WalkBikeJersey Blog

LoBiondo and Sires Fight the Good Fight In A Bad Transportation Bill

2012-02-02T12:56:00.000-05:00

The votes are in for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Amendment to preserve Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancements. The Amendment sponsored by Representatives Petri (R-WI), Johnson (R-IL) and Lipinski (D-IL) narrowly failed by a vote of 27 to 29.

NJ representatives Sires (D-13 Hudson County) and LoBiondo (R-2 South Jersey) voted yes for TE and Safe Routes. Rep. LoBiondo's vote was particularly heartening as he was the only Republican non bill sponsor who voted for the amendment and faced enormous pressure from the House Leadership to vote no. If you live in either Congressman's district please send them a personal Thank You by clicking the respective link.

So what happens next? According to America Bikes, the Republican leadership in the House wants the Transportation Bill to be voted on by the full House before the next recess begins in late February. Other committees will take their shots at the bill tomorrow and next week, and the bill could be up for a vote in the full House of Representatives the week of February 13th. After that the battle switches to the Senate which has a much better but from from perfect bill of their own. This battle is far from over.

Oregon Representative Peter DeFazio gives an excellent speech in defense of Safe Routes to School

House Bill worst than expected! Draft would eliminate bicycling from transportation program!

2012-02-02T00:26:00.001-05:00

The below comes to WBJ straight from the League of American Bicyclists. Take 2 minutes to write your congressman by pressing the "Take Action" button:

Moments ago, Congressman John Mica (R-FL) announced the introduction of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act. The proposed bill eliminates dedicated funding for bicycling and walking as we feared, and it goes much further and systematically removes bicycling from the Federal transportation program. It basically eliminates our status and standing in the planning and design of our transportation system -- a massive step backwards for individuals, communities and our nation. It's a step back to a 1950s highway- and auto-only program that makes no sense in the 21st century.

The bill reverses 20 years of progress by:

destroying Transportation Enhancements by making it optional;
repealing the Safe Routes to School program, reversing years of progress in creating safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school;
allowing states to build bridges without safe access for pedestrians and bicycles;
eliminating bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in state DOTs; and
eliminating language that insures that rumble strips "do not adversely affect the safety or mobility of bicyclists, pedestrians or the disabled."

On Thursday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee will mark-up the bill and Representatives Petri (R-WI) and Johnson (R-IL) will sponsor an amendment that restores dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Representatives Petri and Johnson can only be successful if everyone with a stake in safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways contacts their representative today.

Because of these urgent new developments, and the vital importance of a HUGE turnout on Capitol Hill in March, the National Bike Summit early bird registration deadline has been extended to Feb 20. We need every single cyclist in Washington, D.C. that the city can hold (and that's thousands ...). Register today!

Stay in touch by visiting bikeleague.org and americabikes.org for background and breaking news.

Sincerely,

Andy Clarke

League President

Congressmen LoBiondo & Sires - Help Us Get Our 1% Back

2012-01-26T14:43:00.000-05:00

Congress is finally moving on a federal transportation bill.

The House will release its bill today (January 27) and vote on it next Thursday (February 2).

The bill does NOT include dedicated funding for biking and walking. It will provide ZERO funding for Transportation Enhancements (TE) and Safe Routes to School (SRTS).

We must get those programs restored to the bill. In 2009 Bicycle and Pedestrian Fatalities represented nearly 30% of all traffic fatalities in the State. Yet TE and SRTS only represent 1.2% of federal transportation funding

Please write and your Congressional representative today. It's especially urgent that those of you who live in the districts represented by Congressman Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2) and Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-13) who both sit on the Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittee. Send an email and make a phone call today:
LoBiondo: Phone (202) 225-6572 or Fax (202) 225-3318
Sires: Phone 202-225-7919

View Congressman LoBiondo's New Jersey's 2nd in a larger map

New Jersey's 13th District of Congressman Albio Sires,

When It Comes to the Last Mile NJ TRANSIT Exhibits a Split Personality

2012-01-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

The perceived and fluid divide between North and South Jersey becomes real when it comes to NJ TRANSIT's bike access.

If you live in South Jersey bike access on NJ TRANSIT is so well integrated that regular intermodal commuters may not even give it an afterthought. Bike racks on RiverLINE, Atlantic City trains and all NJ TRANSIT buses are available at all hours and well used. Bike parking is available at almost every rail station which are accessible high platform stations.

Meanwhile in the northern half of the state bike access ranks near the bottom of all transit agencies in North America. Only a few select bus routes have bike racks and while bikes are permitted in NJ Transit bus luggage compartments bikes are not permitted in the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Bike on rail rules ban rush hour and holiday travel, but perhaps the most absurd policy in NJ TRANSIT's rule book is its ban on bike boarding and egress at low platform rail stations.

Here is the kicker, NJ TRANSIT and its partners have invested heavily in connecting people using the statewide rail network to their final destination. What is known in the transit world as the "last mile". Counties and Transportation Management Agencies (TMA) operate subsidized shuttle services that are scheduled to meet NJ TRANSIT trains throughout the state.

Shuttles fill a need for many off line residents and business in the state. But they are expensive to run and maintain and consequently only provide services during limited hours. When the budget axe flies these services are cut first. In 2009 the Burlink Bus riders saw a 150% fare increase compounded by a reduction in bus service.

NJ Transit also has a Safe Streets to Transit program providing sidewalks and other pedestrian improvements to transit centers. The one million dollar a year program has more applicants than funds available, it will take decades to fill in all the missing links between stations and destinations.

Restoring bike access to low platform stations would offer last mile access day and night and only requires a directive from NJT Commissioner James Simpson to change the policy. You can write to Mr. Simpson on the issue here. Already more than 200 people have responded so far,

On February 25th the New Jersey Bike Walk Summit will present a session on the difficulties faced in attempting to integrate mass transit and bicycles in New Jersey.

DRPA twiddles thumbs - delays funding Ben Bridge ramp again

2012-01-15T21:12:00.000-05:00

The following once again comes to us from our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia via their blog Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News.

Credit: Alejandro Alvarez

At yesterday's DRPA Finance Committee meeting, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and Tri-State Transportation Campaign submitted a host of materials supporting the restoration of funding for the Camden-side ramp. DRPA received:

18 letters from area businesses and organizations (including Campbell's Soup, Concerned Citizens of North Camden and AARP New Jersey).
The comments from over 1000 petition signers asking that DRPA restore funding for the ramp in its 2012 Capital Program.
A joint letter from Senators Lautenberg and Menendez, hand-delivered to CEO Matheussen at the beginning of the meeting.
After the meeting, Rutgers-Camden also delivered a letter.

DRPA staff prepared a resolution at the direction of PA Auditor General Jack Wagner, and the resolution was discussed at the meeting. Robert Teplitz, the Auditor General's General Counsel, attended the meeting and spoke up for the need to put the ramp back into the Capital Program. After much discussion, the Finance Committee decided to ask DRPA staff to look into non-DRPA sources of funding and will take up the topic again at its Operations and Management meeting on February 1st.

Much of the funding discussion at the meeting focused on accessing other non-DRPA public funds to pay for the ramp. Commissioner Nash specifically noted that DVRPC was about to announce a competitive Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funding round, which will make $3 million available to New Jersey Projects.

While it's perhaps understandable that DRPA might want to explore other sources of funding, there are problems with going to the Federal trough:

Funds will not be available until late 2012 or early 2013, delaying the start of the project by about a year. Design and construction work for the project will take at least 18 months to complete.
The extra environmental work and bidding requirements attached to Federal Transportation projects will increase the cost and the completion time for the project, adding another year and an undetermined amount of money.
Congress has a moratorium on earmarks (known locally as demo projects) so that kind of money is highly unlikely (remember the "Bridge to Nowhere"?).
DVRPC's CMAQ program is competitive and intended for local governments and agencies to promote innovative clean air programs that are not always bicycle and pedestrian oriented (e.g. synchronized signals, hybrid shuttle buses.) Typically about 20-30 applications are submitted. In the past, DVRPC has doled out the money equitably by county (2002 Competitive CMAQ summary report).
Most importantly, DRPA already has $10 million available in the 2012 Capital Program. This money was originally earmarked for Economic Development, but was not spent and returned to the Capital Program at the December 2011 meeting. If not spent on a specific project, the funds may be used to fill in cost overruns for the existing Capital Program.

While the Bicycle Coalition doesn't oppose the use of non-DRPA funding to help build the ramp, we do believe that the DRPA should restore the original $3.2 million to pay for and build the ramp. The ramp is intrinsic to the Ben Franklin Bridge and the responsible agency for maintaining and operating the bridge (DRPA) should not treat the ramp like a frivolous embellishment to be paid for when convenient with other people's money.

Final engineering will determine the real cost of the ramp. Committing $3.2 million toward the project will help leverage any external funding sources that would be needed to complete the ramp in a timely manner. Waiting around for an earmark or studying innovative funding opportunities smacks of delay tactics. Either DRPA commits to building this ramp or they do not.

We encourage people to keep signing our petition. The Operation and Management meeting is at 8AM on February 1st at DRPA Offices at One Port Center in Camden and we will be encouraging people to join us at that public meeting.

Bicycle art show coming to Newark - Submissions Wanted!

2012-01-13T01:37:00.000-05:00

The lead for this story comes to us from our friends at the Brick City Bike Collective via their Facebook Page. The following message comes from the Index Art Center via their FB call for submissions.

Open Call for submissions:
ART CYCLE: An exhibition of bicycle inspired art.

Deadline to submit: 2/10/12
Artists reception: 3/10/12

IAC is revisiting one of our favorite subjects, and hopefully yours BICYCLES!

Marcel Duchamp created his most famous "Readymade" Bicycle Wheel in 1913. Over the last century the influence of the bicycle on art is as diverse and far reaching as the two wheel machine itself.

Bikes have been used as kinetic sculptures, muses for painters and photographers, and as a blank canvas for artists and innovators alike. This exhibition, once again, hopes to capture the spirit of the bicycle, and its place in contemporary art.

Submit your proposals, jpeg images, or video links to Index Art Center : index.gallery@gmail.com
Please write “Art Cycle” in the subject line.

- Include your full name and all contact info
- Brief description and dimensions of work or installation.
- All mediums will be considered.
- No submission fee.

Deadline for submissions and proposals: February 10, 2012
Opening reception: Saturday, March 10, 7 to 11pm

IAC
585 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102
www.indexartcenter.org
index.gallery@gmail.com
862-218-0278

The League of American Bicyclists wants you to represent New Jersey at the National Bike Summit

2012-01-11T01:50:00.000-05:00

From the League of American Bicyclists:

In 2010, $700 million of Federal transportation funds were spent on bicycling and walking. In 2012, that figure might be a big fat zero. Dedicated federal funding for bicycling projects and programs has transformed towns, cities and states by enabling them to build trails, stripe lanes and install parking for bicyclists; to deliver bike education and encouragement programs; to hire staff; and adopt ambitious plans to get more people on bikes more often. Those plans are finally starting to bear fruit. Unfortunately, some powerful Members of Congress want to strip away these programs and return to the days when bicycling was simply ignored. Even the popular and successful Safe Routes to School program is under attack.

Don't let Congress turn back the clock on decades of hard-fought progress towards creating a more bicycle-friendly America. Join us at the 2012 National Bike Summit to help defend these critical programs -- just when America needs them the most. We Need You at the 2012 National Bike Summit! Help Save Cycling.

Op-Ed: Toll hikes put more traffic on local roads leaving bicyclists and pedestrians in greater peril

2012-01-03T01:46:00.002-05:00

Living in North Brunswick, every time there is a toll increase on the Turnpike my town sees an increase in traffic (particularly trucks) on Routes 1 and 130. Without fail, some of these drivers find their way onto our local streets, including large trucks, where bicyclists and pedestrians are very common.

All across the state predictions are being made that drivers will simply change their driving habits to avoid paying the higher tolls (1,2). Instead of being on a highways built to handle high volumes of highspeed traffic where bicyclists and pedestrians are not allowed, more cars, truck and buses will be on streets intended for local motor vehicle traffic where bicyclists and pedestrians are common.

Yesterday's 50% toll increase on the Parkway and 53% on the Turnpike, along with the prior round of toll hikes in 2008 is part of a policy shift in Trenton to use the toll roads and the revenues they produce as a substitute to raising New Jersey's 3rd lowest in the nation, gas tax (only the fossil fuel producing states of Alaska and Wyoming are lower). Since a good percentage of those driving on New Jersey's toll roads, particularly the Turnpike, are out-of-state drivers, policy makers in Trenton are using the toll roads as a cash cow to harvest out-of-state money to plug the gap in New Jersey's grossly underfunded transportation trust fund.

This policy is exceptionally shortsighted as many have said publicly (3, 4, 5). While its reasonable to charge drivers a premium to drive on these premium roads, using the toll revenue as a substitute to a reasonable state gas tax is not. All that this policy will do is take motor vehicles off highways that have the capacity to handle the traffic and put them on roads that cannot. It also penalizes some New Jersey drivers that just happen to live near or need to use toll roads while letting some ride on other people's coattails. The rich folks in Morris and Somerset Hunterdon Counties have no toll roads in their counties but plenty of free expressways, while the working-class shlubs in Middlesex, Monmouth Ocean and Union counties will simply have to pay.

As for interstate drivers just passing through, there is also incentive to avoid the toll roads. A round-trip for a 6-axle truck on the entire length of the New Jersey Turnpike now costs over $113!!! That large cost is is worth an extra hour or so on the road for most working class truck drivers crossing the state. Close to me truck traffic was already very heavy on River Road in Piscataway which is part of one of those alternative truck routes. Truckers come down I 287 connect to Rt 18 via River Rd and then continue to Rt 1 and ultimately I 295 and I 95. It just happens that River Road is also a critical Route for cyclists needing to go west from New Brunswick, Highland Park and Rutgers University. Members of local cycling clubs including the Rutgers Cycling Team can often be seen traveling on River Road to the hills to the west in Somerset County. And if one needs to go between the county seats of New Brunswick and Somerville by bike, River Road is the only road that will help get you there without detours that would add a significant amount of extra distance. Added trucks to River Road will surely put these cyclists at greater risk.

I can't blame drivers for avoiding the Turnpike and Parkway as I too do everything I can to avoid the toll roads when I drive my car. And just like myself, most drivers have a choice to either pay for the convenience of the toll roads option or to deal with a little bit of extra traffic and budget more time driving on the surface roads. In this time of economic stress it is likely that this new round of toll hikes will see even greater numbers of drivers opting to save their money and go with the second choice, particularly truck drivers. Besides petitioning over the long-term to reverse this bad transportation policy, I guess all that we can do in the meantime is just hope that these diverted drivers don't kill any bicyclists or pedestrians.

Walt Disney World - The Jekyll and Hyde of Complete Streets

2011-12-31T09:45:00.000-05:00

How many of you have been to to Walt Disney World? Did you rent or bring your bike? Probably not. An enormous transport system of monorails, buses and boats will get you around the sprawling complex but don't count on walking or biking.

The Google Maps team has brought out much of the Walt Disney World's disconnected walking and biking paths into the light.What's interesting is that many of the resort areas offer bike rentals for use on their internal path networks.
Yet there is no grand loop to connect the numerous resorts and theme parks. I wonder if visitors would arrive less "grumpy" if they able to stretch their legs instead of paying $15 for parking, hopping on a tram and waiting a half hour to get on the monorail.

Market St, Celebration

Celebration "The town that Disney built" has a traditional neighborhood center that is a welcome relief from Orlando's endless sprawl. Wikipedia notes that the locals often use bikes or carts to get around town but 91% of them drive to work.

World Drive

Much of the internal road network looks like World Drive, interstate like highways without shoulders or sidepaths. Disney should direct some of their "Imagineers" to make this corridor (and its theme parks) accessible to all. Note the super-wide right of way that is already maintained as a manicured lawn.

That is not to say that there are exceptions, Fort Wilderness Campground has internal trails and encourages guests to get around on bicycle. The main path goes to the Fort Wilderness Lodge which is a five minute bus ride from the Magic Kingdom entry gate.

The Disney Boardwalk resort area which idealizes the Jersey Shore during the early 20th Century is connected to Epcot International Gateway and Disney Hollywood Studios via a network of multi-use paths (boardwalk, wide sidewalk and asphalt). The travel time between the two parks on bicycle is 5 to 10 minutes (depending on foot traffic), even walking is competitive with the 30+ minute ferry ride. The problem - no bike racks at either end and I suspect that bikes attached to to anything are subject to confiscation. Ask a cast member to see they if can help you out at the gate.

"Walkway from Disney MGM Studios to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin" by bigbrian-nc, on Flickr

On a larger scale Central Florida has some of the best maintained long distance paved trails in the Country. The 32 mile West Orange/South Lake Trail system's Winter Garden Station trailhead is about 33 miles from Downtown Disney and the trail is accessible via several Lynx bus routes. Bike rentals are available in Winter Garden. This great video from the Edgewater Hotel gives a nice preview of the trail.

Investing in a connected attractive multi-use trail network would payoff big for WDW which has a parking capacity for 46,000 cars and a fleet of 300 buses. That's a lot of CO2 no matter how green the resort claims to be.

East Coast Greenway Alliance announces major advancement in New Jersey

2011-12-24T00:20:00.000-05:00

The East Coast Greenway Alliance made this announcement in its December Newsletter about a major breakthrough that has closed the gap between Newark and Jersey City.

The largest gap in the alignment of the East Coast Greenway as it passes through New Jersey has just been completed! For the first time, pedestrians can walk along sidewalks between Jersey City and Newark – two of New Jersey’s largest cities. New Jersey Department of Transportation recently constructed sidewalk along the ECG alignment of Truck Route 1 & 9 in Newark and Kearny. This links Lincoln Park in Jersey City, across Kearny, through the Ironbound section of Newark to Newark’s Penn Station. There are already ECG wayfinding signs in place the rest of the way across New Jersey, between Newark and Trenton.

Now that this new segment of sidewalk is available, ECG travelers will finally be able to travel 100% of the way across New Jersey under their own power – no trains needed! There is still advocacy work to do as we continue to improve this important secion of the Greenway. However, this is a huge step forward as there is finally a continuous sidewalk network between Newark and Jersey City for everyone to use!

The above was written by Mike Dannemiller, East Coast Greenway Alliance New Jersey State Committee Co-Chair

DVRPC awards vast majority of $5.2 million in trails moneys to PA communities

2011-12-22T00:50:00.001-05:00

Much of the following is taken from a recent post from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia's, Bicycle News.

In late October, the Delaware Valley Region Planning Commission awarded $5.2 million through Phase I of its Regional Trails Program. This grant program is funded by $10 Million from the William Penn Foundation, and provided money to eighteen projects around the 9 county Delaware Valley region. However, of those eighteen projects, only two are in New Jersey and account for only $373,000 of the $5.2 million awarded, less than 7.2% of the grant money available. While this money is available equally to counties and municipalities in both states, the massive bias towards Pennsylvania is because New Jersey communities are simply not applying for the grants. According to John Boyle of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, "New Jersey communities are failing to come forward and apply for money to build trails in the past few years. Kudos to Camden County/Coopers Ferry Partnership and Mercer County/Friends of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail for taking the opportunity to expand their trail networks."

These initiatives include both trail design and trail construction in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They extend existing trails, including the Schuylkill River Trail in Phoenixville, the Chester Valley Trail near Exton, and the East Coast Greenway in Tullytown. They connect the existing and planned elements of the regional trail network to neighborhoods through projects like the Baldwin's Run Tributary Trail in Camden and the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail in Lawrence. Finally, these grants support several landmark projects, including the Manayunk Bridge Trail that will provide a cross-river connection between Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township and serve as a destination for bikers and walkers from across the region.

The awards to trail projects include:

Reading to Hamburg Schuylkill River Trail Gap (Leesport section) – $142,630 (design and construction) – Berks County
Big Woods/Schuylkill-Hopewell Furnace Trail – $500,000 (construction – Phase 1, survey – Phase 2) – Berks and Chester Counties – Berks County
Neshaminy Creek Greenway (Phase I) -- $130,148 (construction) – Bucks County
US Route 13 Crossing – $471,000 (construction) – Bucks County
Baldwin’s Run Tributary Trail – $150,000 (design) – Camden County
Chester Valley Trail Phase III – $500,000 (construction) – Chester County
Phoenixville Schuylkill River Trail Segment – Phase I -- $285,000 (design and construction) – Chester County
Darby Creek Trail -- $290,000 (construction) – Delaware County
Lawrence-Hopewell Trail: Lewisville Road Section -- $248,000 (construction) – Mercer County
Chester Valley Trail Extension – $325,000 (construction) – Montgomery County
Canal Towpath Spillway Bridge – $170,000 (construction) – Montgomery County
Tacony Frankford Greenway Trail – $500,000 (construction) – Philadelphia
Penn Street Trail – $500,000 (design and construction) – Philadelphia
Schuylkill Crossing at Grays Ferry – $260,000 (preliminary design) – Philadelphia

In addition, the DVRPC Board today approved $125,000 in funding for Camden County’s Kaighn’s Avenue to Route 130 Connector Trail. This project was one of four “early action” projects originally approved for $50,000 of funding in July 2011. The grant has since been revised to $125,000. The other three early action projects were:

Manayunk Bridge -- $400,000 (design) – Philadelphia
Spring Garden Street Greenway – $75,000 (design) – Philadelphia
Schuylkill South -- $165,000 (acquisition for future extension of waterfront trail) – Philadelphia

In mid-December, DVRPC received applications for Phase II of the program, for projects that were seeking planning and feasibility funding. Those awards are expected to be announced in early 2012.

Peters Brook Greenway Bridge over Rt 202/206 nearly complete

2011-12-21T04:15:00.000-05:00

A multi-use bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Rt 202/206, which will be a critical part of the Peters Brook Greenway, is nearing completion. Late in November, the prefabricated steal truss bridge was finally put into place marking a critical moment and the final stages of this project. Located on the northwest of edge of Somerville, a quarter mile north of the Somerville Circle and just south of Rt 22, it is hoped that this bridge will provide bicyclists and pedestrians a critical crossing over Routes 202/206 in this congested area that is the junction of numerous highways. A week or two ago, construction workers were seen pouring the concrete running surface onto the bridge structure and it would seem that all that remains to be done before the bridge is opened is to install protective railings on the ramps, stairs and the bridge itself.

View Peters Brook Greenway - Approximate Route in a larger map

Started in July of 2010, this $3.6 million project will be an extension of the Peters Brook Greenway that runs through Somerville and will one day provide a connection to Bridgewater-Raritan High School on Garretson Road in Bridgewater. The primary reason behind this project is to provide a safe crossing over Rts 202/206 that is NOT provided at the Somerville Circle or any other place within a reasonable distance.

More pictures of the project after the jump.

Bridge ramps and stairs on west side of bridge.

Hopefully there are plans to clean up the gravel and prevent crashes leading up to the pole on this downhill stretch. Lights from oncoming cars could blind cyclists making them unaware of the pole at night.

Another telephone pole in the trail!

A distant view of the trail leading up to the east side of the bridge.

Currently the trail terminates about 150 feet from the Somerville Shopping Center just to the south.

Construction crews grade the trail behind the Somerville Shopping Center.

DRPA approves budget without Ben Franlin ADA ramp

2011-12-17T01:31:00.000-05:00

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

The Board of Directors of the Delaware River Port Authority approved the 2012 Capital Program without the ramp as expected and as is the custom, took public comments only at the end of the meeting.

However advocates from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia got a good amount of press. Helicopter video of the 10 cyclists on the bridge was seen on Fox 29 and NBC 10. People watching the TV news said the shots were tight which made the group look bigger.

Online press coverage can be found in the below links:

When it came time to vote on the resolution for $20 million in economic development project (DRPA has been slammed repeatedly...
...for allocating toll dollars for these non transportation projects) bicycle advocates got unexpected support from PA Auditor General Jack Wagner: "He (Wagner) expects to have Robert Teplitz, who sits in for him when he misses a DRPA meeting, introduce resolutions in January allocating a total of $6.9 million to study the possible reopening of the Franklin Square station along the PATCO line and making the Benjamin Franklin Bridge walkway on the New Jersey side handicapped accessible."

The Next DRPA is January 5th, keep signing the petition (we have 900+ signatures so far)
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5918/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8974

Getting NJ Board of Commissioners to vote in favor of Mr. Wagner's proposed resolution is key. If you know any of these people please help us out by contacting them. By the way the board is chaired by PA Gov. Tom Corbett who was leading the meeting.

Jeffrey L. Nash
(Vice Chairman)
Camden County Freeholder
Reappointed 2009 by Gov. Jon Corzine

E. Frank DiAntonio
Union President & Business Manager
Reappointed 2009 by Gov. Jon Corzine

Charles Fentress
Reappointed 2009 by Gov. Jon Corzine

Albert F. Frattali
Union Business Manager &
Financial Secretary Treasurer
Reappointed 2009 by Gov. Jon Corzine

Ricardo V. Taylor, Jr.
School Administrator
Appointed 2008 by Gov. Jon Corzine

Tamarisk Jones
Gloucester County Director of Health and Senior Services
Appointed 2009 by Gov. Jon Corzine

Richard Sweeney
Financial Secretary/Treasurer and
Business Rep
Ironworkers #399
Appointed 2009 by Gov. Jon Corzine

Denise Y. Mason
Vice President, Senior Regional Community Development Manager
Appointed 2010 by Gov. Jon Corzine

Bloustein students proposed bicycle network and other ideas for Rutgers / New Brunswick

2011-12-17T01:01:00.002-05:00

What might a bicycle network look like for Rutgers University and the City of New Brunswick look like? Graduate students at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy took on this question as part of Prof. John Pucher’s, Biking and Walking for Sustainable Cities Class. Students took a look at a number of issues including, bike share, turning Rutgers into a Bicycle Friendly University, a community bicycle center like Recycle-A-Bicycle and Second Life Bikes to name a few.

The other presentations I saw talked about:

How to motivate people to walk and bike more,
Redesigning Livingston Ave (a primary access route to New Brunswick from the south),
A look at the safety improvements and controversy with the Prospect Park West Cycletrack

Included below are several images of the one major presentation that investigated a New Brunswick bicycle network designed to maximize the connectivity between university campuses while connecting to the French Street commercial corridor (Note: I give the students credit for trying some innovative bike lane treatments however I must say that I do have some concerns with the finer points of some of the design treatments). For those mega bike wonks there is a link to video of the presentation (webinare style) but I don't have that link available as I publish.

Hoboken Installs First Bike Repair Station, Doubles Bike Racks Near PATH

2011-12-15T02:10:00.000-05:00

The following is reproduced from the official Hoboken City news blog and is published here as a public service. WalkBikeJersey will do an independent review of these new amenities in Hoboken the next time one our "staff" are in the city. All photos are attributed to the City of Hoboken.

Hoboken, NJ - Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
First buffered bike lane installed; Bike sharing program planned

The City of Hoboken has installed its first self-service bike repair station, becoming one of the first municipalities on the east coast with a public bike repair facility. The City has also doubled the number of bike racks near the PATH. The more than 30 new bike racks are available for sponsorship by businesses or residents and will be acknowledged with an engraved plaque adjacent to the bike rack.

“Our streets are public spaces that belong to everyone, not just cars,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Every Hoboken resident is a pedestrian, and more than ever, they are also riding bikes to get around. This expansion of our bicycle infrastructure demonstrates our strong commitment to making Hoboken more bike-friendly.”

The bike repair service station behind the Bus Terminal adjacent to the PATH has a stand to hold a bike, a hand-operated air pump, and basic tools including wrenches, screw drivers, and tire lever for minor repairs. The bike racks and bike repair station are part of pedestrian and cycling improvements to Hudson Place that began with construction of expanded and rebuilt sidewalks and bump-outs. Street furniture and planters are also planned for Hudson Place.

Through the City’s bike rack sponsorship program, businesses and residents can sponsor the bike racks near the PATH or can sponsor the installation of a new bike rack outside their storefront or other location. New bike repair stations can also be sponsored. The first new bike rack near the PATH has already been sponsored, and the City is seeking sponsors for the remaining racks. Interested residents or businesses should submit the bicycle rack donation form found at: http://hobokennj.org/docs/transportation/bicycle-rack-donation-form.pdf.

Earlier in the week, the City striped its first “buffered” bike lane along a segment of Clinton Street that was recently repaved between 15th and 16th Streets. The bike lane, which will be extended along all of Clinton Street, represents the first segment of 10 miles of new planned bike lanes along wider streets throughout Hoboken.

“Bike lanes aren’t just for bikes,” added Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs. “They are a critical tool in reducing vehicle speeds and improving pedestrian safety. Our bike lanes have been demonstrated to reduce speeds by an average of 4 miles per hour, greatly lowering the chance of fatality in the case of a collision with a pedestrian.”

The City is also working in conjunction with the Hudson Transportation Management Association towards implementing a city-wide bike-sharing system. More information on bicycling-related initiatives, rules, and regulations can be found at http://www.hobokennj.org/bikes.

New Jersey Bike & Walk Summit coming to New Brunswick

2011-12-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

Registration Opened!

The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition is pleased to announce that the 2012 NJ BikeWalk Summit will be held on February 25, 2012 in New Brunswick, NJ. The event will be hosted by the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center which is in the Edward J. Bloustein School at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Co-hosts will be the Central Jersey Bicycle Club who will lead a tour of New
Brunswick with NJBWC LCIs.

Registration is open for the Summit and cost will be as follows:

December 7, 2011 through January 15, 2012:
$50 – Individual
$25 – Student

January 16, 2012 through February 22, 2012:
$55 – Individual
$25 – Student

If space remains after on-line and mail registration closes, you may register at the door at a cost of $65 (no student discount)

You may register on-line here. To register by mail, send a check made out to the “New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition” to NJBWC, P.O. Box 843, Mahwah, NJ 07430.

Note that registration for the 2012 NJ Bike & Walk Summit will bring you either a one-year membership in the Coalition or an extension of any current membership!

The agenda for the Summit is currently being developed but you can check the website and future editions of the newsletter for announcements. There will be concurrent sessions during the day. Bring friends and cover them all! There will also be a mix of presentations, workshops and discussions designed to help you get things done in your own communities and in your state. Valuable information for all!

Sponsors Wanted!!

Sponsorship of the New Jersey Bike & Walk Summit can be valuable exposure for your company or service, and will reach well beyond the 150 or so who will actually be there on the day. If you are interested in reaching a diverse, educated, and affluent market of bicycle and walking advocates and professionals, sponsorship of the Summit may be for you. You can find information on sponsorship opportunities here.

DRPA to bicyclists: The Ben Franklin Bridge is not for you

2011-12-07T22:20:00.001-05:00

The following article comes to us again from our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and is reprinted here with their permission. In addition to what the BCGP has to say, a December 6th Courier Post article tells of $30 million the DRPA is giving away for projects that have absolutely nothing to do with transportation. And while $20 million of that will be spent on worthy causes in New Jersey, its ridiculous for the DRPA to be giving this money away when there numerous pending transportation projects in their purvey that need funding, particularly the promised bicycle ramp on the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden.

BTW - I was at the end of that queue of 250 riders shown in the bottom photograph waiting to cross the bridge. We had to wait for of 50 minutes till all the other cyclists labored to push their bikes up the stair ramps.

John Matheussen in 2010, promising to build the ramp

Today, with no opportunity for public comment, the Delaware River Port Authority's Finance Committee approved a draft Capital Program that reneges on their promise to design and build capital project BF1101: an ADA accessible ramp on the Camden side of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Sign this petition to send DRPA's Board a message: HONOR YOUR PROMISES - BUILD THE RAMP!

As we reported in January, funds designated in the 2011 draft budget to design the ramp were eliminated when the DRPA Board decided to delay all projects that did not directly involve public safety. This action was taken despite a public promise by Chief Executive Officer John J. Matheussen at the July 2010 Board meeting that DRPA would build the ramp in 2012.

The current entrance on the Camden side - inaccessible
for pedestrians w/disabilities and bicycle unfriendly.

The DPRA Finance Committee approved the 2012 capital budget with no public comment period. The Board of Directors will vote on the budget at its December 14th meeting (see below). Unlike most Agencies that rely on federal funding, DRPA has no obligation to allow for a 30 day public comment period, and does not include public comments attached to proposed budgets.

If DRPA does not hear from us, they will think bicyclists and pedestrians with disabilities have forgotten about their promise!

This bald-faced refusal to build the ramp:

Creates a hole in our regional trail network
Advertises DRPA's hostility towards bicyclists and pedestrians with disabilities
Undermines trust in DRPA's promises

Why is improving access to the iconic Ben Franklin Bridge not considered a priority? Why isn't this part of improving public safety on the bridge?

Ways you can help:

Send a message that DRPA should BUILD THE RAMP!
Attend the DRPA Board of Directors meeting, which will be the only in-person chance for public input on the budget:

DRPA Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday December 14th
9AM - 10AM
1 Port Center, 11th Floor, Camden, NJ

Advocacy works! New Brunswick reworks bike sidewalk ban.

2011-12-06T23:44:00.001-05:00

If you've been reading this blog you would know that the City of New Brunswick was looking to reinstate a 118 year old ban on cycling on all sidewalks in the city regardless of the cyclists age. In our original November 2nd post, we looked at the likely origins of the original 1893 bicycle sidewalk ban, how a new ordinance could be better tweaked and questioned why adults were riding on the sidewalk in the first place. Well at the November 2nd meeting, I was able to give some feedback to the City Council and was quite impressed at how well received my comments were to the Mayor and Council.

However, when I went to the next Council Meeting on November 16th, I was almost shocked into disbelief. Not because, the Mayor and Council ignored my suggestions but because they took nearly all of them to heart and rewrote their proposed ordinance to take into account almost all of my feedback. Way to go New Brunswick!!

Now I can't take total credit for this. Far from it. Somewhat unknown to me at the time, students from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public policy, namely those in Walk Bloustein, Bike Bloustein had also been talking to the Mayor, Council and most importantly, Planning Director, Glenn Paterson who was actually drafting the ordinance.

Below are photos of the draft ordinance (no pdf or other text document was made available). Reading the text you can see that their is great improvement from the first proposal of November 2nd. However, this is still far from a final draft. Planning Director, Glenn Paterson shared with me a totally reworked draft that went much further. I felt that some items in that proposal were redundant with New Jersey state law but others were absolutely superb in that they afforded legal protections from careless motor vehicle drivers not yet provided by New Jersey Title 39, namely protections from left and right hooks, careless doorings, illegal parking and even a 3-foot provision. Unbelievably good stuff!!

After this, can't wait to see what the City will have drafted for tomorrow's meeting - December 7th at 6:30pm.

November 16th Draft Ordinance - Page 1

November 16th Draft Ordinance - Page 2

New Brunswick Bikeway delayed due to utilities

2011-12-04T19:57:00.001-05:00

Cyclists in New Brunswick demanding an answer for the delays in the long anticipated (20+ years) New Brunswick Bikeway finally have a reason. At last week's Middlesex County Transportation Coordinating Committee meeting, representatives from Middlesex County said that several utility companies have been slow to sign off on the project and that this has been the cause of the delays. Without cross acceptance from the utilities, the project, which requires extensive road alterations in places, cannot be added to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for funding.

Seen Above, NJ Rt 27 will require significant alterations to accommodate the bikeway and is the location of greatest concern for the utility companies.

Middlesex County officials assured those in attendance that the project has not been canceled or permanently delayed and that once the utilities sign off on the project that it would be added to the TIP for funding. Officials also said that the county had already made a significant financial investment in the project and are determined to see it through.

UPDATED!! Next NJ BPAC meeting Thursday December 8th

2011-12-03T00:44:00.001-05:00

The next New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Council meeting has long been scheduled for next week and will be hosted by the Voorhees Transportation Center, at the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center .

When:    Thursday, December 8th at 10:00 am
Where:   Edward J. Bloustein School
             33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, 08901

On the agenda will be a discussion from Jerry Foster of the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance about his town's reward of a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community award, the first in New Jersey.

Pete Kremer of the consulting engineering firm Parsons Brinkerhoff with be discussing New Jersey's new Complete Streets Curriculum.

Also, Karen Jenkins and Jim Nicholson of the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition will be discussing the upcoming New Jersey Bike/Ped Summit.

This is a public meeting and all interested parties are welcome to attend.

More details to come when we get them.

Tri-State maps South Jerseys most dangerous roads for cyclists

2011-12-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

The following message was originally posted on the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia blog and contains significant portions from the original Tri-State Transportation Campaign press release.

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign has a released a new report that analyzes bicycle crashes in 8 South Jersey Counties from 2008-2010 to determine particularly dangerous roadways for cyclists. The report extracts NJDOT's public (but difficult to access) traffic crash data and geocodes all the bicycle crashes in the region on Google Maps.

The analysis shows that many crashes were clustered on specific roads, with certain roads the most dangerous in more than one county. US 30 was one of Atlantic and Camden Counties’ most dangerous roads (65 crashes in these counties combined). NJ 47 was one of Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester Counties’ most dangerous roads (58 crashes in these counties combined).

The report's findings demonstrate the need for New Jersey to continue to examine the design of its streets, particularly the roads that have been shown to be hot spots for bicyclist crashes. The percentage of bicyclists in crashes on these “hot spot” roads ranged from 15.7% to 32.6% of each county’s total bicycle crashes.

NJDOT passed a statewide Complete Streets policy in December 2009 which requires new or rehabilitated roads to be built for all users, including walkers, cyclist, transit riders, and drivers.

"There is a clear demand for safe cycling routes in the state, yet most roads are still designed for only cars in mind,” said Matthew Norris, Tri-State Transportation Campaign's South Jersey Advocate. “We hope these numbers will help the New Jersey Department of Transportation and county officials fix these roadways to encourage healthier, more active lifestyles.”

"People need options for transportation. Not everyone drives a car, but our roads aren't accommodating to pedestrians and cyclists. They have every right to use the road but can't always do so safely. More attention needs to be paid to making our roadways not only safe, but inviting, so those who choose to travel by bike or on foot have their own established spaces can feel secure in using them,” said Patty Woodworth, owner of Action Wheels Bike Shop in Deptford.

County fact sheets and Google Maps can be found at http://tstc.org/njbiking.

The analysis found the following roads to be the most dangerous in the three suburban counties. Percentages are percent of bicyclist crashes in each county which happened on that road.

Burlington

Route 537-Marne Hwy/Camden Ave (7.6%)
US 130 (6%)
Burlington County 607-Church St (5.2%)

Camden

US 30-White Horse Pike (6%)
NJ 168-Black Horse Pike (5.2%)
Route 561-Haddon Ave/Haddonfield-Berlin Rd (4.5%)

Gloucester

NJ 47 - Delsea Dr. (10.1%)
NJ 45 - Mantua Ave/Bridgeton Pike (9.6%)
US 322 - Black Horse Pike (7.9%)

Note: much of the above text is taken from the press release issued today by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

The map below overlays TSTC's crash data on top of census data, trails and bike lanes in South Jersey. A full page version is viewable here.

View map on GeoCommons

Why are South Jersey towns passing up on possible Bike/Ped monies?

2011-12-01T00:30:00.000-05:00

Word is coming in that South Jersey towns are passing up on monies from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) that could be used to plan and design "non-motorized" transportation projects. The DVRPC which serves Mercer, Burlington, Camden and Glouster Counties in New Jersey (as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania) has a program call Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) which helps fund the planning and design of local projects that are consistent with regional and state planning objectives. And according to the DVRPC:

The TCDI program is intended to reverse the trends of disinvestment and decline in many of the region's core cities and older suburbs by:
Supporting local planning projects that will lead to more residential, employment or retail opportunities;
Improving the overall character and quality of life within these communities to retain and attract business and residents, which will help to reduce the pressure for further sprawl and expansion into areas without infrastructure in place or planned;
Enhancing and utilizing the existing transportation infrastructure capacity in these areas to reduce the demands on the region's transportation network; and
Reducing congestion and improving the transportation system's efficiency.

Unfortunately, the DVRPC had not received enough applicants from New Jersey communities by the original September 1st deadline so the DVRPC has extended the deadline to December 28th. Hopefully more eligible towns have already heeded the call because there was a mandatory pre-application meeting yesterday.

It's somewhat remarkable that there was a lack of interested municipalities because "planning and design" grants are often harder to come by. Most grants available to towns are often only available for the construction of projects that are ready to go.

For more information about the TCDI Program see this guide from the DVRPC.

Mapping All US Traffic Fatalities for 2001-2009

2011-11-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

The GIS wizards at ITO World put the 369,629 US traffic fatalities between 2001 and 2010 on a single interactive map. We zoomed in on New Jersey, click on the key button to hide it. Note the clusters of blues (peds) and greens (cyclists) in the urbanized areas of the State. Thanks to the Guardian Datablog for broadcasting this amazing map.

View Larger Map

Rutgers Releases New Jersey's 2011 Pedestrian Safety Tracking Report

2011-11-23T11:51:00.001-05:00

Today the Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center of New Jersey released 2011 Pedestrian Safety Tracking Report. The primary purpose of the report is to track crashes and analyze patterns including hot spots where multiple crashes have taken place.2011 New Jersey Pedestrian Safety Tracking Report FinalFor a more detailed description of the report go to the New Jersey Walks and Bikes Blog.

Are Fall leaves turning your bike commute into an unnecessary hazard?

2011-11-18T06:09:00.001-05:00

Rt 27 South near Carnegie Lake - Photo M. Hommer

It happens every Fall. Towns all across New Jersey and elsewhere in the country tell their residents to "pile all leaves at the curb." Not only does this often squeeze cyclists out of the only place that they feel safe to ride but it also creates an additional hazard as many of these leaves get crushed into a fine puree by passing cars which then turns into an incredibly slippery paste that can drop a cyclist in a split second.

While this is a problem all across New Jersey, a good friend of mine often finds himself riding on New Jersey Route 27 just north of downtown Princeton. Every year he tells me that leaves and other yard waste completely block the relatively wide and useful shoulder. What makes this hazard of particular concern is that this section of Route 27 is also the on-road route of the East Coast Greenway.

Imagine if it was common practice to tell people to block a motor vehicle traffic lane with yard debris. It wouldn't be tolerated and neither should this practice as there are clear alternatives. In my town, residents are required to bag their leaves into large paper leaf bags. Even better, most home owners could compost their leaves on sight and use them to increase the organic mater content in your garden and flower beds. Brush and branches could be left on the grass off the shoulder and sidewalk.

More photos of the hazards on Rt 27 after the break

All photos by Mark Hommer.

Rt 27 southbound Near Carnegie Lake. Not much room to navigate between what remains of the shoulder and heavy, highspeed (45mph) traffic.

Rt 27 southbound Near Carnegie Lake.

Facing northbound on Rt 27. Notice the works dumping more leaves into the shoulder on the opposite side of the street.

ADVOCACY ALERT: New Brunswick to discuss bicycle ordinance tomorrow

2011-11-15T23:19:00.001-05:00

At the New Brunswick City Council meeting two weeks ago the Council decided to postpone their discussion of the proposed bicycle sidewalk ban ordinance till their next meeting which will be tomorrow November 16th at 6:30pm. At the November 2nd meeting photocopies of the ordinance were presented to all attendees (see photos below). As written, the draft ordinance would ban all cyclists from most city sidewalks regardless of age. There was some consideration to allow cyclists to use "multi-use sidewalks" on NJ Route 18 and on several other roadways. However in addition to the sidewalk ban, Section III, Paragraph B of the draft ordinance would ban cyclist from riding two abreast regardless if motor traffic is obstructed or not. This is part is most disturbing because New Jersey Statute 39:4-14.2. Keeping to right; exceptions; single file grants cyclists the right to "travel no more than two abreast when traffic is not impeded."

During the public comment period at the end of the November 2nd council meeting, I addressed my concerns with the ordinance as drafted and provided some historical background and the state of cycling in 1893 when the original city ordinance banning cycling on the sidewalks was written. From there I told the council that I was glad to see that the draft ordinance considered the needs of cyclists who use the sidewalks on Rt 18 and several other locations. I suggested that the sidewalk ban not apply to children under the age of 14 and that it should also NOT apply to to sidewalks that are on Rutgers University property that are also not immediately adjacent to city roadways (ie. in quads and on campus between other buildings). I did suggested to the council that a sidewalk bicycle ban was very appropriate, regardless of the age of the cyclist, in the central business district and in other select sections of the city that see constant pedestrian traffic day and night. However I felt that the sidewalk ban was totally unnecessary on most residential streets elsewhere in New Brunswick. I also addressed the issue of the draft ordinance's complete ban on riding two abreast which restricts the right to do so granted to cyclists in New Jersey Statute 39:4-14.2. I wondered aloud if the city could restrict a right granted by the state and let them know that my understanding was that they could not.

Finally, I asked the council to consider why cyclists feel the need to ride on the sidewalks in the city in the first place. Such behavior is typical when there is a dangerous on-street bicycling environment, or at least a perception that the street is a dangerous place to ride. I told the New Brunswick City Council that the best way to solve the problem of cyclists riding on the sidewalks was to provide cyclists a place to ride in the street. I was blunt to the Mayor and Council that New Brunswick was way behind peer university towns all across the nation that have done much, much more to accommodate cyclists.

In closing I told the Council that they could call on my expert opinion on this and other future bicycle issues in New Brunswick. I also reminded them that some of the worlds leading experts regarding bicycle and pedestrian issues are literally a stones throw away from City Hall at the Bloustein School, namely Prof. John Pucher and the staff at the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center which is part of the Voorhees Transportation Center.

Photos of the draft New Brunswick City Ordinance that would ban all cyclists from city sidewalks are below. Click on each and enlarged to read each page.

US Senate to Bicyclists - GET OFF THE ROAD!!!

2011-11-11T23:17:00.000-05:00

Sign the League of American Bicyclists Petition!

Yesterday, I quickly put up a link to a Streetsblog DC article that gave a good rundown of the major aspects of the proposed US Senate transportation funding bill. While that article was good at giving a overall summary of this big piece of legislation, it did miss this small clause on page 226 of the Senate Bill:

(d) BICYCLE SAFETY.—The Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall prohibit the use of bicycles on each federally owned road that has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or greater and an adjacent paved path for use by bicycles within 100 yards of the road.

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. This is a mandatory sidepath law that forces bicyclists off federally owned roads (mostly in National Parks and Forests and military bases) and onto bicycle paths no matter how poorly the pathways are engineered.

Luckily, the hard working folks at the League of American Bicyclists didn't miss this egrigious little detail and fortunately for all of us, they are not going to take this lying down (HINT! This is a great example of why you need to join the League!). In his blog post (read it!), LAB President, Andy Clarke blasts this clause as "paternalistic," and a "pretty awful" precedent.

Well, you don't have to take this direct assault to your right to ride a bike on a public right-of-way lying down either! The LAB has put together a quick and easy petition that takes no more than a minute to fill out. As I write this over 2,100 have already signed this petition and about a hundred people have been signing it every hour.

Make you voice heard in the US Senate. Remind them that, "You ride and you vote!"

Senate forwards Transport Bill WITHOUT bike/ped funding

2011-11-11T00:48:00.001-05:00

The following is written by Tanya Snyder at Streetsblog.DC and is reproduced here due to the importance and urgency of this issue and as she has done a MUCH better job summarizing the issue then I have the time to.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted unanimously this morning to pass a two-year transportation reauthorization bill, moving the bill one step closer to passage by the full Senate.

Unlike in the House, where the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has full responsibility for the transportation bill, the Senate splits jurisdiction among several committees, so the saga isn’t over yet by a long shot. The Senate Banking Committee still needs to consider the transit part of the bill, Commerce will get its hands dirty on the rail portion, and Finance is going to figure out how to pay for the whole thing.

Non-Motorized Transportation Takes a Hit
Rarely have bike and pedestrian safety been so squarely at the center of a Congressional boxing match as during the debate over this bill. The fight over dedicated funding for bike/ped projects – much of it focused on the Transportation Enhancements program – threatened the delicate bipartisan consensus for this bill. What emerged was a compromise that placated even the most hardened TE haters like Sens. James Inhofe and Tom Coburn.

To continue reading this article follow the link to the complete story at Streetsblog.DC.

Also make sure you read Tanya Snyder's second look at the Senate Transportation Bill and why she thinks it's not as bad as it could have been. Also make sure you read the reaction by Rails-to-Trails' Kevin Mills to Tanya's second article (his is the second comment). He is not so optimistic.

STOLEN BIKE!! Maplewood - Brown Surley Crosscheck

2011-11-10T00:09:00.000-05:00

The below comes from Tom Reingold, a leading force behind the South Orange Maplewood Bicycle Coalition. Help Tom get his bicycle back!

STOLEN BIKE

Stolen from my home in Maplewood at around 10:30pm on November 7, 2011.

CASH REWARD if you bring it back to me. CASH REWARD if you lead me to the person who had it or has it. This bike is not only valuable to me, it has a lot of sentimental value. I put a lot of handiwork into building it.

Brand: Surly

Model: Cross Check

Color: Brown, though it may be painted by the thief

Distinctive features: Unusually shaped mustache handlebars. Drum brake hubs (i.e. the brakes are in the wheel hubs; they don’t grab the rims). Silver fenders.

Email: tom@sombike.com
Phone: 973-821-3662

HISTORY LESSON: How the Dutch got their cycle paths

2011-11-07T00:52:00.000-05:00

I came across this great video the other day that presents one well accepted view of how the Netherlands became one of the best countries in the world for cyclists and cycling infrastructure. The video was produced by Mark Wagenbuur who, with blog founder David Hembrow, produce the superb A view from the cycle path... blog which documents Dutch cycling infrastructure for all the world to see. Besides the blog, if you go to Mark's YouTube channel you will find over 150 videos that will give the curious American a great idea of what a transportation infrastructure built around the bicycle can look like.

One thing that you should take away from this video is that the world class Dutch bicycle infrastructure that many think was always there, was almost lost at one point and that advocacy was a critical part of turning local and national transportation policy around in the Netherlands. Imagine what New Jersey might look like today if bicycle advocacy had been well organized since the 1970's. I doubt it would be exactly like the Netherlands but I think we would be much further along then we are today.

BCBC Halloween bicycle scavenger hunt this Saturday

2011-11-04T00:49:00.000-04:00

Our really cool friends at the Brick City Bicycle Collective in Newark along with City Councilman Augusto Amador and Grove Street Bicycles of Jersey City will be hosting their 3rd Annual Halloween Bicycle Scavenger Hunt starting at 11:30 this Saturday. For more information including a registration form please go to their webpage for the event.

I sure wish I could make this event!

Rand Paul's Attack On Bike/Ped Funding Defeated In Senate

2011-11-03T01:27:00.003-04:00

The below message comes from our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and was written by Nicholas Mirra.

They attacked again, and again safety and forward thinking prevailed.

Senator Rand Paul (R-Cars)'s plan to scrap the Transportation Enhancements program was defeated Tuesday by a 60-38 vote. Thank you to everyone who contacted your senators and urged them to vote against this backward-thinking, regressive bill.

Unfortunately, this will likely not be the last time members of Congress attack federal funding for bicycling and pedestrian improvements. We will keep you informed so you can help us drag members of Congress, kicking and screaming, into a future where pedestrians and bicyclists are safer.

The Boston Globe has an article about the vote, and some of the misinformation which was fueling arguments for ending the Transportation Enhancements program.

The League of American Bicyclists posted a recap and includes who voted how

[Update: 4:15 pm: A previous version of this post stated that Pennsylvania's two senators voted along party lines. Sen. Casey voted against the measure, and Sen. Toomey voted for it. Party lines, however, is an inaccurate method of recapping the vote. While no Democrats or Independents voted in favor of the bill, seven Republicans and one Independent voted against it. ~NM]

ADVOCACY ALERT: New Brunswick to discuss reinstating 118yo bicycle ban

2011-11-02T00:25:00.000-04:00

The large, imposing and dangerous Penny-
farthing was still popular when the
original New Brunswick bicycle sidewalk
ban was put into place.

Tomorrow at 6:30pm the New Brunswick City Council will discuss the possible reintroduction of an 1893 city ordinance that would ban ALL cyclists from riding on ALL city sidewalks regardless of age. According to a September 23rd article in the Rutgers University Daily Targum, the Victorian Age city ordinance was accidentally repealed last year (sorry but I could not find the language of the old ordinance or the proposed reintroduced ordinance O-091101).

When the ordinance was originally passed in 1893, almost all bicyclist were adults and were often called "scorchers" as they were often the fasting things on the roadways (see bottom of page 3). The large imposing and dangerous penny-farthing was still the bicycle of choice. Roadways were often made of dirt even in cities and most importantly, the modern traffic laws that we take for granted today were still many decades from being developed. When one considers this, the law in its time made total sense. But that was over 100 years ago and the law is clearly antiquated today at least in its old form.

While we at WalkBikeJersey do not usually advocate that adults ride on the sidewalk, there are some situations where it might be okay and even appropriate. Children under 15 (give or take a year) should be allowed to ride on most city sidewalks. NJ Route 18 in New Brunswick was recently rebuilt with wide sidewalks for bicyclists to share with pedestrians. Reinstating the old ordinance would seem to require cyclists to ride in the highway with high-speed traffic where there is often no shoulder. And yes, we've all ridden down the sidewalk a little bit to get a little closer to our final destination. As long as this sidewalk riding is done with discretion, care and caution for pedestrians and traffic at intersections, all should be okay.

