Willingboro Township, New Jersey

6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 WI LL INGBORO TOWNSHI P , NJ been working diligently with Public Works to organize and reorganize work to make sure that stormwater stays a priority for our municipality. There’s even talk of ‘Adopt a Storm Drain’ becoming a program here, where residents could commit to caring for a storm drain, make sure it stays clear of debris, to keep us from having flooding incidents and other safety hazards.” With a hearty number of people choosing Willingboro for its spacious yards and tree canopies, but commuting to larger cities for work, Deputy Mayor Whitfield says that more public transportation and “last-mile” connections, either via bus or river line, are also on the Township’s radar. “There’s been a mix of intentional relocation, where people are relocating from larger cities, and displacement, where, because of rising housing costs in large markets, investors have been buying properties, doing some revitalization, and then renting them out to others. All of these factors combined mean that we have an increased need for public transportation. We’d love to make the community more walkable, with better access to parks and other natural amenities in the town. We want to make things accessible and easy for folks who don’t drive.” The township is also looking to move vehicle fleets to electric. “We’ve set aside funds for e-charging stations and we’re looking to switch all of our inspections vehicles to electric,” the Deputy Mayor confirms. “We do have quite a few residents who travel outside of Willingboro to work each day, and then we’ve got the small business owners who work from home, or are able to purchase commercial property here, and therefore work and live in Willingboro,” adds Dr. Worthy. “We’ve had some new businesses open recently, including a vegan and vegetarian restaurant,” offers Mrs. Whitfield. “As people are becoming more health conscious, we need more businesses like these to come in and reinvigorate the town with healthy, holistic alternatives.”