Streetsblog.net

I was reading BikePortland earlier this week and came across an article that talked about the connection between preserving farmland from development and high quality recreational road cycling. I found it interesting that someone else made the connection to farmland and open-space preservation, and at least cycling, right at this moment in time.

As part of [this] week's elections, Ballot Question One will ask New Jerseyans if the State should approve bonding millions of dollars to continue funding the New Jersey Green Acres and Farmland Preservation programs. Previous bond funds managed by Green Acres and Farmland Preservation have been used to assist in the preservation of the 1.2 million acres of parkland and 180,000 acres of farmland in New Jersey. As cycling and pedestrian advocates you might be asking, "How does preserved land help our cause?" Well, let me suggest a number of ways that it does.

#1 - Preserving land and protecting it from development prevents sprawl in New Jersey's scenic areas. Some of my favorite places to take a recreation road ride are full of beautiful farms and scenic vistas. In these areas much of the land that I pass by is protected from development. Not only does this keep the scenery beautiful but since population densities are kept low, the roads that pass through these ares remain quiet, often with very low traffic volumes, perfect for cycling. And it can't be said enough, these areas are just plain beautiful and a real pleasure to cycle through.

#2 - Many preserved lands become places to hike and mountain bike. Not much else to say here.

#3 - Removing the development potential from land far from municipal services prevents car dependent development where nothing can reasonably be reached by foot or bicycle. Taking these lands out of "circulation" can, in theory, help focus development back into city and town centers where amenities are already exist and are easily accessible by foot or bicycle.

#4 - Parkland that is preserved today can be used as vital links in building future transportation trails. Using pre-existing parks are often a way that trail planners can get a trail through an urban or otherwise developed area. This is how much of the East-Coast Greenway is being routed through Northeastern New Jersey.

#5 - Finally while admittedly not directly in line with my thesis, in New Jersey, Green Acres moneys are often directly used to improve the pedestrian environment in pre-existing towns, like with the Morristown Green and Bay View Park in Perth Amboy. However, urban open-spaces as long as they are properly maintained have a long been known to greatly improve the quality of life of pedestrian oriented cities and towns.

While this all may sound like a promotion to support the bond initiative next week, it is not intended to be so. I just want people to be aware of the interplay that preserved lands have on the quality of walking and biking, particularly with the bond coming up for a vote next week. Rejection of the bond initiative may actually be a good thing. If that happens, due to the political popularity of the Green Acres and Farmland Preservation programs, legislators may be forced to find a different funding source for land preservation, preferably one that has a dedicated source of annual revenue.