However, it is also appropriate to ban cyclists from certain sidewalks. New Brunswick being a city, has a busy downtown with sidewalks that are packed with pedestrians most hours of the day and night. It is never appropriate for cyclists to ride on sidewalks that are full of pedestrians. In the central business district even children should refrain from sidewalk riding and walk there bikes.

Yet, the question that should be asked (and often isn't) is, "Why do adults insist on riding their bikes on the sidewalk in the first place?" Well, the reality is that many adult cyclists have been literally scared off the roads due to poor roadway engineering, careless and sometimes reckless drivers and a long, pervasive, popular but false belief that bicyclists simply don't belong on the roadway that was "built for cars."

If New Brunswick would really like to reduce dangerous bicycle riding on sidewalks, it needs to begin providing well engineered on-road bicycle amenities that have been proven exceptionally effective in towns and cities all across the country for many decades. Being a college town, New Brunswick is unfortunately, way behind most of its peer college cities in providing appropriate bicycle amenities.

If you would like to attend the meeting to voice your opinion about this ordinance and help begin a constructive dialog with the New Brunswick City Council to provide well engineered on-road bicycle amenities all throughout the city (and not just between college campuses), please attend the New Brunswick City Council Meeting on Wednesday at 6:30pm. The meeting will be held in the New Brunswick City Hall, located at 78 Bayard Street in the Council Chambers on the second floor.

News Flash: "GOP lawmakers spin funding tall tales" about the need to eliminate TE funding

2011-11-01T02:25:00.001-04:00

If you haven't heard, there are some Republican Congressmen and Senators who are claiming that Transportation Enhancement (TE) funding, the primary source for bicycle and pedestrian project from the federal government, is driving the US Government broke and causing our nation's bridges and roadways to crumble (read here).

Well fortunately, the good folks at the League of American Bicyclists have done an excellent job of refuting those claims. To backing up the League's arguments, Jay Walljasper of the Huffington Post wrote a great piece claiming that federal money on bicycle and pedestrian projects is money well spent.

Well now there's even more! An October 31st article by Joan Lowy of the Associated Press essential shreds any remaining credibility of the GOP claims that the TE program is full of wasteful spending. She even goes as far to say in the title that "GOP lawmakers spin funding tall tales." You can read the article in full here.

Also check out the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federations well articulated response to the revelations found in the AP article. In their response, MOBikePedFed makes the the very astute observation:

The fact check is unusual — every supposedly horrible example of Transportation Enhancements spending is completely debunked. Each example turns out to be either grossly exaggerated or completely misleading. That’s not surprising, because Transportation Enhancements is the single largest source of funding for bicycle and pedestrian funding in the U.S. today, and those projects are important, popular, and much needed.

There are more than enough very good, very needed, projects to crowd out bad projects — and it looks like that is exactly what happened to many of the examples opponents have cited. They were bad and so they were turned down for funding entirely. That’s a sign of a system that is working — but it hasn’t stopped opponents from clogging the media airwaves and the public discourse with these fabricated examples.

Enhancements funding is used effectively and fills an important need in communities large and small, and ranging from urban to suburban to rural. Bicycle and pedestrian projects are inexpensive, cost-effective, popular with citizens, and well used. We always have plenty of money to build a new freeway through town or add an extra lane so that semi-trucks can get there a few minutes faster. And you’re telling us we can’t put in a sidewalk and a crosswalk on the state highway going through town, so that grandma can get from her home to the grocery store safely?

It's great to read of the TE program and the spending of some of that money on much needed bicycle and pedestrian projects getting so much support. But there is something that you can do. People for Bikes, an initiative of Bikes Belong, has put together this petition for us all to sign. Take a minute or two to fill it out!

Bike/Ped News you aught'a use - 10/26/11

2011-10-26T23:44:00.000-04:00

Officials to consider safety measures for Wayne rail crossing where 2 teens were killed
The Star-Ledger ● Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Bicyclist charged with driving wrong way in Clinton Township
Hunterdon County Democrat ● Monday, October 24, 2011

High Hopes for the (Jersey City) Harsimus Embankment
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy ● Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Chatham Borough awarded 'Complete Street' grant
(Will use $7,500 grant to develop Complete Streets plan)
Independent Press ● Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Poll - Debate Over New Roadway Markings on Bergen Street Set to Resume Tomorrow.
What's Your Opinion?
(NIMIBYism at it worst threatens Lawrence Complete Streets policy)
Lawrencville Patch ● Monday, October 17, 2011

Aftermath Of Hit-And-Run Tragedy: Town Must Get Tough On Safe Access
Lawrencville Patch ● Wednesday, October 12, 2011

NJDOT installing 5K feet of sidewalk along Atlantic County highway
New Jersey Newsroom ● Tuesday, October 18, 2011

All Aboard the Walking School Bus
The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Blog ● Thursday, October 20, 2011

National

City Bike Plan Is Accused of a Neighborhood Bias
(Leaders in poorer neighborhoods upset that more bike lanes NOT coming to their parts of town)Chicago News Cooperative via The New York Times ● Saturday, October 15, 2011

Audio: Interview with League of American Bicyclists President, Andy Clarke
TheOutSpoken Cyclist ● Saturday, October 15, 2011

VideoTrailReviews.com - Like Streetfilms for NJ Mt. Biking

2011-10-25T02:05:00.000-04:00

I just stumbled across this excellent website, VideoTrailReviews.com which gives web viewers exactly what the title advertises; great video reviews of the mountain bike trails on the East Coast but mostly here in New Jersey. Manny Lugo, the creator of the website and most of the short films on the site, focuses primarily on hot spots for mountain biking but there are some exceptions.

I found the videography and editing to be superb and pretty much on par with the more famous Streetfilms. While this is in part due to the amazing capabilities of the small, new helmet mounted cameras, it is also obvious the Manny knows how to get the most out of this and the rest of his equipment. The "rider's eye" shots are very well composed and really capture the essence, pure speed and thrill of biking sweet New Jersey singletrack. You really feel like your on the bike, threading your way through the trees! Plus, his highly professional post production and choice of background music make for great fast pace entertainment. Before you know it, the two to three minute videos are quickly over and you are left wanting more or better yet, wanting to get out on the bike even if it is 2am in the morning!

Here are two examples of Manny's work at VideoTrailReviews.com:

Six Mile Run Reservoir, NJ from VideoTrailReviews.Com on Vimeo.

Saddle River Pathway - NJ from VideoTrailReviews.Com on Vimeo.

AARP Targets Pedestrian Safety on the Deadly Black Horse Pike

2011-10-17T15:55:00.000-04:00

South Jersey Seniors urge Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ2) to Co-Sponsor the Safe and Complete Streets Act,using the poor design and horrific pedestrian crash toll on the Black Horse Pike (US 322) in Atlantic County to make their case.

Folk Engineered, Newark charter school kids participate in Oregon Manifest

2011-10-10T08:55:00.003-04:00

Late last month Folk Engineered, New Jersey's only bicycle makers, made the long trip Portland to participate in Oregon Manifest. Billed as "A competition to design and build the ultimate modern utility bicycle," the event attracts the nation's and the world's best bicycle artisans such as perennial bike show winner Tony Pereira and industry icon Chris King and is Cielo Bicycles. Being true to their unwritten mission to give back to the City of Newark that is their home, Ryan and Marie teamed up with some of the kids from the Discovery Charter School to produce their utilitarian entry.

Source: Oregon Manifest.

While they did not win, just being invited to the competition is quite an honor in itself. Making it all the way out to Portland, Oregon with the participating students and a beautiful bike in tow, surely had to be all the reward they needed. Ryan and Marie, who are married, always have a glow about them as it is clear that they have found their callings in building beautifully crafted bicycles in Newark and sharing their passions and talents with the kids of the Brick City whether at the the Discovery School or at the newly opened Newark Bike Exchange (more on that soon on WBJ).

For more about Folk Engineered's entry with many more pictures (and a number of their other projects) see the following links (1, 2).

Our cycling caps are off to Folk Engineered and the kids of the Discover Charter School for representing Newark and all of New Jersey at this highly regarded bicycle industry event.

Why were 3 Wayne boys crossing Rt 46 on a train trestle?

2011-10-04T22:22:00.001-04:00

Simple! There is absolutely no other way for the kids to walk or bike between the area neighborhoods and towns.

If you haven't heard, over the weekend two boys were hit and killed by an NJ TRANSIT train and another injured as he jumped off the trestle bridge to avoid getting hit (Read the informative and well written article from The Star-Ledger). This tragedy happened at where I 80, NJ 23 and US 46 all intersect. This interchange is locally know as the "Spaghetti Bowl" due to its seemingly endless and dizzying expanse of twisting, turning off-ramps and clover leaves. Unfortunately this interchange was built in an era when no consideration was given to the needs of pedestrians or bicyclists looking to travel between the surrounding neighborhoods. Even more unfortunate, at least one of the possible alternative crossings was given a major renovation within the past 15 years with nary a consideration given for anything other that the efficient flow of motor vehicle traffic.

View Location of Wayne double fatal NJ TRANSIT crash in a larger map

If you take a close look at the above map I prepared, you can see that there are no practical routes for miles around for non-motorized road users looking to travel north or south over both I 80 and US 46 anywhere near the NJ 23 corridor.
Every roadway nearby that crosses both highways requires running a gauntlet of "meat grinder," high-speed off and on-ramps. When faced with these "non-choices," the NJ TRANSIT rail corridor is probably in all reality the safest option even though it is illegal and wrought with its own hazards.

This reality has not been lost on a number of local area residents who commented on the above mentioned The Star-Ledger article:

Bottomline says:

Well for all of you who don’t understand. Yes it is dumb to be on tracks. If you know the area, that is the only direct route between the two towns, without crossing 2 major highways. (Rt.23&Rt.46). As a kid I grew up in this area, everyone knows it’s a commuter line and the chance of a train being on there at 9pm is almost unheard of. For these two boys their luck ran out. But now maybe the local gov. might put in a foot bridge for people instead of trying to dodge traffic or cross the rail road bridge. People are always seen trying to cross the highways right there. They do it so often that the grass on the side of the highway is worn out. R.I.P.

Lorraine 895 says:

I totally agree that a foot bridge is needed, since the only other way to cross the highway is go walk down to McBride or Browertown roads, and they are nearly a mile apart (if not more) on the town streets. So not just teenagers, but anyone who wishes to cross RT 46 has two choices, the rail bridge or play 'dodge the cars" on RT 46.

Finally videodummy says:

Prayers and condolences for the families. I know this area very well, and used these tracks to cross Rt.46 as a teen-ager. We knew it was wrong, but it the only way to get across the busy highway which is just as unforgiving.

This was not a case of "playing on the tracks after dark", these 3 boys were all with-in 10 minutes of their homes in a section where all three towns comes together. The only way to get from where they were to where they were going was to either play dodge the cars on the highway, or take the trestle over it. They were good kids put in a position of weighing right from wrong against the odds of being struck by car on the high-way.

Residents in the 3 adjoining towns have all pleaded for a walk-over bridge for many years to no avail. So many walk the tracks...many because they have jobs at the Willowbrook Mall and other retail establishments in the area, some because they have friends on the side of the highway. Just the fact that 1 boy was able to jump off the trestle and save himself from being run over or crushed by the train was a miracle. The fact that the DOT highway safety commission, and the town council boards continue to turn they're backs on this issue compounds the tragedy.

Camden County Bicycle and Multi-Use Trail Master Plan Meeting

2011-10-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

The Camden County Bicycle and Multi-Use Trail Master Plan will identify both on-road bike routes and off-road trail locations that together will create an interconnected trail network from Winslow and Waterford to Camden and Pennsauken and all municipalities in between.The plan is being completed in four phases, and public input is requested.

A public meeting on the plan will be held on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

7:00pm – 8:30pm
Gloucester Township
Court Room/Senior Drop In Center
1575 Hider Lane
Laurel Springs, NJ 08021

The Plan is considered a companion to the Camden County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Plan in that it makes maximum use of the greenways identified in that plan for future off-road trails thereby providing residents with access to publicly owned green space.

Phase I of the Plan, covering ten central Camden County municipalities, has been completed, while Phase II, involving an additional 13 municipalities is nearing completion. Phases III and IV will be completed simultaneously over the next eighteen months by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Once all phases are completed, they will be presented to the Camden County Planning Board for incorporation into the County’s Master Plan.

During the development of each phase of the Plan, the input of local municipal officials and the public has been, and is being, encouraged. Project Teams consisting of one or more locally appointed individuals have been formed to guide the process offering insight into local points of interest, trail/route impediments, and possible solutions to those impediments.

The 13 towns in the current phase of the project, Phase II, include:Audubon, Barrington, Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, Lawnside, Magnolia, Mt. Ephraim, Runnemede and Tavistock

Camden County Bikeway Trail Plan Phase II draft

Great Dutch video shows "Cycling for Everyone"

2011-09-30T02:18:00.001-04:00

Streetsblog SF picked up on this yesterday.

The Dutch Cycling Embassy (actual webpage not yet operational) a new effort by the Dutch government to share their expertise about cycling with the world, released this 7 minute plus video to announce the launching of the embassy.

Just a couple of notes:

"Cycling for everyone" I believe was first coined by New Jersey's and Rutgers University's own John Pucher in a ground breaking report he and Ralph Buehler wrote a few years ago.
Our friends at NJ TRANSIT could learn a few things about bike/transit integration starting at time-stamp 2:43 (but they can close there ears when the narrator mentions "small fee"). All the ideas shown in the video are discussed in my report A Review and Critique of NJ TRANSIT Bicycle Access Policies (and facilities).
Check out the spectacular bike/ped bridge at the end of the video. If you ever rode over a bridge like this, like I have in Germany, you would never be satisfied with the caged over "cattle chutes" that pass for bike/ped bridges here in NJ.

Enjoy this great video!

Cycling For Everyone from Dutch Cycling Embassy on Vimeo.

September's NJ BPAC meeting rescheduled for October 6th

2011-09-27T11:51:00.000-04:00

Last months BPAC meeting was canceled due to areas of flooding throughout the state that prevented some members from being able to attend. To compensate, the meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 6th at 10am. All members of the public are welcomed to attend.

What: NJBPAC Meeting
Where: Edward J. Bloustein School
33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, 08901
Room 261
When: Thursday October 6, 2011,10:00am - Noon

The agenda is the same as it was to be in September and can be seen in WalkBikeJersey's previous announcement here.

YES!!! West Windsor is New Jersey's first Bicycle Friendly Community!

2011-09-14T21:27:00.003-04:00

After years of lamenting New Jersey dubious distinction of being in an ever shrinking group of states without a Bicycle Friendly Community (1 & 2), West Windsor, Mercer County is now New Jersey's first and only Bicycle Friendly Community at the Bronze Level as awarded by the League of American Bicyclists.

Clearly, the main reason behind West Windsor's award rests on the tireless efforts of the West Windsor Bicycle & Pedestrian Alliance. I've long lauded their superb advocacy efforts. And even though they are busy celebrating their well earned award, that did stop them from their work. Just a day before announcing their BFC award, they were busy demanding (and helping) Mercer County design a more appropriate and "complete" Route 571. This reality just goes to show how much further even New Jersey's first BFC and the rest of us really need to go.

All (two) of us at WalkBikeJersey, salute West Windsor and the WWBPA for there Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community Award.

Act Today - Senator Coburn Threatens To Cut Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding

2011-09-13T14:54:00.002-04:00

This year, around $700 million of Federal transportation funds, which in reality is less than 2 percent of total transportation dollars, will be spent on bicycling and walking. In 2012 that figure might be a big fat zero.

We expect that in the next few days, Senator Coburn (R-OK) will ask Congress to eliminate the federal Transportation Enhancements program – the primary funding source for the past 20 years for bike lanes, trails, bike racks on buses, bike education etc. This isn’t safe or smart; it’s not good for the economy or the environment; this is bad health policy and bad transportation policy. But they are going to try because they don’t think bicycling matters.

Even though bicycling projects create more jobs per dollar than highway-only projects and cutting enhancements won’t impact the deficit – the money just won’t be spent on bicycling – some Members of Congress want to force us backwards to a 1950s highway-only mindset: as if oil embargoes, congestion, smog, the obesity epidemic and climate change never happened.

Now is the time to Save Cycling, so we are asking you to contact your Senators and urge them to support continued funding for biking and walking. Don’t let them take away this vital investment program for smart, sustainable, safe transportation choices.

Please Take Action today.

I Bike I Vote

Take Action - Help Restore Access To NJ TRANSIT Trains

2011-09-07T17:35:00.004-04:00

As we mentioned in our August 29th post NJ TRANSIT has banned the boarding and deboarding of bicycles at low platform rail stations. You can take action by sending this letter to James Simpson, Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Chairman of NJ TRANSIT. We encourage you to add your own personal comments.

Scroll right to view the letter or click here to view the web page in its own tab.
This new policy change cuts off access to more than half of NJ TRANSIT’s heavy commuter rail stations including the critically important Hoboken Terminal. On some NJ TRANSIT Train lines, the lack of high level platform stations in conjunction with this new policy effectively creates a ban of bicycles from those NJ TRANSIT lines. On the Montclair/Boonton Line only 15 of 28 stations have high level platform stations. On the Pascack Valley Line it’s only 6 of the 18. 8 of 26 on the Gladstone. 6 of 19 on the Raritan Valley and 5 of the 21 stations on the Main/Bergen Line.

Other popular and populous locations are affected. Bound Brook near the Delaware and Raritan Canal, Convent Station on a popular rail trail. Ditto for Belmar, Manasquan, Perth Amboy, Clifton, Suffern and 4 stations in Montclair.

Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath severely damaged

2011-09-06T00:30:00.005-04:00

As part of my work with the East Coast Greenway Alliance I spent some of my time last week inspecting the flood damage wrought by Hurricane Irene here in the New Brunswick area. While the stretch that goes through Johnsons Park in Piscataway and Highland Park escaped relatively unscathed, the Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath section just outside of New Brunswick suffered sever damage.

For much of its length the D&R Towpath lies in the flood plan of both the Raritan and Millstone Rivers leaving it highly susceptible to flood damage. Unfortunately with record setting rains and high winds from Irene, it is no surprise that the damage was really bad on the section between Landing Lane in New Brunswick to Easton Ave at South Bound Brook. This six mile section of the trail was barely passable last week. What normally takes me less than half an hour to ride took me over two hours due to numerous blow-downs and sever scouring and erosion of the once smooth trail surface. It's safe to say that this section of the Towpath and East Coast Greenway is closed for the foreseeable future.

One of the more imposing blow-downs made more interesting by the poison ivy covering the blown down tree trunks.

The once beautiful and smooth red shale installed and reported about here last year was almost entirely swept away. The erosion was so bad in places that the levee that the trail travels over was almost breached in about 6 different locations, nearly causing the canal to spill into the river. The levee is clearly structurally unsound in these locations and the trail unsafe.


September 2010.

This same exact section August 31st 2011.

Just one example of the severe erosion that nearly breached the canal, almost sending its waters into the Raritan

Finally the bridge that provides access to the towpath and ECG at Demott Lane was washed into the canal leaving no access at this point. This never happened before with any of the previous flooding events over the past 20 years and is an indication of how bad the flooding was with Hurricane Irene.

Only the bridge footings remain at the Demott Lane trail access. The bridge itself can be seen in the background.

Damage to the D&R towpath extends well beyond just this section. It is safe to say that just about every yard of the towpath from New Brunswick to Trenton has been negatively impacted by the flooding even though it may still be open and passable. With that in mind, DO NOT expect the open sections of the trail to be as easy going as they were before Irene.

For more information about the D&R Towpath see the NJ Division of Parks and Forestry Website. For the complete photo survey of the damage along the East Coast Greenway in Johnsons Park and D&R Towpath, see the slide show below.

Key Link on the Delaware River Heritage Trail Opens with little Fanfare

2011-09-03T23:07:00.001-04:00

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has completed a bridge over the tidal Delaware and Raritan Canal in Hamilton Township. This along with a short extension of the trail completes the canal towpath trail from Canal Blvd in Trenton to 2nd St in Bordentown.

The completion of the project came as a total surprise to this author. Since 2008 plans have been set to connect the towpath with the RiverLINE bridge over the Crosswicks Creek (which serves as the border between Burlington and Mercer Counties). The usual environmental and bidding issues set the project back and it was impossible to nail down a completion date. We found out the hard way, by spotting the trail while glancing out the train window

Despite the low key opening the Bordentown City Enviromental Commission and the Friends of the Hamilton Trenton Bordentown Marsh are planning a couple of walks on the trail this fall. Check their respective web pages for details.

The D and R canal is a major component of the Delaware River Heritage Trail which will be the NJ twin of the East Coast Greenway running from Calhoun St Bridge in Trenton to the Ben Franklin Bridge. Burlington County has let a contract to do on street road markings and signage between Bordentown and Fieldsboro. The work will also include a new trailhead at the Bordentown Boat Launch. Meanwhile planning continues for the next phase from Route 130 near Fieldsboro to the waterfront park in Burlington City.

View 2011 NJ Path Update in a larger mapVideo of the New Trail

Next NJ BPAC Meeting on Thursday, September 8th

2011-08-31T11:57:00.007-04:00

The following announcement comes from the good folks at the Voorhees Transportation Center, New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center at Rutgers University. All concerned New Jersey residents are welcomed to attend.

This is a reminder that our next BPAC meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday September 8, 2011.

What: NJBPAC Meeting
Where: Edward J. Bloustein School
33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, 08901
Room 261

When: Thursday September 8, 2011,10:00am - Noon

For directions to the Bloustein School, please refer to the following link:
http://policy.rutgers.edu/school/visitors.php

The Bloustein School is located a short walk from the New Brunswick rail station and encourages all to use public transportation to reach the school. Due to a change in policy earlier this year, the NBPA will no longer accommodate parking reserved in the building. If you do drive, public parking is available for a nominal fee at several facilities located close to the building. For more information, see: http://www.njnbpa.org/parking-locator.

We hope to see you at the meeting. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thank you

To see the meeting agenda...

10:00 – 10:10
I. Welcome and Introductions – Charles Brown

10:10 – 10:25
I. Complete Streets in New Jersey: Lessons Learned
Graydon Newman, Cross County Connection TMA

10:25 – 10:40
I. Subcommittee Updates – Charles Brown
i. Legislative subcommittee – Karen Jenkins
ii. Safety & Education subcommittee – Tiffany Robinson
iii. Design subcommittee – Denise Chaplick

10:40 – 11:15
I. Camden’s CYCLE Program
AJ Jensen, Cooper’s Ferry Development Association, Inc.

11:15 – 12:00
I. Briefing: New Jersey Walks and Bikes Blog Overview
Jim Van Schoick
II. Safe Routes to School Update
Maeve Johnston
III. Briefing: “For the Good of New Jersey”
Charles Brown / Jim Van Schoick
IV. Open floor / discussion period / 2 minute updates
V. Final Remarks

Delaware & Raritain Canal Towpath flooded just about everywhere

2011-08-30T00:40:00.000-04:00

Oh no! Not again!

Record setting flooding of the Raritan and Millstone Rivers in NJ has undoubtedly left 20 miles of the D&R Canal impassible from Landing Lane in New Brunswick to Rt 27 in Kingston. Be prepared to use on-road alternatives until further notice, even after the flooding recedes, as damage to the unpaved trail is likely to be extensive. You can check out the East Coast Greenway Alliance Facebook page for updates.

Also, the canal towpath along the feeder canal that runs along the Delaware River from Trenton to Millford is also likely underwater in places. Luckily, it seems that the flooding on the Delaware was not as bad as forecast by the USGS.

NJ TRANSIT "bikes on trains" access policy takes a major step backwards

2011-08-29T00:01:00.001-04:00

Maybe NJ Transit should change that to, "The Way To Go Without Your Bicycle."

While other transit agencies are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to greatly expand bicycle access to their trains, NJ Transit has quietly changed its policy regarding bicycles on trains that will severely limit those wishing to take there bicycles with them on their next trip. Without any outreach or notification to bicycle advocacy organizations, NJ Transit is now restricting bicycle access to all of its stations that do not have a high-level platform, including the key Hoboken Terminal. That ends up putting nearly half of NJ Transit's 163 commuter rail train stations out of reach for cyclists looking to take their bikes. On some lines, a majority of stations are off-limits! The new restrictive part of its bicycle access policy is as follows:

Cyclists and Segway users can only board or alight trains at a station with a high-level or mini high-level platform. For safety reasons, cyclists are not permitted to board or alight trains at a low-level platform, including Hoboken Terminal.

Oddly enough the following language still appears in the policy:

Cyclists or Segway users must be able to lift their bicycle or Segway up and down stairs while boarding and detraining rail cars.

The complete updated train access policy can be found here.

However, language found in updated train schedules is bit more vague leaving many cyclists confused. That language makes it sound like the use of high-level platform stations is optional and only recommended.

Bicyclists must board the train using a door marked with the symbol of accessibility, which in most cases are center doors requiring high-level platforms. For this reason, bicyclists should travel only to/from accessible stations, as indicated on the stick map.

This new policy also does not make a distinction between full-sized, standard frame bicycles and folding bikes. As such it brings to question whether or not this policy is in violation of New Jersey Law 27:25-5a. Collapsible bicycles permitted on NJT passenger trains, that requires that owners of collapsible (folding) bicycles be allowed access to trains at all times. This law states:

New Jersey Transit Corporation shall not, at any time, prohibit any person transporting a collapsible bicycle from passing or repassing upon any of the corporation's railroads operating rail passenger service.

WalkBikeJersey has heard of several accounts of people being denied access to trains at stations that have only low-level platforms. There is even a story of a judge being denied access to a train on the Raritan Valley Line that he used to use with his bike to access his job at a correctional agency in Hunterdon County. He now is forced to use his car instead.

WalkBikeJersey will be sure to follow this story in the future and will also make sure that it becomes a topic of discussion at the upcoming NJ Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee which is next week on Thursday, September 8th.

Gran Fondo New Jersey postponed till September 18th

2011-08-25T12:46:00.003-04:00

No refunds but those that can't make the new date can apply this year's registration fee to cover all of the registration of next years event.

I knew a hurricane named after my only sister would cause untold trouble. Unfortunately due to the likely perfect timing and bulls-eye hit of the approaching Hurricane Irene, Marty and his team have decided to postpone the Gran Fondo New Jersey till Sunday September 18th. Marty has this to say about their decision to postpone the event:

After coordinating and negotiating with the State Police, the 22 different municipalities through which we will be riding in Northwest New Jersey, and our volunteer support teams, we have made the decision to postpone the ride and all associated events until the weekend of September 18th - the ride itself will be on the 18th.

We realize that we are a “Rain or Shine” event, but a hurricane of the projected strength of Irene is unprecedented and brings with it a much higher level of danger due to forecasted torrential rains, high winds, and the potential for significant storm debris and flooding along the route. Our primary concern is the safety of both our riders, and our volunteers.

This has not been an easy decision to make, and we hope that you will understand the dilemmas we faced in making it.

Unfortunately for me, I will now not be able to participate in the Gran Fondo that I've been looking forward to and training for all Summer, as I'll be high in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State on the new date. ~~However, the information provided in the email or on the website does not mention any means for refunds, partial refunds or if refunds will even be offered or not.~~ (Refunds will not be offered but those who cannot make the new date can apply their registration fee to next years event). Also, since the date has been postponed by three weeks, there was no mention if registration would be reopened. Again, one is likely to find more information and any other updates can be found at the Gran Fondo New Jersey Website.

Tri-State: NJDOT to spend more on highways and less on bike/ped projects

2011-08-21T13:56:00.002-04:00

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign blog, Mobilizing the Region is reporting of a progressive trend that sees a greater percentage of money being spent on new roadways and increased highway capacity, and less of fixing already broken roadways and on transit (check out their excellent and informative article here).

The percentage of NJDOT's capital program going to road capacity expansion has significantly increased in recent years.

Source - Tri-State Transportation Campaign

Included near the bottom of the Tri-State article is an overview of the loss of funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in New Jersey compared to the year before. This year's loss in State bike./ped funding comes on the heels of loosing State funds for bike/ped projects for many years. At this past year's New Jersey Bike/Ped Summit, I was told by very high authority, that NJDOT once had as much as $8 million in "Bikeways" funding compared to this years $3 million (note - I'm going on memory about the first number so I CANNOT definitively back that numbers up).

Tri-State even gave a run-down of the bicycle projects that will receive State funding and those that will go without. Most notable, is the lack of funding for the New Brunswick Bikeway which would connect the College Avenue and Cook/Douglas Campuses as well as the New Brunswick Train Station. While this project is expensive (it would also repave every road the bikeway is on), it also has the potential to see an extreme amount of use being that it would have provided a bicycling option for tens of thousands of college students, as well as faculty, staff and the other local residents. The project is also 20 years in the making (YES! 20 years!), so it is extremely frustrating to see it left unfunded by the State. It is not clear how the lack of State funding will effect this project or the others.

UPDATE - Driver Arrested! Bicyclist killed in 2nd Hit & Run on a bicyclist in two days

2011-08-21T02:06:00.000-04:00

The Star Ledger reported on Thursday that the drive involved in this hit and run was arrested after police came to his home. "Tips from the public led authorities to Sean Gieda’s home on Holman Court, in Bridgewater where they found a vehicle that had damage near the front passenger side headlight and a plastic garbage bag taped to the passenger side of the windshield." We extend our condolences to the family of Ramiro Navarro who was the cyclist killed in this crash.

The Star Ledger reported on Tuesday August 16th of a second hit and run on a bicyclists in a mater of two days. Even more unfortunate, this crash was fatal, happening on East Main Street in Bridgewater, NJ near the Somerset County Maintenance Garage between 2am and 6am on Tuesday morning.

Approximate location of the fatal hit & run on East Main Street in Bridgewater. View Larger Map

Like the hit and run crash that happened on NJ Route 27 on Monday, East Main Street in Bridgewater (between Somerville and Bound Brook) is also a four lane road with somewhat narrow lanes, no shoulders and a 45mph speed limit. However having ridden on East Main Street many times to commute to work, I can say that the asphalt is in much better condition than Rt 27. Also, East Main Street doesn't carry the traffic volume of Rt 27 and it is questionable whether the road warrants four lanes versus two lanes with shoulders and maybe a center turn lane (aka a road diet).

As a cyclist with many thousands of miles and several decades of experience, and a League Cycling Instructor, the one roadway scenario that really sends a shiver down my spine is riding on four lane arterial roadways with no shoulders and high speed limits. Despite my training, experience and current good fitness, I feel exceptionally exposed while riding on roads like this and do everything I can to avoid them but sometimes you simply have no choice. Since most four lames roads like this could be reduced to three (2 travels lanes and a center turn lane) along with shoulders or, better yet, bike lanes without reducing the roadway's ability to handle an equal amount of traffic volume, is it possible that these two victims could have been saved their tragic fates?

Could a Missing Sidewalk have Prevented a Tragedy?

2011-08-20T08:54:00.007-04:00

According to NJ.com A man walking from work in Sicklerville, Winslow Township early Friday morning was a victim of a hit and run. Vance Banks, 27, was walking home from work along Sicklerville Road in Winslow Township just after 1 a.m.and was found in the parking area of Clark Associates along the 500 block of Sicklerville Rd. Bank is in critical but stable condition at Cooper Memorial Hospital.

The victim was struck by an outlaw motorist driving a 2003 to 2007 two-door red Honda Accord, which was traveling north on Sicklerville Road. The car should have right front damage and will be missing the rearview mirror from the passenger side, said police. Anyone with information about the hit-and-run should call police at 609-561-3300

View Larger Map

The map above shows the location of crash. Note that the adjoining cul de sac has sidewalks while there are no sidewalks on Sicklerville Road. It makes us wonder if the proffers that require sidewalks (which we wholeheartedly support) should be reworked in these situations. Could a cul de sac developer be directed to build 1000 feet of sidewalk on the adjoining main road instead of the 1000 feet in front of their lots?

We wish the Mr. Banks a speedy recovery and that the perpetrator in this case is found and convicted. We also hope that this is a wake up call for Winslow Township and Gloucester County to develop a comprehensive plan to complete a safe network of sidewalks so that other hard working people walking to and from work do not have wonder whether they are going to make it home alive.

Op-Ed: Dangerous NJ Rt 27 in Highland Park help leads to cyclist hit & run

2011-08-16T14:09:00.001-04:00

MyCentralJersey is reporting of an early morning hit & run crash on Monday that left a Highland Park man in critical condition. The crash happened on Raritan Ave (NJ Route 27) at Rolfe Ave. This section of the State Highway is exceedingly difficult and dangerous for cyclists to navigate as the roadway is four narrow lanes, no shoulder, no center turn lane, poor asphalt conditions and is posted at 40mph which is regularly exceeded.

Approximate location of August 15th hit & run crash with cyclist. View Larger Map

I am personally familiar with this stretch of road and do all that I can to avoid it on my bike and even in a car due to what I perceive to be unusually hazardous conditions. Fortunately for those that are familiar with the neighborhood, there are safe and quite parallel residential streets that one can choose to ride between Highland Park and Metuchen, which totally negate the need to for cyclists to use Rt 27 at all except for that last block if one's destination is in Rt 27. Unfortunately these alternative routes are somewhat circuitous and are not immediately obvious to cyclists not intimately familiar with the neighborhood.

I have gone to several Middlesex County meetings suggesting that an alternative route to NJ 27 be marked for cyclists using simple and discreet MUTCD compliant signage between the towns of Highland Park and Metuchen. Unfortunately the county officials needed to defer on this one since both the State Highway Route 27 and the local roads are beyond there jurisdiction. However this issue is not beyond the scope of NJDOT. If a roadway is obviously dangerous for cyclists to use as Rt 27 between these two towns and there is an alternative route using local municipal roads (in this case mostly in Edison), I personally feel that NJDOT is obligated to find a solution.

I understand that budgets are tight and staffing levels are low at all New Jersey State offices but that's okay. I've already done half the work and have figured out routes on both the east and west sides of Rt 27. All NJDOT would need to do is shoot me an email. Maybe together we can prevent another tragedy and maybe even get more people using bikes to travel in this area.

Gran Fondo New Jersey to feature some of the best U.S. cycling roads

2011-08-11T11:34:00.001-04:00

There are a number of good reasons why I refuse to take work outside of New Jersey. Family, the shore, easy access to Philly / NYC (and great hiking too) but a big reason is because I found few places in this country that can top the quality and beauty of New Jersey's roadways for cycling. The sell-out Tour de Long Valley on July 31st, organized by the David D. Hammar Foundation gave riders a good sampling of the best our state has to offer. If you missed out on that ride, there is still another even "grander" opportunity.

On Sunday, August 28th you too can get a big taste of New Jersey's great roads by taking part in Gran Fondo New Jersey being organized by Marty Epstein owner of Marty's Reliable Cycles. Marty told me that part of the reason behind his organization of Gran Fondo New Jersey is to put on full display how good cycling can be New Jersey. I've review all three routes, (Piccolo - 43 miles, Medio - 63 and the 103 mile Gran) and can say without reservation that Marty and his team have chosen three, most spectacular and challenging routes. To accentuate the joy of riding there will be themed rest stops, challenging timed hill climbs, plenty of food and, of course, a finish line festival.

If you want to participate you'd better act fast. Registration closes August 19th. Marty also told me that he is already approaching 1,000 registered riders and that there is a possibility that he might reach the maximum number riders the event can handle.

I'll be there all weekend in Morristown. Just look for the guy in the older Rutgers jersey with the red and chrome (now) vintage lugged steel Italian road bike!

Casey's Feldman's Legacy Energizes the Grass Roots Movement For Pedestrian Safety

2011-07-30T09:29:00.011-04:00

On July 17, 2009 21 Year Old Casey Feldman was walking to her job at an Ocean City restaurant when she was struck and killed by the driver of a van at the intersection of 14th and Central. According to the Springfield (PA) Patch - The distracted driver was reportedly reaching for a cup of iced tea in the passenger side of the vehicle.

View Larger Map

In response to this preventable tragedy Casey's parents and friends established The Casey Feldman Memorial Foundation which funds causes that were dear to Casey as well as educating the public about pedestrian safety and the dangers of distracted driving. On July 23rd the Foundation partnered with the Street Safe Driving Academy and the Ocean City Police Department Traffic Safety Unit for a hands on educational program about distracted driving Ocean City, N. J. The event included a driving simulator and asked people to sign a pledge saying that they will not drive distracted. You can read more about the event in the Springfield Patch article and this video from NBC 40 News.

Another event is planned in September. Let's hope for more events like these enlighten the ill informed who have a disdain for New Jersey's stop for pedestrians law. Perhaps every critic should obligated to watch the video below.

Casey's story is featured in the Faces of Distracted Driving series

2nd Annual Tour de Long Valley presented by the David Hammar Foundation

2011-07-22T12:01:00.009-04:00

I normally don't post about charity rides on WalkBikeJersey but this is a true exception that all New Jersey cyclists should come out to support. On Sunday, July 31st the David D. Hammar Foundation will be hosting 2nd Annual Tour de Long Valley to support the Long Valley First Aid Squad.

The mission of the David D. Hammar Foundation is to "promote and enhance bicycle safety by providing resources to children, educating the public and supporting activities that raise awareness to cyclists and drivers alike." The foundation was organized after the fatal crash that took David Hammar's life while he was on a recreational ride in the Long Valley area. His death was an unspeakable tragedy, made all the more sad as it happened in what is by far one of the most beautiful rural places in New Jersey.

I highly recommend this ride as the cycling in the Long Valley area is very challenging and spectacularly beautiful. And it's a great cause to boot! You can't beat that!

Both routes are can be seen by following this link and go counterclockwise. The 40 miles route has some truly challenging climbs along with great views (I know from first hand experience) and with nearly 1,900 feet of total climbing, will be a great training ride for those of you looking to do the Gran Fondo New Jersey a month later like me (more on that in a later post).

When you are there, also look for the East Coast Greenway Alliance / New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition booth.

WalkScore Rates 61 NJ Municipalities

2011-07-20T14:40:00.002-04:00

WalkScore.com has released the 2011 list of most walkable cities among the fifty largest cities, New York City has the highest walk score of 85 and Philadelphia was fifth with a walkscore of 74.

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Walkscore also looked at the 61 largest municipalities in NJ. Congratulations Hoboken and Union City you both have a walkscore 92. Sorry Tinton Falls your walk score is only 25.

Walkscore only looks at the ideal walkability of a place, conditions such as missing sidewalks, and barriers to travel are not considered. NJ Transit data is not registered with Walkscore so places near train and bus stations do not score any higher than places that don't

Achor House bicyclist killed in Clinton Township crash

2011-07-18T01:41:00.002-04:00

The Express-Times of Easton, PA reported the tragic death this weekend of Doug McCune as he rode as part of the Anchor House Ride for Runaways on Payne Road near Rt 31 in Clinton Township (1, 2). At around 9am on Saturday mourning Mr. McCune reportedly crashed into the back of a stopped vehicle. He was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center and was pronounced dead. Mr. McCune's death is being called "a tragic accident."

View Larger Map

This is the second deadly crash in the 33 year history of the Anchor House Ride for Runaways which is considered New Jersey's and one of the East Coast's premier charity bicycle rides. Unfortunately both of these deaths occurred in New Jersey on the last day of the ride. In 1998 a 15-year-old Mercer County boy, was fatally struck by a car during the last leg of the fundraiser. The Ride for Runaways is an annual, 7 day, 500 mile charity bicycle ride that exists to support Anchor House, a shelter for runaway and/or abused teenagers located in Trenton, NJ.

We at WalkBikeJersey extend our condolences to Doug McCune's family.

Federal bicycle and pedestrian funding in danger!

2011-07-08T23:33:00.004-04:00

The message below comes from our allies at the League of American Bicyclists. Our readers should note that New Jersey policy makers have long seen the value in providing bicycle and pedestrian project funding but the loss of federal monies would still be a major blow to the efforts of creating safer streets for those that walk or bike in New Jersey.

Lawmakers threaten to end Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Rec Trails Programs.	Take Action!
Contact your Senators and Representative today!

Key Congressional leaders are attacking Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational trails and are taking steps to cut off dedicated federal funding for bicycling and walking. House Transportation Chairman John Mica (R-FL) announced today that his transportation bill will eliminate dedicated funding for bicycling and walking, including Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program, and discourages states from choosing to spend their dollars on these activities that are “not in the federal interest.” Chairman Mica’s statement that these programs remain “eligible” for funding is worthless; without dedicated funding for these three programs, they are effectively eliminated. Things on the Senate side are not much better. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the lead Republican negotiator on the transportation bill, declared that one of his TOP THREE priorities for the transportation bill is to eliminate ‘frivolous spending for bike trails.’ This is in direct conflict with Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) commitment to maintain dedicated funding for biking and walking. However, the Senate is working towards a bi-partisan solution, and Senator Inhofe’s comments mean funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs is at risk of total elimination. Help protect Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails. Contact your Members of Congress and tell them to reach out to Senators Inhofe, Boxer, and Congressman Mica to urge them to continue funding for these important bicycling and walking programs. Need some good facts to bolster your argument? Read on: Not in the federal interest? Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips in the US – even as funding for biking and walking projects only accounts for 1.5% of the federal transportation budget. That is more than 4 billion bicycle trips and 40 billion walking trips a year, including trips to work, school, shopping and for recreation and tourism. Frivolous? Two-thirds of all pedestrian deaths are on federally funded highways. One-third of children’s traffic deaths happen when children are walking or bicycling and are struck by cars. Bicycling and walking programs build sidewalks, crosswalks and bikeways—improving accessibility and saving lives. The Facts Biking and walking are important forms of transportation, and funding for bicycle and pedestrian improvements is a very efficient use of federal transportation dollars. Portland, OR built 300 miles of bike lanes and trails for the cost of one mile of highway. These projects create jobs and build local economies. Building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure creates 46% more jobs than building road-only projects per million dollars spent. Cities that invest in bicycle and pedestrian projects turn downtowns into destinations, and capitalize on increased business activity. Eliminating the 1.5% of transportation funding spent on bike/ped would have no meaningful impact on the federal budget, but instead, decreases transportation options for American families in a time of rising gas prices and an uncertain economy. Why Act Now? Both the House and Senate long-term transportation bills are being written as we speak. We still have a chance of influencing the outcomes. Let’s make sure that funding for biking and walking programs don’t disappear for many years. We need every Senator to tell Senators Boxer and Inhofe that bicycling and walking are vital parts of our transportation system, and that there must be dedicated funding for sidewalks, bike lanes and trails to ensure that bicyclists and pedestrians are safe. And we need every Representative in the House to tell Chairman Mica the same. Please contact your Senators and Representatives TODAY to tell them that bicycling and walking are a critical part of a safe and equitable transportation system. Ask them to tell Representative Mica and Senators Boxer and Inhofe that a federal transportation bill must continue dedicated funding for bicycling and walking.

New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition July Newsletter

2011-07-05T15:41:00.003-04:00

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Full Page Version

Op-Ed: "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

2011-07-04T00:01:00.024-04:00

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This July 4th, our Nation will celibate these greatest of Thomas Jefferson's words. They are the cornerstone of our freedoms and were the thrust of our fledgling Nation's Declaration of Independence ratified 235 years ago today. I think that it goes without question that all Americans will agree that nothing is more American than Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. These "inalienable Rights" that all "are endowed by their Creator" cannot not be infringed upon no matter what peaceful and legal endeavor one so chooses.

However as someone who regularly walks and rides a bike, I cannot help but wonder if these rights, do not apply to me when I travel using these modes. As a free American, I hereby declare that I demand the return of my rights of "Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" no matter what legal form of travel I so choose.

Life - I demand the right to walk or ride my bicycle on the public right-of-way free of the real fear that my life is in imminent danger due to:

roadway engineering that continues to ignore the practical needs of bicyclists and pedestrians.
the poor driving skills of the operators of motor vehicles and the government agencies that continue to allow these incompetent persons to legally operate said motor vehicles with impunity.
laws, police and a legal system that regularly ignore the rights and the sanctity of life of bicyclists and pedestrians, even when a bicyclist or pedestrian is killed or injured due to the carelessness or even wanton recklessness of a driver of a motor vehicle.

Liberty -

I demand the liberty to walk or ride my bicycle from anywhere to anywhere, within reason, by a route using the public right-of-ways that is safe, convenient, relatively direct and that is at least of equal distance to that which the driver of motor vehicle may travel.
I demand that the government agencies that are charged with developing and maintaining the public streets and roadways, build said streets and roadways with proper contemporary bicycle and pedestrian facilities that encourages the liberty of movement of those not driving a motor vehicle.
I demand that no other person, law enforcement or other government official question this right of liberty no mater the location of were one is legally traveling on the public right-of-way, or the time of day or night that one chooses to travel on the public right-of-way.

Pursuit of Happiness -

For those of us that choose to walk or bike for recreation and/or transportation, these activities are often for us, "the pursuit of Happiness." For myself, few of the good things in life are more fulfilling and full of joy than a long and challenging bicycle ride on the public roads that pass through the beautiful New Jersey countryside. Unfortunately, rarely does a ride go by where a stressful incident does not occur due to one or more of the reasons already listed above. As such I demand that not only our government but our fellow citizens do all that is reasonable to preserve this right. In return, I swear to do all in my power to defend this right for my fellow Americans as long as their pursuits are peaceful and do not have other detrimental effects upon our society.

Enjoy your Fourth of July but remember that the continued enjoyment of these three most basic American rights will only be preserve so long as citizens of this Great Nation continue to remain vigilant.

Bicyclist killed in Tabernacle

2011-06-30T23:53:00.000-04:00

This crash report was first posted by our affiliates at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. Reading the comments in the Phillyburbs article linked to below, it appears that the bicyclist was using a flashlight (possibly handheld) as a headlight. All should know that New Jersey State Law regarding operating a bicycle at night reads as follows:

39:4-10 Lights on Bicycles
When in use at nighttime every bicycle shall be equipped with: 1) A front headlamp emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front; 2) A rear lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the rear; 3) In addition to the red lamp a red reflector may be mounted on the rear.

According to Phillyburbs.com - 23 Year Old Shawn Patterson was riding his bicycle on Old Indian Mills Road in Tabernacle, NJ when he was hit by a truck making a left onto the road from Route 206 at around 10:55 p.m. Patterson was flown to the Trauma Center at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said.

View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

As you can see the intersection of the road a vehicle traveling 50 mph on US 206 can almost seamlessly veer left onto the Old Indian Mills Rd.

Our deepest sympathies go out to Shawn's family and friends.

3 Complete Streets seminars coming in July for locals

2011-06-16T11:58:00.000-04:00

NJ Future just reported about how Jersey City and Ridgewood both passed Complete Streets policies recently. Great news but NJ Future notes that this brings the total number of municipalities with Complete Streets policies up to 12 and counties (Monmouth) up to 1. When you realize that New Jersey has 566 municipalities and 21 counties, you begin to see that there is a long way to go.

So step in Sustainable Jersey, supported by Shaping NJ (and a host of other organizations), which has scheduled three workshops on Complete Streets for local activists interested in pursuing the policy in their towns. Each workshop will highlight basic policy principles, potential resources and local case studies. The workshops will be held on:

July 14 at Stockton College from 1 to 3:30 p.m. (register)
July 19 at the West Windsor Municipal Building from 9:30 a.m. to noon (register)
July 21 at the Rahway Public Library from 6 to 8 p.m. (register)

And as NJ Future reported in their story about Jersey City and Ridgewood, NJDOT is encouraging towns to adopt their own Complete Streets policies by giving preferential consideration for municipal aid grants to towns that have adopted such policies. To aid towns even further, NJDOT is also working developing standards for good Complete Street roadway designs for urban, suburban and rural settings.

So make sure you and/or one or more of your local town officials try to attend one of these seminars and get your own Complete Streets policy in place.

Help Jersey City preserve and create its own High Line

2011-06-14T01:18:00.002-04:00

The below comes from the Embankment Preservation Coalition in Jersey City. For those of you that don't know, the "Embankment" is the old Harsimus Stem Embankment which is an elevated stone structure that once carried seven tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad to the Hudson River Waterfront.

Like the incredibly successful High Line across the Hudson in the once derelict Meatpacking District, the Embankment has the potential to completely transform and improve this part of Jersey City. If allowed to be turned into a park, the Embankment would become a linchpin in a network of walkable, bikeable greenways within the City of Jersey City, and beyond. The East Coast Greenway Alliance would even like to use the Embankment as the permanent, off-road route of the East Coast Greenway which would connect to the Meadowlands via the Bergen Arches to the west.

Now the message from the Embankment Preservation Coalition:

VOTE EMBANKMENT

Help the Embankment Preservation Coalition win up to $25,000 in the National Trust for Historic Preservation "This Place Matters" Community Challenge. The Trust selected us from 250 entrants to compete with 99 others in the challenge.

Concept: Embankment looking west from Erie & 6th. RomanP.com

Now It's Up to You!

As of this weekend, we rank #10 out of 100 participants.
To bring a prize home, we need your vote!

Just click on embankment.org
for instructions.

Voting ends June 30.
Anyone with a valid email may vote.
You do not need to be a New Jersey resident.
Please vote and forward to Facebook, Twitter - help us Get out the Vote!

NY Times features NJ Randonneurs - Longest Day Ride this weekend

2011-06-12T12:57:00.001-04:00

On June 3rd, The New York Times ran this nice article about the New Jersey Randonneurs. Almost unknown to even the most knowledgeable bicycle enthusiast, randonneuring can probably be best described as the ultra-marathoning of bicycle racing / riding. Short rides start at 200km (124 miles), with long rides going up to 600km (372 miles)! For most, the goal is simply finishing the ride within the allotted time window. Only a select few look to win outright. Obviously at these distances, rides last for many, many hours with the longer rides even going on for multiple days, usually with minimal breaks. And as the Times article indicates, rides are not cancelled due to weather and bikes are usually fitted with fenders and are otherwise specially equipped. If this sounds like fun to you, well keep on reading.

Source: NY Times

This weekend also marks New Jersey's most famous long distance ride, The Longest Day. Held yesterday June 11th (I thought it was next weekend), the name Longest Day ride is a double entendre. The ride is held close to the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year (on or around June 21) and the route connects the two most distant landmarks in the state. At 208 miles, the ride starts on High Point in Sussex County and goes all the way to Cape May Light at the southern tip of the state. This ride is considered the ultimate achievement for many New Jersey cyclists.

Well'p, there is always next year! If you're looking to put this ultimate notch in your cycling belt, you can start with doing the New Jersey Gran Fondo at the end of August. You should be able to prove that you are able to ride at least 100 miles before you register for the full length route of the Longest Day.

Federal funding for bike/ped and trail projects in jepordy

2011-06-08T16:23:00.002-04:00

This just in from the League of American Bicyclists:

The future of funding for bicycling, walking and trails in America is in serious jeopardy.	Take Action!


Please Take Action Today As Congress ramps up efforts to pass a national transportation bill, some senators and representatives are pushing to eliminate the dedicated federal programs without which most of our nation's trail, walking and bicycling infrastructure would not exist. These programs currently receive less than two cents of every transportation dollar, yet have tremendous impacts on their communities. Make no mistake: if we lose this battle, communities all around the country will find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to build the bicycling infrastructure they need. Your Senator is on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and has previously made it clear that they support bicycling, walking and trails. *Now, as their constituent –you -* must encourage them to take the next step as the Committee is currently drafting their version of the next transportation bill. Please sign on today!** Thank you.

State DOT releases Draft Ocean City Bikeway Plan

2011-06-06T21:32:00.002-04:00

The concept study - The Ocean City Rail Trail & Bicycle Boulevard Project was unveiled to the public in late May. The study looked at the feasibility of extending the Haven Avenue bike boulevard OC1 to the south end of the Island and looked at different scenarios including placing a multi-use trail on an abandoned railbed in the wetlands area.

As expected the study showed that a trail along the railbed was possible but would require extensive permitting and wetland mitigation. This may pave the way for the City to examine several on-street bikeway options including the possibility of of installing a two way cycletrack on the west side of West Avenue and/or sharrows on Asbury Avenue with a boardwalk bikeway extending to the south end of the island at Corson's Inlet.

Full Article in the OC Sentinel

View Ocean City Proposed and Existing Routes in a larger map

Make A Difference - Comment on the NJ Transportation Improvement Program for the DVRPC Region

2011-06-04T13:11:00.005-04:00

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Greater Philadelphia Region and and includes Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer Counties. They have opened the public comment period for the draft New Jersey Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that will close at 5 p.m., July 5, 2011. The public comment period for the draft Transportation Conformity (with EPA Air Quality Standards) finding will open on June 21, 2011 and close at 5 p.m., July 20, 2011.

