By Donald Gilpin

More than 200 bicycle and pedestrian advocates, transportation and urban planners, and municipal leaders and elected officials from across the state will gather at Princeton University’s McDonnell Hall on March 29 for the 14th Annual New Jersey Bike & Walk Summit.

Keynote addresses by New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Fran K. O’Connor and “Strong Town” Founder and President Charles L. Marohn Jr. will be followed by a panel of leading experts discussing “The Crossroads of Transportation Policy.”

A selection of 18 breakout sessions on such topics as “Trails: Catalyst for Change,” “Safety Plans,” “Choosing the Right Funding to Get Stuff Done,” “Building Better Trails,” “Driver Accountability,” “Walk Witherspoon Street” (hosted by Sustainable Princeton), and “A Walk Through Alleyways to Coffee” (hosted by Princeton Future) will take place throughout the morning and early afternoon.

“This year’s New Jersey Bike & Walk Summit promises to be an exciting gathering of ideas, innovations, and community connections, all aimed at promoting safer more sustainable transportation options across our region,” wrote Debra Kagan, executive director of N.J. Bike & Walk Coalition, which is organizing the event. “Along with esteemed keynote speakers and over 16 sessions, the summit will include guided walks that highlight the wonders of Princeton.”

She continued, “This summit comes at a critical time for us as we face national actions to defund and limit active transportation. It provides a place to build community and strategies to continue our work — to make our streets safer, especially for people walking, cycling, and rolling. We hope you will join us!”

Leading Sustainable Princeton’s guided walk down Witherspoon Street, departing from the Brush Gallery entrance to McDonnell Building at 2:15 p.m., will be Sustainable Princeton Executive Director Christine Symington and Princeton Municipal Engineer/Deputy Administrator Deanna Stockton. They will be showing “how a previously two-way street became a partial one-way street with expanded sidewalks, increased bike parking, and traffic-calming measures like speed bumps and sidewalk ‘bump-outs,’” according to Sustainable Princeton Communications and Outreach Manager Elana Berk.

Berk added, “It can be a challenge to meet the needs of those who live in town and want safer walking/biking infrastructure with the needs of folks who drive into Princeton to work or spend their leisure time. The Witherspoon redesign project is an example of how accommodations for different uses of the same streets don’t always have to be at odds with each other.”

She went on, “We’re lucky to live in a town that has almost every service you could need within a fairly short bike trip. We hope to see more improvements to infrastructure to support safe cycling and walking in town, but we’re grateful for some of the changes that have already been made.”

The tour will also explain how Sustainable Princeton supports municipal projects and how nonprofits, advocacy groups, and municipal governments can work together to achieve common goals.

Architect and Princeton Future Board Member Marina Rubina commented on the “Walk to Coffee” that she will be leading for conference attendees and other Princeton residents as well. “Princeton Future is excited to be part of the Bike & Walk Summit,” she said. ”Our goal is to encourage local residents to rethink what is walkable. Instead of jumping in the car to get coffee, drive to a restaurant, or head to work, we hope Princeton residents will consider walking, even if it’s a bit farther.”

The walk, also starting outside the McDonnell Building at the Brush Gallery entrance will begin at 2:15 p.m. and is designed to “help residents discover “’hidden treasures,’ such as alleys and mid-block passageways that often go unnoticed,” said Rubina.

She continued, “As more people explore these routes, they will help activate the backs of commercial buildings and make our downtown more vibrant and pedestrian-friendly. For summit attendees, we aim to discuss the benefits of community walks for building connections, creating housing with fewer parking spaces, improving health, and enhancing wellness.”

Following registration, breakfast, and networking, the summit plenary session will start at 9 a.m. with opening remarks by Mercer County Executive Dan Benson, NJ Bike & Walk Coalition Executive Director Debra Kagan, and Princeton University Services Associate Vice President Charlie Tennison.

The keynote panel from 9:25 a.m. to 10 a.m. will discuss the importance of good transportation policy that addresses the interests of safety, economic development, and sustainability. Panelists include Barbara McCann, former senior advisor to the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation; Caron Whitaker, deputy executive director of the League of American Bicyclists; Zoe Baldwin, vice president of state programs and New Jersey Director of the Regional Plan Association; and Cathleen Lewis, Mercer County commissioner and clean transportation programs manager of the N.J. Board of Utilities.

Visit njbwc.org/summit-2025 for registration and more information.