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Equitably Reconnecting Communities

in Small and Midsize Cities

East Orange & Orange, New Jersey

East Orange & Orange, New Jersey

Reconnecting Essex County

The Community Connectors project in East Orange and Orange, NJ, focused on reconnecting north and south segments of the two cities by engaging community members and state decision-makers in the planning and implementation of infrastructure improvements to the dangerous highway causing the disconnection, Freeway Drive.

The

East Orange and Orange are neighboring urban communities that are among the most densely-populated in the state and country. A total of 102,124 people live within these cities; 79% identify as Black and 18% are Latinx [1]. The median household income is $51,547, well below the state average of $89,703 [2].

The

Residents south of I-280 face a dangerous crossing over Freeway Drive – more than 500 feet of multi-lane, high speed state highway – to access transit and key economic and municipal services [3]. The three lanes in each direction results in long crossing distances without adequate pedestrian sidewalks, countdown timers, or ADA accommodations [4]. Freeway Drive has an average annual occurrence of more than 10 pedestrian crashes and 200 total crashes within the corridor, about 60% of which occur within 1-block of a commuter train station, and a pedestrian crash fatality rate of 3.36 per 100,000 residents across both cities [5].

Improvements to the dangerous infrastructure have been stalled because the NJ Department of Transportation is the owner of the eligible facility and is the only entity that can secure future funding or authorize construction [6].

The

The Community Connectors project focused on reconnecting the north and south segments of the communities through improvements to bridges, roadways, and other transportation infrastructure. The project aimed to advance recommendations that were outlined in the 2017 Freeway Drive & Station Area Safety and Public Realm Study completed with support from USDOT, but that have been stalled by the pivotal, decision-making role of NJ DOT. To advance these updates and improve the conditions of Freeway Drive, the Community Connectors team engaged impacted residents and organizations in the planning process and advocacy activities to strengthen state-level buy-in and ensure that the plans are brought to fruition.

The

Mobility Legacies

East Orange & Orange, New Jersey

This city's local history offers critical context for the current circumstances and ongoing work to improve community conditions.

The following mobility legacies, organized according to mobility patterns that are prevalent across the United States, point to harmful policies and decisions, and subsequently, opportunities for repair and reconnection. They do not provide an exhaustive history of the city.