The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (NJDHTS) recently invited goHunterdon to deliver a workshop for statewide grantees of NJDHTS funds based on the success of goHunterdon’s community engagement efforts in the Flemington/Raritan to address bicycle safety.
The workshop, held on January 30, 2025 at the AAA Headquarters in Holmdel, provided training for approximately 70 NJDHTS statewide grantees.
Community engagement or “Meaningful Participation and Public Engagement” is a proactive process that seeks representation from communities, especially those most affected by traffic crashes that result in injuries and fatalities, solicits public feedback, and integrates that feedback into safety projects, programs, or plans.
goHunterdon incorporated a robust community engagement approach in the Flemington/Raritan area over the past year in response to several bicycle crashes and ongoing concerns about bicycle safety. The approach included identifying “trusted community voices” and community partners, hosting resident focus groups, conducting community interviews, and participating in community events to gather feedback from the community.
goHunterdon staff members Ryan Fisher, Safety Programs Manager, Gabriela Bonnavent, Community Engagement Specialist, and Tara Shepherd, Executive Director, walked workshop participants through the Meaningful Participation and Public Engagement process and highlighted specific examples from goHunterdon’s successful work in the Flemington area to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. Workshop attendees used a workbook, developed by goHunterdon, to serve as a template for the development of MPPE plans tailored to each grant recipient’s program or project.
The goHunterdon staff was joined by Ptl. Matthew Menosky, Holmdel Township Police Department, and Ptl. William Kloos, Piscataway Township Police Department, who both shared examples of successful community engagement efforts from a law enforcement perspective.
goHunterdon is now replicating the same community engagement approach in the City of Lambertville to improve bicycle safety in that community as part of a program funded by the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety.