Pedestrian/Bike Crossing Proposed For Route 130 In Burlington County

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — A planned regional trail could help boost safety on a roadway with a history of deadly incidents for pedestrians, according to Burlington County officials.

The proposed Route 130 Crossing project would connect three county parks through the construction of fully accessible paths. The early plans also call for developing a pedestrian/bicycle crossing across the roadway.

Tri-State Transportation Campaign, an organization that advocates for pedestrian safety, has labeled Route 130 as New Jersey's most-dangerous road for pedestrians on multiple occasions. The roadway, which stretches from southwest New Jersey to Middlesex County, has become infamous for pedestrian deaths in the past decade-plus.

Two pedestrians have been fatally struck on Route 130 in 2023 alone — both in Burlington County — according to state data.

"Rapid residential and commercial growth along Route 130 corridor has unfortunately created a safety concern for pedestrians and bicyclists," said State Sen. Troy Singleton (NJ-7), "so it’s gratifying to see Burlington County advance this project to provide a critical safe crossing."

The proposed regional trail would extend the new Rancocas Creek Greenway Trail about 2 miles from Pennington Park in Delanco, crossing Route 130 to both Willingboro Lakes Park in Willingboro and Rainbow Meadow Park in Delran. All three are county parks.

The pedestrian/bicycle crossing on Route 130 would be constructed between milepost 40 and 42 in Edgewater Park. Early plans also call for improvements to the Route 130 Bridge across the Rancocas Creek to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

"Constructing a safe pedestrian and bicyclist-friendly crossing at this location will absolutely save lives and help enhance our County parks and regional trails network," said Tom Pullion, deputy director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners.

The project will likely cost more than $19 million, according to the county's early projections. County officials expect federal transportation grants to fund the trail and improvements.

Earlier this fall, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) approved adding $19 million for the project to the New Jersey Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). County officials called the move a "critical step" for federal transportation aid to cover the project.

Last week, the DVRPC also approved shifting $700,000 in federal COVID-relief aid toward the project for concept development and planning.

Tri-State Transportation Campaign says that crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists are essential for enhancing safety. Education and enforcement-based safety programs aren't cutting it, says Corey Hannigan, the nonprofit's active transportation program manager.

"That's why USDOT (the U.S. Department of Transportation) now recommends more systemic and infrastructure-based solutions — changing roadway designs to encourage slower and safer driving speeds, and providing safer infrastructure for people to get around without a motor vehicle, such as shared-use trails and separated pedestrian/bicycle crossings," Hannigan told Patch via email.