On the same night that the West Windsor Township Council heard a presentation from the Environmental Commission about the township’s pending application to the Sustainable New Jersey for certification, the council adopted two resolutions toward advancing its sustainability goals.
The first was a an anti-idling resolution, and the second promoted the DOT’s “complete streets” initiative. Both were passed at the council’s July 19 meeting.
The first resolution states the council’s support of “the adopting of a strong anti-idling policy by government agencies, schools, businesses, and other organizations.” The resolution calls on municipal police officers to “make enforcing existing violations and penalties under New Jersey’s existing no-idling law a priority.”
It also encourages schools, businesses, governments, and other entities to encourage their employees, staff, and constituents to turn off their gasoline or diesel-powered engines “immediately at schools and off-site school-related events to minimize exposure of children to vehicle emissions.”
Current state law prohibits the idling of vehicles for more than three minutes, and studies have shown that an anti-idling policy will save fuel, prolong engine life, and improve air quality.
The council also adopted a resolution committing the township to creating a pedestrian and bikeway system as defined by the state Department of Transportation’s “complete streets initiative.
The DOT defines a complete street as one that provides “safe access for all users by designing and operating a comprehensive, integrated, connected multi-modal network of transportation options.” Under the resolution, the township “wishes to reinforce its commitment to creating a comprehensive, integrated, connected street network that safely accommodates all road users of all abilities and disabilities and for all trips.”
The resolution requires all public street projects, both new construction and reconstruction (excluding maintenance) to be designed and constructed as “complete streets” whenever feasible.
Prior to council’s passing of the resolutions, Michael Hornsby, chairman of the township’s Environmental Commission, made a presentation about the township’s plans for submitting an application for bronze certification under the Sustainable Jersey program. The program provides access to grants and helps municipalities find funding opportunities to continue becoming more sustainable. The deadline to apply this year is September 15.
According to West Windsor officials’ calculations, West Windsor has already amassed 150 points toward that certification through some of its initiatives likes creating a natural resource inventory, adopting a sustainable plan, and adopting policies for energy efficiency and green design.
There are two levels of certification — bronze and silver — and West Windsor will have enough points to obtain bronze certification, including the points that passage of the two ordinances on July 19 will add.
Prior to July 19, the township already passed two resolutions — one that authorizes the township’s commitment to pledge continuation and expansion of its sustainable land use planning practices, and one that authorizes the township’s commitment to promote green building practices.
One more — an ordinance that would encourage the use of wind power technology in West Windsor — is coming, Hornsby said. “Once we achieve certification, we’ll put our heads together to achieve silver certification,” Hornsby said. That requires the township to earn 350 points.
Even after it receives silver certification, the township’s efforts will continue, he said. “The work is essentially never finished,” Hornsby said, likening the process to a “continual path of improvement.”
In October, 2009, West Windsor became one of the towns in the state with a sustainability element as part of its Master Plan aimed at incorporating more environmentally-friendly initiatives into future township development. The sustainability element, offers goals, objectives, strategies, and targets to direct township operations toward more sustainable practices.
Other Environmentally-Friendly Action. Also during the July 19 meeting, the council adopted a resolution requesting that Mercer County create a bicycle route from the Delaware and Raritan Canal to the Princeton Junction Train Station at West Windsor, along Washington Road.
The resolution states that the county is currently repaving Washington Road and that the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance has requested both the county and township that bike lanes be added to the section of Washington Road.
