From Walk Bike Ride South Orange:
Walk Bike Ride South Orange, Meadowland Park Conservancy and the South Orange Village collaborated this fall to install a streetscape safety demonstration project on Mead Street that is intended to set an example for future street-scaping projects in town.
The project was funded in part by a 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant secured by Walk Bike Ride South Orange and involved painting artistic crosswalks, adding green paint to the bike lanes, and installing delineators on Mead Street.
“These improvements make Mead Street safer for older adults, youth and families, and visitors of all ages to Meadowland Park and the Baird Community Center – and safer for turtles too!” said Walk Bike Ride South Orange Chair Julia Flath.
During South Orange Community Day in September, Meadowland Park Conservancy painted hot pink turtles on the crosswalks at Mead Street and Meadowbrook Lane. Many turtles live in the park, such as native box turtles and common snapping turtles. The crosswalks lie on the path between the river and the pond, which they traverse to lay their eggs.
Helping a turtle get to the other side. (Photo courtesy of Walk Bike Ride South Orange)
“Just like people, turtles need a safe way to cross the street — so the Conservancy made the crosswalks brighter, more welcoming, and a little more turtle-friendly,” according to the Conservancy’s social media.
Plus, said Plath, “Research shows that asphalt art reduces pedestrian-vehicle conflicts and crashes.”
The AARP grant helped offset the costs of upgrading the bike lanes on Mead Street in October. As a result, South Orange now has bike lanes on two streets, Mead Street and W Montrose Ave, featuring a consistent, modern design with durable green paint that is textured to reduce slipperiness for cyclists and to increase driver awareness.
In December, South Orange Village installed temporary delineators along Mead Street in locations that shorten pedestrian crossing distances, improve visibility, and protect the bike lane, but those have since been removed because of vandalism, weather and vehicles hitting them, she said. Studies show that the use of delineators and green paint in bike lanes reduce driving speeds and crash-related injuries, and make streets safer for all.
The AARP Community Challenge funds innovative, quick-action projects that inspire long-term change in public places, transportation and more.
Bike lane and crosswalk on Mead Street. (Photo courtesy of Walk Bike Ride South Orange.)
“As South Orange creates plans for safer streets and bike lanes, this demonstration project sets an example for future traffic calming efforts,” Flath said. “We are excited that Mead Street is now safer and more welcoming for adults heading to senior programming at the Baird, for youth cycling to middle school or the pool, and for families enjoying the park. We are grateful for the support of AARP and South Orange Village in making these improvements possible.”
Walk Bike Ride South Orange is a municipal advisory committee that hosts events and encourages community participation in advocacy to improve pedestrian, bicycling, and transit access in SOMa. Meadowland Park Conservancy is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded and run by volunteers who are passionate about the future of South Orange’s largest open space, working to make the park the best it can be.
The AARP Community Challenge grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages, with an emphasis on people ages 50 and older. To learn more, visit AARP’s livable communities page.
