Berkeley Heights Downtown Plan Proposes Safer Crosswalks, Parking, and Station Lot Events

Berkeley Heights has a new downtown transit and pedestrian plan that proposes marked parking spaces along Springfield Avenue, safer crosswalks, and a train station parking lot that could host weekend farmers markets and concerts. Union County Life is reporting on the plan, which was presented to the Township Council on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

About 15 volunteer planners, architects, and landscape architects developed the plan over more than a year. They worked through the Transit Hub Planning Program, a partnership involving the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), the American Planning Association New Jersey Chapter, and the Center for Community Planning. Berkeley Heights received the planning services through a competitive application process. Mike DiGeronimo, an architect and planner with In-Town Design Studio LLC, led the volunteer team.

“We think it’s a good strategic vision to help advance things moving forward into the future,” DiGeronimo said.

The plan covers roughly a half mile radius around the train station, about a 10 minute walk, along Springfield Avenue from Snyder Avenue Park to the new county park. The township’s goals include a community supported vision for the station area and commercial district, improved safety and accessibility, and consistent policies for zoning, parking, streetscapes, and engineering standards.

Public input shaped the plan. An online survey, launched during last year’s Winter Walk with the township’s Complete Streets Task Force, drew more than 500 responses over about two months. Columbia Middle School students completed a separate survey that added 361 responses. Residents rated images of different streetscapes, which helped the team understand what they wanted downtown to look like. Respondents emphasized walkability, safety, and a stronger downtown identity. Many said the downtown lacks a cohesive feel, and parking was a common concern.

The plan’s first recommendation is to use the NJTPA’s demonstration library, which lends municipalities cones, paint kits, bollards, and other materials to test improvements before building permanent ones. At the Summit Avenue and Springfield Avenue intersection, short term changes could include painted markings, bollards, more visible crosswalks, and better signage. Longer term options include curb extensions to shorten crossing distances. Along Springfield Avenue, the plan suggests striping existing on street parking spaces, which DiGeronimo said could calm traffic and make parking more efficient.

Council Vice President Susan Poage noted that drivers sometimes take up a space and a half because spaces are not marked. Councilwoman Margaret Illis cited a nearby town that striped its downtown spaces, saying residents had not realized some areas were legal parking until the markings went up.

The plan’s most ambitious concept would turn the train station parking lot into a weekend gathering space, with farmers markets and concerts, when commuter demand is lower. Councilman Bill Machado said the concept could eliminate at least 20 spaces at a lot where commuters are already on a waiting list for permits. “I love the vision,” Machado said. “I know the parking is a premium.”

Illis said the image was one of several conceptual options and that the township would protect commuter parking. “We fully understand the importance of commuter parking and train station parking here,” Illis said. “We are not going to do anything that reduces the train station parking.”

DiGeronimo said the plan recommends a full inventory of downtown parking, much of which is on privately owned properties. The goal is to manage existing spaces better, not to eliminate them. Poage also raised concerns about the Stratton building, the former Kings site, where public parking had been expected. Illis said there is no signage indicating public parking there and that four outdoor spaces have been restriped as a loading zone. Township officials said they would follow up with the property owner.

Council members praised the plan but asked how it would be carried out. Mayor Angie Devanney said, “This is a wonderful document. I can see with low effort some transformation that’s meaningful. Who’s going to be the driver?” Illis suggested that the Complete Streets Task Force could make initial recommendations, possibly with added members or a subcommittee for specific areas. She said implementation would require funding, though grants are available.

Jeff Vernick, program manager for the NJTPA’s Transit Hub Planning Program, said the agency could help through its demonstration library and funding for larger improvements. He said applications for several grant programs, including Complete Streets Technical Assistance, Planning for Emerging Centers, and Vibrant Places, were expected to open within about a month. “Remember, we’re here from the state, so we’re here to help,” Vernick said.

The plan is scheduled to be presented to the NJTPA joint committees on Monday, Oct. 19, at about 10:30 a.m. The meeting is expected to be available virtually through the NJTPA website.

During public comment, resident Joe Iadanza asked whether the train station concept would eliminate parking and whether a full parking inventory had been done. He said parking is already scarce, particularly for residents on narrow streets north of Springfield Avenue and near Peppertown Park. Poage said the train station image is a long term concept and that a circulation plan and parking study would come first.

The plan’s executive summary and presentation slides are available on the township website. The full report will be posted when it is complete.

Find more Berkeley Heights government news, downtown updates, and local news on Union County Life.

FAQ

Q: What does the downtown plan propose?
A: The plan proposes clearly marked parking along Springfield Avenue, safer crosswalks, short term and long term intersection improvements, and a possible weekend gathering space in the train station parking lot.

Q: Will the train station parking be reduced?
A: Councilman Bill Machado said the station concept could eliminate at least 20 spaces. Councilwoman Margaret Illis said the township would protect commuter parking and that the station image is one of several conceptual options.

Q: When will the plan be presented to the NJTPA?
A: The plan is scheduled for the NJTPA joint committees on Monday, Oct. 19, at about 10:30 a.m. The meeting is expected to be available virtually through the NJTPA website.

Q: Where can I read the plan?
A: The executive summary and presentation slides are on the township website. The full report will be posted when it is complete.