New Jersey Trails Plan

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT),in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Trails Program, is sponsoring an update of the New Jersey Trails Plan of 1996.

The New Jersey Trails Plan Update addresses and analyzes key issues related to trails development and the State Trails System, establishes a vision for New Jersey’s trails, and recommends strategies and actions required to move toward that vision. The visioning process engaged the trails community and the general public through surveys, focus groups, open houses and workshops. Report Cover

Following a review of comments by the Trails Council and Plan Advisory Committee, the Trails Plan Update will be completed and published in a final form. Publication is anticipated this fall.

Special thanks goes to the Trails Council, the Trails Plan Advisory Committee and staffs of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Transportation, who guided the development of the Trails Plan Update. The Trails Plan Update is intended to serve as a blueprint for future actions to improve New Jersey’s trails for recreation, transportation and quality of life.

The Trails Plan Update has been shaped by input from a broad range of New Jersey's trails community, which includes those who use trails for outdoor recreation, for enjoyment of outdoor settings and for traveling to community destinations.

Note that the Trails Plan Update does not include maps or trail locations, as it is not an inventory of existing trails or a proposed network of trails. Rather, it is intended to describe issues and opportunities for those involved in planning, developing and maintaining trails in New Jersey.

The plan is posted here in two forms.

Trails Plan Update in a Text Only version (3mb pdf)

Trails Plan Update, by chapter in PDF format (each file is under 400K)

Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 - Purpose and Scope of the Trails Plan Update
Presents the general types of trail uses that the Plan addresses.
Chapter 2 - Status of Trails Planning in New Jersey
Provides an overview of the key agencies, programs and plans that guide trail development today, along with some historical background.
Chapter 2 - Timeline
Chapter 3 - The Trails Plan Context
Describes societal trends and conditions that are changing the context for trails and how we use them.
Chapter 4 - Key Issues and Findings
Summarizes the results of extensive outreach during the development of the update and outline the challenges to planning, establishing and maintaining New Jersey's trails network.
Chapter 5 - A Vision for New Jersey's Trails
Describes the conditions of an ideal future in which key issues are addressed and overcome. Chapter 5 presents goals and recommends actions that can be taken by organizations and people throughout New Jersey who value trails and who are committed to expanding and improving trails for all. These recommendations were garnered from the many people who participated in the preparing the Update.
Chapter 5 - Summary Recommendations Chart
Chapter 6 - Implementing the Plan
Identifies organizations, public, private and non-profit, who have lead or supporting roles in implementing the Plan.
Chapter 6- Roles and Responsibilities

Comments should be sent directly to:

Annette Schultz, AICP/PP
The RBA Group
7 Campus Drive, Suite 300
Parsippany, NJ 07054-4495