters

Today– People drive 88% farther to shop since 1969 

– People spend 443 hrs. per years in their car now

– Sprawl

Issues and OpportunitiesEdges

Today• Office space vacancies at 25%• Some new product coming on line including 200,000 sf in Bridgewater will add to inventory• Rents are stable  at $23/sf• Route 202 and Old York Road intersection opportunity area

Source: REIS Dec 2012

Central NJ Office Vacancy Actual rents Rents Actual AverageHunterdon County -250BPS 23% -0.80% $23 

Tomorrow• Multifamily Rents are rising in the region at 4.6% which is well above national trends• Vacancies continue to drop and at 2% and falling indicating that demand is stronger than supply• Demand for rental housing can be targeted to growing demographics of urban empty nesters 

Issues and OpportunitiesRural

Today• 83% of workers use single occupancy vehicle to get to work• Between 2 and 4% only use transit• Work travel trips account for primary vehicular usage• The population of the route 202 corridor owns on average 3 cars

Tomorrow• Park and rides and shuttle stops 

at corporate park• Shopping centers as intermodal 

connections• Bike paths

Issues and OpportunitiesParkway

Today• Quality of Like—Tourism and Culture

– Delaware Raritan Canal parks– Historic Downtown Flemington—65% of 

Flemington Borough is on National Register– Quaint River Town images can be marketed– Pine Barons– Golf– NorthLandz—model railroad --largest– Fertile local farmland—sustainable local 

produce is attractive to many green visioned businesses

Main Street Manor B&B, Flemington

Extend Trail along 202

Tomorrow• Extend the trail system talon the 

parkway through corporate parks• Local/sustainable farmers market• Park-&-ride opportunities• ???