A few words about Aldan Borough

[John Boyle]

One thing that almost befuddles me about all this opposition in Aldan Borough; It is one of the most walkable and transit accessible places I have ever seen, really. Aldan Elementary school is in the geographic center of town next to the municipal building. It has its own 102 trolley station which borders the front lawn of the school and is six blocks from the R3 line. The school also has a bike rack. All that is needed are modern enhancements to what exists already. Providence Road has sidewalks on both sides of the road from end to end. Putting in bike improvements and repainting crosswalks would "Complete the Street".   The Robert Wood Johnson foundation is giving out millions of dollars to redeveloping healthy communities to look like Aldan, NJ TRANSIT is spending $1 billion to initiate Light Rail service to revitalize towns that are similar to Aldan in Burlington County. Safe Routes to School funding will likely be included in TEA-3.   But in the real world it seems that blue collar (Starbucks free!) communities don't get it. These places go on like they always have. None of the elected officials in the room could remember the DVRPC acronym. (DRPA? DRBA? DRPC?). They do not know what they got and have not even been introduced to the concept of healthy communities. There is nowhere to park, traffic is terrible, walking and bicycling are dangerous activities and that poor biker needs a car.   By the way the nearest Starbucks is about 4 miles away at 1100 Baltimore Pike in Springfield, maybe there is hope. :-)   John