The TIP is the regionally agreed-upon list of priority transportation projects, as required by federal law. Transportation conformity is the process that ensures that plans and programs receiving federal aid are consistent with the region's air quality goals. All transportation projects that use federal money that has been allocated for the next 3 years is included in the TIP including bike/ped projects. The DVRPC NJ TIP is a subset of the NJDOT Capital Program

There will be a public meeting and information session on the Draft FY 2012 TIP for NJ and the Draft Transportation Conformity finding between the hours of 4 and 6 p.m. on:

Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Cherry Hill Library
1100 Kings Highway North
Cherry Hill, NJ

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View map in a larger window

You can click on the map markers to find out project details and submit comments. The 5 Bike/Ped projects included are colored blue.

Some things to note:

Bike/Ped projects represent less than $8 Million - a tiny fraction of the total highway spending of $1.1 Billion (plus $800 Million for PATCO and NJ TRANSIT)
One highway capacity expansion project (Route 295/42, Missing Moves, Bellmawr) is projected to cost $133 million.
Some bike elements may included in some projects such as the Route 45 improvement project in Woodbury.
If you are going to make one general comment on all the projects it should be that all projects should conform to New Jersey DOT's complete streets policy.

Time and place set for this Friday's Biergarten Bike Ride

2011-06-01T16:03:00.000-04:00

We will be meeting at Newark City Hall and will be promptly leaving by 7:00pm.

Please try to arrive early so we can leave on time as the 15 mile ride will take at least an hour and a half baring any major mechanical problems.

The sign of a truly civilized society. An actual bicycle way-finding sign
in Bamberg, Germany showing bicyclists the best way to the biergarten.

Back by popular demand, the first edition of the Biergarten Bike Series will repeat the route (see below) taken during last Septembers very popular and well received first Biergarten Bike Ride. The Biergarten is at the Deutsche Club of Clark, where I'm a member. On the evening of Friday, June 3rd, the plan is to meet in Newark, at a location and time yet to be determined by the folks at the Brick City Bike Collective. Like last year, the ride is 15 or so miles and will be run at a fun, casual, 3-speed and family friendly pace using mostly quite residential streets. I would also like to use a portion of the East Coast Greenway as it runs south out of Newark and into Union County.

A scene from one of last summer's biergarten nights at the Deutscher Club of Clark

View Larger Map
Approximate route from Newark to the Deutsche Club of Clark.

Besides having the greatest bier culture in the world, Germany is also host to one of the world's finest bicycle cultures. When I visit Germany I will often go for a ride with with friends and/or family on the country's spectacular bicycle infrastructure. On some evenings our final destination would be the biergarten. As such, this is something fun of German culture that I would love to share.

As for the biergarten itself, German biergartens are fun and family friendly environment so children are welcomed. There will be live music at the event along with German foods and plenty of bier (note - vegetarians will have some but limited options). Last call is at 10pm but festivities typically go longer. At the end of the evening people I will escort people the 3.3 miles to the Rahway Train Station so they can take the train back to Newark (and I back to New Brunswick). People also have the option of taking the train from Westfield on the Raritan Valley Line which is slightly closer at 2.7 miles. Either way you will be going home at night so a proper assortment of front and rear lights are a must if you wish to participate.

Don't miss out on this opportunity for a fun filled ride with New Jersey's largest and most authentic German Biergarten as your final destination.

And while bikes and bier are some of the greatest things that make life worth living, it should go without saying, but drunk bicycle riding IS DWI and will not be tolerated on the ride back to the train station. There will be police on site to enforce this!

The Summer 2011 Biergartern Bike Ride Series is as follows:

Friday, June 3rd
Friday, July 22nd
Friday, August 26th
Friday, September 30th

Next NJ BPAC Meeting on Thursday, June 9th

2011-05-31T16:16:00.001-04:00

The next meeting of the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Council will be held next week and hosted by the Voorhees Transportation Center at the Bloustein School of Rutgers University.

When: Thursday, June 9th at 10:00 am
Where: Edward J. Bloustein School

33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, 08901

Room 261

This is a public meeting and all interested parties are welcome to attend.

Select parts of the tentative draft meeting agenda are as follows:

I. New Jersey’s #5 ranking from the League of American Bicyclists
Debbie Kingsland/Bill Feldman

II. Subcommittee Discussion – Charles Brown
i. Legislative subcommittee
ii. Safety & Education subcommittee
iii. Design subcommittee

III. 5 to Ride Campaign – Stuart C. Gruskin Foundation
Presentation by Nancy Gruskin of the Stuart C. Gruskin Foundation

IV. Briefing: VTC New Website Overview - Jim Van Schoick

V. Briefing: Safe Routes to School
Leigh Ann Von Hagen

VI. Briefing: “For the Good of New Jersey”
Charles Brown/Jim Van Schoick

VII. Open floor / discussion period / 2 Minute Updates

VIII. Final remarks

2011 Biergarten Bike Ride SERIES starts next Friday, June 3

2011-05-27T02:59:00.007-04:00

UPDATED!!

We will be meeting at Newark City Hall and will be promptly leaving by 7:00pm.

Please try to arrive early so we can leave on time as the 15 mile ride will take at least an hour and a half baring any major mechanical problems.

Yes you heard right! WalkBikeJersey and the Brick City Bike Collective are proud to announce the Summer 2011, Biergarten Bike Ride SERIES!

The sign of a truly civilized society. An actual bicycle way-finding sign
in Bamberg, Germany showing bicyclists the best way to the biergarten.

A scene from one of last summer's biergarten nights at the Deutscher Club of Clark

View Larger Map
Approximate route from Newark to the Deutsche Club of Clark.

Friday, June 3rd
Friday, July 22nd
Friday, August 26th
Friday, September 30th

New "Road ID" commercial tells it like it is; Supports LAB

2011-05-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

So the Giro d'Italia is entering its final week and I've been hooked to watching every broadcast of every stage (sometimes more than once) since the Giro began two weeks ago. The commercials I've seen during the Giro coverage left me somewhat disappointed until only a couple minutes ago this morning.

There were plenty of commercials for USA Cycling, which is good for bike racing but I said to myself, "Why couldn't the League of American Bicyclists or at least one of the big names in the industry use this event to promote bicyclists rights as USA Cycling was promoting its mission?" Well it looks like the folks at Road ID were reading my thoughts and put out this perfectly fantastic, 1 minute commercial below! Good going Road ID! Maybe I'll be able to put away Bob Rolls Bazooka while out riding, if enough people get the message.

So if you agree with this message, join the League of American Bicyclists AND the NJ Bike and Walk Coalition. And if your lucky to have one your towns local advocacy group.

The Very Last Call for The Big Walk!

2011-05-18T01:28:00.002-04:00

The following comes to us from the fine folks at Freewalkers and the East Coast Greenway Alliance. Sorry but I just couldn't get the formatting just right on the text box to the left:

50 miles - May 21, 2011

38 miles - April 9, 2011

12 miles - April 16, 2011

Dear Walkers,

It's just a few days before - The Big Walk - coming up on Saturday May 21st. Now, I hear it might be Judgment Day too! What better way to go out than with an attempt at walking 50 miles! I guarantee that even your sub-50 mile efforts will not go unnoticed!

We got a big Union County welcoming ceremony in store for us in Cranford at the train station along with guests, press, and plenty of breakfast food to get you going and keep you going throughout the day provided by the ECGA, Union County Parks Dept. and a new sponsor! - Koenig Russo and Associates, LLc, Certified Public Accountants of Roselle Park.

If you have not walked with us yet in a FreeWalkers event, you'll find that the people, the pace, the trail and the spirit of the group will provide the necessary mix for you to achieve your own personal best. You can set your own pace, come into and drop off the walk at various spots and bring your friends along too. The only thing you need to do is show up and try your best.

May 21, 2011 - Metropark to NYC - The Big Walk or Signup

What's it Like to Walk that Long?

Here's the official event video and photos from last year:

We're posting photos, feedback and some preliminary stats on our recent walks - Great Canal Walk (April 9, 2011 - 40 miles) and the Tween Walk (April 16, 2011 - 12 miles). If you walked either event please complete the survey so that we can finish the final list of participants by next week.

Great Canal Walk - blogs, photos, take survey, see survey results
The Tween Walk - blogs, photos, take survey, see survey results

Cross-Jersey Walking Challenge Too

The Big Walk is a great way to add the miles walked to your total for the 100-mile Cross-Jersey Walking Challenge! It's our 100-mile crossing of the entire state. You can do this too. If you walk any of our previous walks this year the mileage counts toward the 100. All you have to do to qualify is register and log your mileage. And, you have until the end of the year to finish the 100 miles. Prizes await for this hearty bunch.

With Medals for All

A free personalized dog tag will given to anyone who signs up online and walks the "The Big Walk" on May 21, 2011. - regardless of how long they walk. The free dog tag souvenir personally embossed with your name and accomplishment, has become a FreeWalkers tradition.The East Coast Greenway Alliance helps us provide this nice award to everyone. Please generously support their efforts in maintaining this unique trail by giving to their cause.

Paul Kiczek
Program Leader
paul@crossjerseywalk.org

Donate or Join East Coast Greenway

Please Give. I'm reaching out to everyone to consider a small donation to the East Coast Greenway. You may have noticed that we added a "Giving" menu selection and we are now posting a notice on the home page asking that you consider joining as a member or donating to this remarkable 3,000 mile trail non-profit project. $40 will get you an adult membership, with even more favorable rates for students, families, and seniors. Consider asking friends and family to donate to your walking effort at $1 a mile as a way to have others help you and the Greenway. Here's a link to the donation page. Please consider a donation.

Thanks for your interest in the Cross-Jersey Walking Challenge. Feel free to contact us at info@crossjerseywalk.org if you have any questions or suggestions.

Learn More >>
Next Challenge Event Website: NJ2NY50.org
FreeWalkers Website: FreeWalkers.org
East Coast Greenway Website: greenway.org
Related Knol: The 50-Mile Hike Phenomenon
Facebook Page : Cross-Jersey Walking Chalenge - Fan Page
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CROSSJERSEYWALK

Bike news (good and bad) to start Bike to Work Week

2011-05-16T23:38:00.000-04:00

Sorry the blog has been quite for a while. There is always so much to do in May for me personally since I'm as much an avid gardener as I am a cyclist and there are so many plants to get into the ground in these weeks. I'm also working two jobs, with one being with a well respected bike/ped advocacy group that keeps me going to bike events just about every weekend day during this Bike Month (rough job but someones got to do it).

Anyway, there are two interesting bike/ped related stories floating around the internet today; one good and one bad ... very bad.

First the "Good" - The New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition used Bike Month and Bike to Work Week as an opportune time to introduce itself to greater New Jersey with this Op-Ed piece in The Times of Trenton. It got good placement in the paper today and will hopefully get some more press in a few of the other New Jersey papers this week.

The "Bad" is REALLY bad - The New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition is also reporting that the NJDOT is requesting to drop funding from a project that would have provided sidewalks and bike lanes on a section of Rt 7 in Kearny. This project would be the start of providing a critical bicycle and pedestrian link between Newark and Jersey City. These facilities would also be a part of the East Coast Greenway. Currently there are no practical or safe options for pedestrians or bicyclists wishing to travel between New Jersey's two largest cities.

If this is all true, such an action by NJDOT again calls into question if NJDOT is truly committed to the spirit of its nation leading Complete Streets policy.

Take the National Walking Survey

2011-05-02T14:12:00.001-04:00

This comes to WalkBikeJersey from the folks at America Walks. Please take the time to take their survey.

Please take the National Walking Survey today!

Help America Walks learn more about who walks, and why we walk.

This survey will take only 5 minutes to complete and results are anonymous.

The National Walking Survey results will help walking advocates understand what motivates avid walkers, and what keeps others from walking more. Once the data is analyzed, America Walks will tell you what we've learned to help promote walking in America.

America Walks encourages the broadest possible participation in the

National Walking Survey. Please feel free to post, tweet, and forward this message.

For more information, contact us at info@americawalks.org.

Thank you, in advance, for your participation.

Carter Headrick

America Walks Board President

Click here to take the survey NOW!

Seats still available! Traffic Skills 101 Bicycling Course to be offered in North Brunswick, NJ

2011-05-02T00:12:00.000-04:00

Has the high cost of gas got you down? Looking to lower your carbon footprint? Do you want to get a little exercise on the weekends or possibly on your way to work, school or the grocery store? Or do you just want to experience the freedom of the road powered by nothing but the strength of your muscles and the sweat on your brow (and your mom's irresistible chocolate chip cookies you devoured last night)? Maybe your looking to do all these things but are apprehensive about traffic while riding your bike or just don't know where to start? Well then I've got the answer for you!

The North Brunswick Township Parks and Recreation Department is proud to partner with the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition Bicycle Education Program to offer Traffic Skills 101 for bicyclists.

Following a well-established curriculum from the League of American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org) and taught only by certified League Cycling Instructors, Traffic Skills 101 gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. The course covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques and includes a student manual. Recommended for adults and children above age fourteen, this fast-paced, nine-hour course prepares cyclists for a full understanding of vehicular cycling.

The class will be limited to 15 students and will only be held if more than 5 students are registered. This class is ideal for new cyclists who want to learn the basics, those returning to cycling from a long hiatus, people who want to be more independent on their bike, and those who feel a little nervous while cycling in traffic. If you do not know how to ride a bike (that is, start, stop, balance and steer without falling down), this is not the right class for you. Participants must know how to balance and control a bicycle.

Date: Saturday, May 7, 2011, 9 AM until 5 PM

Place: North Brunswick Township Municipal Building

Cost: $50 per student, checks made payable to "NJBC" and mailed to NJBC, P.O. Box 843, Mahwah, NJ 07430

Requirements: You will need a bicycle in good working order, a helmet (no one will be allowed to participate in the on-bike portion of the class without a helmet), and a full water bottle. This class will be held, rain or shine.

Lead Instructor: Andrew J. Besold (ajbesold@yahoo.com)
Assistant Instructor: Jim Nicholson (jimnichlci@optonline.net)

Important Bike Advocacy news from the Midwest

2011-04-27T14:37:00.000-04:00

A couple interesting bits of bicycle advocacy news came out of two Midwestern States this week.

First in Kansas, their governor just signed into law and three-foot passing law that ALSO clarifies the legality of passing a bicyclist in marked no-passing zones. Along with this, a different part of this new legislation now allows both bicyclist and motorcyclists to go through a "Dead Red" traffic signal when it is safe to do so. Dead Reds are signals that do not change green because the sensors used to detect traffic are not calibrated properly to detect anything smaller than a car. For comparison, New Jersey Title 39 DOES NOT address any of these three issues, leaving best on-road practices ambiguous at best and deadly at worst! See the details of Kansas' new law from the Kansas Cyclists blog here.

In Illinois, Governor Pat Quinn ordered that the vehicle "crash" report form be modified to include a method of reporting "dooring" as a cause of a crash. More details can be found in this Chicago Tribune article and even more in this article from WBEX 91.5 - Chicago Public Media. It is unknown if the New Jersey vehicle crash report form (probably officially called a "motor vehicle accident form" here) has any standardized way to record this type of crash causation.

Op-Ed: Can Walking and Biking ever be safe in America with incompetent idiots behind the steering wheel?!?!

2011-04-26T14:13:00.000-04:00

Yeah… I’m pissed! I normally don’t to let my emotions run wild on this blog and try to keep it professional but I’m gonna’ let loose a little on this one. I’m really sick and tired of dealing with brain-dead, narcissistic, antisocial, psychotic, distracted and just plain stupid drivers while I’m out riding my bike. They are absolutely clueless about how dangerous their driving behavior is not only to me, other cyclists, and pedestrians but also to themselves.

As many of you might know, I’m a League Cycling Instructor. I’ve been riding almost all of my 39 years and have been a serious cyclist for over 20 of them now. When I’m out on the road these days I do my best to use all my training and experience to perfect my own personal version of “vehicular cycling.” I adapt the classic vehicular cycling techniques depending on the bike I’m riding. If I’m casually tooling around town on the 3-speed, I tend to be a little less bold. However when I’m on my road bike riding for maximum speed, I’m more inclined to incorporate more if not all of the advanced vehicular cycling techniques.

Part of that technique is to take the lane on narrow roads, where the road conditions are bad and on blind rises or corners. Unfortunately after this winter, road conditions are REALLY bad and I find myself forced to take the lane even on roads with wide lanes, high speeds and heavy traffic volume. With a good percentage of drivers this is not a problem. They seem to understand my plight and patiently wait behind me until its clear and I give them a wave of appreciation when they have a chance to pass by. But this system of reason breaks down really quickly when it seems every forth driver is either totally clueless to a cyclists needs, just doesn’t care or even worse, hates you for even daring to exert your right to the road. Unfortunately when I went for a ride this past Easter Sunday, it seemed the later 25% were the only ones left of the road as all God fearing people were at church or home with their families.

So there I was on Fresh Ponds Road in East Brunswick just south of Milltown, cruising at pretty fast clip on my road bike. Thinking that traffic would be very light on this holiday, I was in for a rude awakening very soon after starting my ride. The first mile or so of this road is in horrible shape forcing me to the center of the lane. As I approached a completely blind rise in the roadway I notice a car approaching from behind. Already in the center of the lane due to the road conditions, I followed my training and move further to the left to totally block the roadway from any sane passing maneuver. Unfortunately for me and other roadway users, this person must have left all sense of sanity at home that day because despite me waving frantically to prevent a suicidal passing maneuver, this idiot keeps on coming around me on my left. Just as I start to crest the rise in the road and with the overtaking car still 50 feet or so behind me, I notice a car coming in the opposite direction, as I feared would happen. Well the idiot coming up behind me must have been blessed with dumb luck because if they hadn’t slowed down a little to make the pass, I would have been an all too close eyewitness to a head-on collision just to my left!

