Demonstration Project
The City of Orange and East Orange, alongside consultants, advocacy groups and residents, launched a pedestrian safety pilot project to enhance the safety and accessibility of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists along streets in the vicinity of Freeway Drive.
The project is part of a broader effort to improve street infrastructure and reconnect neighborhoods separated by Highway I-280.
The initiative introduced temporary safety measures identified through community input in the 2017 Freeway Drive & Station Area Safety and Public Realm Study.
How It Started
Project Website
“The last engagement was held virtually, on Monday, May 5th, with additional community partners, including leaders from Friends of Metcalf Park, NJ Bike & Walk Coalition, Black & Urban, Southwest Neighborhood Alliance, and Seven Oaks Society. In this meeting, the team shared the designs resulting from past engagements and gathered participant input on preliminary asphalt art proposals.”
Project Team
Equitable Cities, a national research, urban planning, and policy firm, served as the lead technical assistance provider for this project. The City of Orange lead representative was Chris Mobley, Deputy Director of Planning within the Department of Planning and Economic Development.
The City of East Orange lead representative was Adrienne McCall, who serves as a Program Coordinator with the Community Development division of the city.
Street Plans, an award-winning transportation planning, urban design, and placemaking practice, was contracted by the cities to deliver the quick build pilot installation. For the community-centered placemaking and asphalt art component of the project, the cities contracted thirdspace pARTners, an organization with expertise in third space activations, public art, and community engagement.
The organization was able to support local artists, Gina Rivas-Velazquez and Steve Green, who created the mural designs for Orange and East Orange, respectively. City Girl Farms LLC and EZ Ride were involved in the USDOT Thriving Communities Program initiatives focused on developing bike and pedestrian programming, including bike safety workshops and related community bike riding activities to engage residents and support data gathering efforts around safety along Freeway Drive.