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The Summit train station will be the center for new transit-oriented development under a state program known as Transit Village.
(Ed Murray/ The Star-Ledger)
Summit is the latest New Jersey municipality to be accepted into the state’s Transit Village program, the Christie administration announced.
The program, run by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, aims to provide towns with planning expertise and grant opportunities for projects that encourage economic activity around train and transit stations.
Summit is the 27th New Jersey municipality to be accepted into the program, and the first in 2013, according to the DOT. Rahway, Cranford, Elizabeth and Linden have also received the designation.
“We are extremely excited about the Transit Village designation,” said Summit Mayor Ellen Dickson. “It will identify the city as a well-planned transit- and pedestrian-friendly community where smart development is encouraged, creating a livelier downtown and bringing many new residents into the surrounding area.”
Summit officials said they plan to add bicycle racks to the transit village area and bicycle lockers at the train station, as well as new paths and lighting along the Village Green to improve pedestrian access.
The city will now enter a more intensive planning phase aimed to revitalize its downtown business area, recently named a historic district, through mixed-use development, officials said.
The Transit Village program stresses the development of mixed-use facilities — where one building may house shops, offices and apartments — to increase pedestrian activity and cut down on the need for automobiles.
According to the DOT, studies show that adding housing options within walking distance of a train station increases transit ridership more than any other type of development. The area within a half-mile radius from the train station will be considered part of the Transit Village.
Receiving the designation means Summit will now see more intense coordination among the state agencies that make up the Transit Village Task Force, priority funding and technical assistance from some state agencies, and eligibility for DOT grants.
Last year, five Transit Village municipalities shared $1 million in grants to fund projects, the DOT said, and another $1 million will be included in the 2014 budget.