Walkability and bikeability are key components for making communities great and healthy places to live, work and play. But how do you make sure your community is safe and fun for pedestrians and cyclists? Join RideWise and the Somerset County Green Leadership Hub for our webinars on Walkability & Bikeability in Somerset County.
In Part 1 of this two-part installment, we have speakers from Somerset County Planning, local planning boards, and the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center to discuss how to conduct walkability and bikeability audits, which are the first step towards making your community a great place for pedestrians and cyclists of all ages and abilities. Come join us to hear about current pedestrian plans and initiatives in Somerset County and how you can get started on your own projects!
Meet our speakers:
James Sinclair, Research Manager, Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center
James Sinclair is a Research Manager at the Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center. His work includes developing Complete Streets Implementation Plans, analyzing solutions to address distracted driving in New Jersey, and evaluating the New Brunswick Ciclovia. James is a recent graduate from the Master of City and Regional Planning program at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. While there, he focused on transportation and urban design, with a special emphasis on bicycle and pedestrian planning.
Angela Knowles, PP/AICP, LEED AP, Director of Planning Service, Van Cleef Engineering Associates, Inc.
Angela Knowles has a Bachelor of Science from Keene State College (NH) and a Masters of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. She is a licensed professional planner in the State of New Jersey, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a LEED-AP. She has over 15 years of diversified experience in all aspects of planning at the state, regional, and local levels and in the non-profit, public, and private sectors. Ms. Knowles approaches planning and community development with the community’s vision at the forefront and incorporates the public’s input, to the greatest extent possible.
As the Director of Planning Services with Van Cleef Engineering, Ms. Knowles currently provides planning services to the Town of Phillipsburg, the Boroughs of Alpha, Glen Gardner, Manville, Ogdensburg, Raritan, and South Toms River, and the Township of Stafford. In all planning projects, Ms. Knowles is mindful of a town’s historic, cultural, social and natural resources and aims to provide the community with a product that advances its goals.
She currently volunteers her time with Sustainable Jersey as a member of the Land Use & Transportation Task Force, and as the Vice President of Conference Services for the NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Walter Lane, AICP/PP, Director of Somerset County Planning
Walter C. Lane serves as the Director of Planning at the Somerset County Planning Division where he oversees a staff of 18 employees. He is responsible for all of the County’s planning efforts, the Agriculture Development Board, the County’s Cultural and Heritage Commission and the Somerset County Energy Council.
He has over twenty years of land use, regional planning and transportation planning experience and has managed numerous award winning projects. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the NJ County Planners Association and the Somerset County Business Partnership. He has served on the APA-NJ Executive Committee and is a past chair of the Regional Transportation Advisory Committee at the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
