A coalition of Trenton-based residents and organizations earlier this week announced the launch of its campaign aimed at revitalizing the city’s riverfront and creating a pedestrian-friendly environment.
Reconnecting Trenton’s Riverfront is focused on transforming the Route 29 corridor into a boulevard that will link Trenton residents and visitors to the Delaware River, which has been separated from city residents by a highway since the 1950s.
“Transforming Route 29 into a boulevard is more than just a transportation project—it’s about reconnecting Trenton to its riverfront and unlocking new opportunities for economic growth, recreation, and community engagement,” said Peter Kasabach, executive director at New Jersey Future, a Trenton-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes sensible and equitable growth, redevelopment, and infrastructure investments.
Reconnecting Trenton’s Riverfront is a local example of a national movement that is addressing the legacy of transportation infrastructure that prioritized automobiles over neighborhoods. The Route 29 campaign said the highway has separated neighborhoods from the Delaware River and isolated residents from the city’s cultural and historical core. Residents have opposed the highway since it was built, and support for greater access to the river is growing.
The campaign comes as momentum grows for the Route 29 boulevard project. Mercer County is undertaking a local concept development study to develop what is called a purpose and need statement to evaluate whether the concept created in prior boulevard studies remains valid and advance the project to the engineering phase; requires refinement or an alternative concept; or will lead to a “no-build” alternative that terminates the project.
The coalition is composed of New Jersey Future; Isles Inc., a community development and environmental organization based in Trenton; Trenton community group Equity by Design; the New Jersey Conservation Foundation; and the Trenton NAACP.
“Reconfiguring Route 29 into a boulevard offers the promise of reinvigorating the city’s relationship with the riverfront,” said Tom Rust, Economic Director of the Trenton Downtown Association. “By redesigning the corridor to allow for a multi-use, pedestrian-friendly boulevard, this project will improve safety, create new parks, reduce traffic noise, and enhance the overall quality of life for residents.”
Austin Edwards, a trustee at Isles, said, “This campaign is about reclaiming our connection to the river and reimagining our city’s future.” Edwards added that Route 29 is an underutilized highway, a claim made by groups such as The Congress for New Urbanism.