Regrettably that wasn’t the first time some idiot tried to pass me on a blind turn or rise as I’ve taken the lane to prevent these idiots from being a victim of their own stupidity, ignorance and/or hubris. I had a very scary and similar situation a few years ago while riding along the Brandywine River in Chester County, Pennsylvania. That time a driver passed me on a blind rise with an approaching oncoming car, despite both my and my trailing friend’s frantic attempts to wave that driver off from passing. That incident was so close that that driver hit my waving outstretched hand with their right side rearview mirror. Fortunately that was the only thing hit and that was without injury. And last fall I had an overtaking driver nearly force an oncoming car off Cherry Hill Road in Montgomery, New Jersey despite me waving him off for what was at least 10 seconds prior to his blind rise pass. To top it off, he then curses me out, blaming me for his reckless stupidity!

Coming back to this past Easter Sunday, this first incident wasn’t the last of the motoring hi-jinx I had to be exposed to. Further down Fresh Ponds Road some hump thought it would be good fun to blast the horn as he (I assume only a man would get joy out of such idiocy) went past me at full throttle in his SUV no less. At least here the view of the upcoming roadway was unobstructed and there was no oncoming traffic. Accordingly, his pass should have been a total none incident. I think part of his “teach him (me) a lesson” moment was brought on me because, once again, I had dared to not cower in the gutter of the roadway and rode toward the center of the lane to avoid the completely unridable potholed pavement.

I could go on and on about facing death while doing everything in my power to obey the law and the finer points of advanced and defensive vehicular cycling. Unfortunately incidents like these are all too common and I deal with about one “scare the pants off me” moments for just about every 30 miles of riding. It’s very frustrating that no matter what I do to proactively protect myself and even try to enhance the safety of those in the cars around me that I still deal with incidents like these. There is not much else one can do when you dealing with people who are stupid, ignorant, distracted or brain-dead when behind the wheel. Even worse are those drivers that willfully reckless and in some cases are purposely violent with the weapon they command. How can walking and biking ever be safe if even the most confident and highly trained among us can’t even travel the roadways without feeling safe?!?!

TIGER 1 Update - Camden County Freeholders Award Contract for Bike Lanes and Streetscape

2011-04-23T16:56:00.000-04:00

Staying focused this week on what is undoubtedly one of New Jersey's neediest places for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, our affiliates at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia bring us this story about the continued progress of the highly competitive TIGER Grant that will focus some much needed monies into Camden's bike/ped accommodations. Enjoy!

On Thursday evening the Camden County Freeholders voted on the following resolution -

"Resolution authorizing an award of Contract (Bid A-10) by and between the County of Camden (Department of Public Works) and Lexa Concrete, LLC, for the 2011 Transportation Capital Program, American Recovery Investment Act TIGER Grant, Pyne [sic] Street Greenway Enhancement Project and Martin Luther King Boulevard, Waterfront Connection Project in an amount not to exceed $2,520,648.55"

This means that construction on two of the three Camden TIGER segments can now move forward, it usually takes at least several weeks between the award of a contract and the first shovel in the ground. The projects will include Camden's first bike lanes (MLK), sharrows, road repair and streetscape improvements.
The third segment, Pearl St adjacent to the Ben Franklin Bridge has been delayed due to the collapse of the bulkhead adjacent to the Camden Waterfront Promenade. DVRPC the regional planning commission has allocated additional money to the project to design and construct the new bulkhead. Once the design has been completed that project will go out to bid and which holds out hope that all three projects will be completed by the end of the year.

The construction of the project coincides with the rehabilitation of Farnham Park which includes a new multi-use trail through the park which will connect with the City's only marked bike facility - a two way sidepath on the south side of Kaighns Ave, which heads towards Cooper River Park a location where we pointed out the difficulty of crossing route 130 to get to the main section of the park.

View Pine Street in Camden in a Larger Map

Bike/Ped advocacy works! AASHTO rescinds recommendation to limit bike/ped considerations!

2011-04-23T15:31:00.000-04:00

Early last week I talked about how the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) request to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)to limit the mandatory consideration of bicycle and pedestrian needs for roadway projects that receive Federal funding. I also discussed how a coalition of bike/ped groups were not going to take this sitting down and fought back against AASHTO's demands. Well due in part to the hard work of national bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups like the League of American Bicyclists and America Bikes (just to name a few) and thousands of everyday citizens, AASHTO has rescinded their request to limit bicycle and pedestrian considerations.

Take a look for yourself from the email I received from the League of American Bicyclists. I quote:

Thank you to the thousands of you who contacted the director of your state transportation agency regarding last week’s action alert. Your voice has been heard loud and clear. Due to your combined efforts, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has withdrawn their recommendation to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to weaken the requirements for states to give “due consideration” to the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians when constructing roadways. The League of American Bicyclists, the National Center for Biking and Walking, and America Bikes will be meeting with AASHTO officials next month to discuss this and other important issues.

If you haven't already, please take action to ensure that state transportation agencies do not gut important bike funding. Visit our Advocacy Center and ask your Governor to rescind federal transportation dollars proportionally across all programs.

You can follow progress on these and other campaigns at bikeleague.org/blog. Thanks again for your support.

Even though many projects designed prior to NJDOT's December 2009 Complete Streets Policy continue to disappoint and underwhelm many New Jersey bicycle and pedestrian advocates, it was very unlikely that NJDOT would have gone along with this carte blanche policy to essentially ignore the needs of bikes and peds. Still, even with a Complete Streets policy at a state level, this is by no means a reason to relax our vigilance on such issues.

Traffic Skills 101 Bicycling Course to be offered in North Brunswick, NJ

2011-04-20T12:09:00.012-04:00

Date: Saturday, May 7, 2011, 9 AM until 5 PM

Place: North Brunswick Township Municipal Building

Cost: $50 per student, checks made payable to "NJBC" and mailed to NJBC, P.O. Box 843, Mahwah, NJ 07430

Lead Instructor: Andrew J. Besold (ajbesold@yahoo.com)
Assistant Instructor: Jim Nicholson (jimnichlci@optonline.net)

Tell NJDOT to Accommodate Bicyclists crossing US 130 into Cooper River Park

2011-04-19T20:05:00.001-04:00

Tell NJDOT to include proper Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations at North Park Drive and US 130 in Camden/Pennsauken.

There will be a public meeting held tomorrow at:

Camden County Boathouse
Cooper River County Park
7050 North Park Drive, Pennsauken, NJ
APRIL 20, 2011 6:00 P.M.

Work will start this fall on the reconstruction of the intersection of US 130 and North Park Drive (Cooper River Park) adjacent to the old driving range. As some of you already know this is a very difficult intersection to cross on foot or bike, especially heading from the park into Camden. While this hearing focuses on the right of way acquisition of a tiny piece of Cooper River Park it is the design of the intersection that is of the most concern.

While the crosswalk shown in the diagram is an improvement (vs nothing) it still forces a westbound cyclists to cross the intersection at the crosswalk. This means that cyclists will be riding across to a narrow sidewalk instead of a 10' multi-use path. For pedestrians it is much worse - the skewed unprotected intersection will mean that they will have to cross at least 70 feet of roadway across a skewed intersection, very difficult for the young, elderly and disabled.

US 130 has been cited by the Tri State Transportation Campaign as one of the most dangerous roads for pedestrians in the state. we should demand that at a minimum that the crosswalk geometry is fixed, with a pedestrian refuge added in the center median. In addition a pedestrian activated "no turn on red" phase would allow pedestrians to safely cross US 130. The design should also include a westbound bike box for cyclists in front of the stop bar on North Park Drive to get ahead of the turning traffic.

The details of the entire 130/30 project is here.

Click on the image to enlarge - The main section of Cooper River Park is on the bottom of this drawing while the old driving range on the top side.

Meeting announcement

New Jersey bicycling photo of 2011

2011-04-19T12:41:00.000-04:00

A bit of Portland / Amsterdam comes to Newark

While passing through Newark's Branch Brook Park on Sunday as part of the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey's 2nd (or 3rd?) Annual Cherry Blossom Bike Tour (which shouldn't be confused with the Brick City Bike Collective's ride of the same name), I came across this most beautiful vision of cycling perfection:

There were just so many things right about this sight which I assume was a mother and her three kids. Seeing them brought such joy to me that day as it does again as I write about this two days later. When I first passed the quartet, one couldn't help but notice the wide smiles on all of their faces. It was clear that they were all having a blast. When I stopped to take a picture of them, I asked if they were from the city or just passing through. "Captain Mom" replied, "Right here in Newark!" to which I said, "Perfect! Even better!"

And before you reply telling me all about Bakfiets, cargobikes, and the Danish/Dutch minivan, I'm way ahead of you. I just hope that sights like this become more common in New Jersey and all around the USA. With gas prices climbing ever higher I feel its inevitable.

Bike advocates fight back against AASHTO's recomendations

2011-04-15T14:00:00.001-04:00

Quickly,

The other day I talked about how AASHTO (the American Association of Highway Transportation Officials) is looking to relax rules that require bicycle and pedestrian consideration in all roadway projects that receive federal funding. Well bicycle and pedestrian groups aren't taking this lying down. America Bikes, a coalition of bicycle, pedestrian and trail advocacy groups, recently wrote this letter to the US DOT in support of keeping the current bike/ped considerations in roadway projects. I highly suggest that you take a look at that letter!

I know many cyclists often lament wanting to join addition groups, aren't interesting in advocacy and often just don't care. Well, if these national groups weren't out there fighting for your rights to the road and for the road to be built to better consider your needs, its clear to me that your ride would be much less enjoyable, possibly even illegal. As such, give a thought to joining one or more of the following organization who are all members of the America Bikes coalition:

Adventure Cycling Association
Alliance for Biking and Walking
America Walks
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
Bikes Belong
International Mountain Bicycling Association
League of American Bicyclists
National Center for Bicycling and Walking
National Complete Streets Coalition
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Closer to home here in Jersey think about these groups:

The New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition
The East Coast Greenway Alliance
Jersey Off-Road Bicycle Association

AASHTO seeks to weaken considerations for bikes & peds

2011-04-12T19:21:00.001-04:00

This news has hit the bike/ped universe rather hard today. Fortunately, us bike/ped folks are hitting back equally hard. In a letter to the Federal Highway Administration the American Association of Highway Transportation Officials asked for a "change" in FHWA bicycle and pedestrian policy. The part of interest is below. Emphasis mine, I quote:

FHWA Guidance for Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of Federal Transportation Legislation, updated on April 4, 2007, states the following:

"Due consideration" of bicycle and pedestrian needs should include, at a minimum, a presumption that bicyclists and pedestrians will be accommodated in the design of new and improved transportation facilities. In the planning, design, and operation of transportation facilities, bicyclists and pedestrians should be included as a matter of routine, and the decision to not accommodate them should be the exception rather than the rule. There must be exceptional circumstances for denying bicycle and pedestrian access either by prohibition or by designing highways that are incompatible with safe, convenient walking and bicycling.

The law clearly states that bicycle and pedestrian facilities shall be considered where appropriate. However, FHWA guidance has embellished the law from “consider where appropriate” to a must include condition unless not doing so can be justified. Furthermore, it states that “there must be exceptional circumstances” for not providing such facilities. This regulation presents an undue burden on states to justify exceptional circumstances when not including provisions for bicyclists and pedestrians in a project. Recommendation: FHWA should rescind their guidance on the meaning of “due consideration.”

WalkBikeJersey contributor and Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia Advocacy Director, John Boyle asks:

What does this mean? The FHWA improved its due consideration language to reflect the values of a good complete streets policy. AASHTO is not happy with that language and wishes to exclude any suggestion that they must justify not accommodating bicycles and pedestrians in transportation projects. Justification for exclusion is perhaps the most important element of a complete streets policy-that you just can't say no because the project manager says so. Note that the Federal language says "should" not "shall"

So basically AASHTO is attempting to further weaken a flimsy federal policy for accommodating bicycles and pedestrians. That doesn't sound supportive and bicycle and pedestrian advocates deserve an explanation.

I couldn't agree more. This is such a shame and a surprise since from where I stand, it seemed that AASHTO was coming around to the side of of bicyclists and pedestrians. However, Executive Director of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals Kit Keller, had this to say today :

AASHTO officials seem to be oblivious to blossoming interest and innovation of local governments across the land that want walkable, bicycle-friendly communities. AASHTO's recent pronouncement contributes to a growing sense of the irrelevance and irrationality of applying state mandates to local road conditions and needs. Hence the development of new tools like the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide.

Whoa! You tell 'em Kit! I knew there was a reason why I liked you.

For more analysis on this, see this great post from Streetsblog Capitol Hill.

Star-Ledger covers cycling at Rutgers Newark

2011-04-08T19:49:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Streetsblog's Headlines I was made aware of this great story from The Star-Ledger covering bicycling at the Rutgers, Newark campus. It's great to hear that the University is trying to take a more proactive role it getting its students, faculty and staff to think of the bike, with the use of transit, as a viable means of getting to and from campus.

As a two time alumni of Rutgers, New Brunswick, it would be great to see the Department of Parking and Transportation get more proactive in promoting cycling in and around the five campuses in New Brunswick. I personally think that while the bus system is fantastic between the campuses, there is really no reason why many of the trips currently taken by bus, couldn't be done by bike. And reducing bus demand would obviously reduce costs to students in an era of out of control student fees. I think to do this Rutgers should look to hire a bicycle and pedestrian coordinator (hint, hint - I know some one who would be perfect for the job - wink, wink). And it would be really, really special to see Rutgers try to become a League of American Bicyclists, Bicycle Friendly University.

Come on Jack! I know your up to it!

Sightline Daily asks, "Who Bikes?" using Pucher, Buehler data

2011-04-07T14:12:00.002-04:00

Eric De Place, of Sightline Daily put together a few very informative charts in his post that goes a long way to help visualize the numerical reality of who is bicycling in America. Most notable is the pie chart above that goes far to disprove the false notion that most cyclists are "rich, yuppie elitists." In fact, that is far from the truth with the poorest making up the largest portion of cyclists but with people of all economic fortunes almost equally represtend.

The data for Da Place's article comes from a new report from our very own John Pucher of Rutgers University and his protegee Ralph Beuhler who is now at Virgina Tech. The report title "Analysis of Bicycling Trends and Policies in Large North American Cities," take a look at trends in number of large American cities and takes special focus on New York City highlighting its achievements as well as its failures.

I highly advise that you take a look at both De Place's short blog post and Pucher and Beuhler's report.

This Sunday - Branchbrook Park Cherry Blossom Bike Tour!

2011-04-04T20:24:00.000-04:00

Sorry that WalkBikeJersey has been quite for a while. I was living the dream that is walking and bicycling in Germany for the past two weeks while visiting my great family over there. I thought I would blog a little. I even brought my laptop. But it was a futile effort. The bike riding I did in Southern Germany was otherworldly (glass smooth streets with no motor traffic, beautiful small farm villages dotted between picturesque forests and fields of green, all with the snow covered Alps as a backdrop and all with perfect weather to boot!). I swear there were several times that I literally smacked myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. And when I wasn't walking or biking through the German countryside, I was either partying or staying up late talking with my family which is, hands down, much better than tapping at a keyboard particularly when it will be at least another 2 years before I get to break bread with them once again.

So anyway, The Brick City Bike Collective is having their Cherry Blossom Bike Tour once again. It looks like the timing for the Cherry Blossoms will be right on schedule as the weather has been cool and the event is a little earlier this year. Last years event was one of the best fun bike rides I attended in all of 2010.

I was hoping that this years event could also be turned into New Jersey's "Tweed Ride" for those that voluntarily wish to play dress-up but my suggestioned was turned down for this year. Well too bad! I'm going to turn this into my own personal Tweed Ride. To find me on Sunday, just look for the the sharply dressed lad on the 3-speed.

Check out BCBC post for more details about the event and directions on how to get there. And for a taste of the event, check out this video short from the good folks at StreetFilms that attended last years event.

FHWA clarifies status of on-road bicycle treatments

2011-03-16T12:38:00.000-04:00

This just came in from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals listserve from Bill Schultheiss at the Toole Design Group. I've just copied most of his message here since it does as good a job as any in summarizing the FHWA fact sheet:

Federal Highway has just developed a very helpful resource page that summarizes which bicycle facility traffic control devices (Bike Signals, bike boxes, etc) are permitted in the MUTCD. For those devices which are not in the MUTCD, they have listed which devices are currently being researched and are considered experimental devices requiring approval for use.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/mutcd_bike.htm

The Bicycle Technical Committee (BTC) of the National Committee for Uniform Traffic Control Devices is presently developing proposals for the use of color, bicycle boxes, bicycle signals, priority shared lane markings, door zone markings. For further information on the BTC please see the following link:

http://members.cox.net/ncutcdbtc/

Op-Ed: Shouldn’t bicycle planning and facility design experts at least ride bikes?

2011-03-14T12:30:00.000-04:00

When I go around New Jersey talking about the importance of advocating for better bicycle amenities I’m often told by other bicyclists that they are frustrated, fed up and don’t bother even trying anymore. These bicyclists often complain that when they have petitioned for facilities in the past, if something was built, it was entirely unsuited to their needs. The typical complaint I hear is, “Why bother?!?! If something actually does get built, it will just get designed by someone who has obviously never even ridden a bike!” (I’ve honestly heard close to this exact complaint from several cyclists.)

While I can say with confidence that things are indeed changing for the better here in New Jersey, the unfortunate reality is that these bicyclists’ frustrations are well founded and their misgivings are all too often manifested in the concrete, asphalt, paint and steel of many of the facilities designed for bicycle use around the State. And while the professionals that plan and design these facilities may be very well intentioned and completely sold on the idea and wisdom of accommodating bicyclists, the reality remains that if the expert is not an experienced bicyclist themselves, they may continue to be blind to the potential hazards unintentionally incorporated into their designs and plans.

So I propose a theoretical test for anyone in charge of planning and/or designing bicycle facilities. This test would even be helpful for those in charge of awarding grant funds for bicycle facilities, as they would be more capable of critically evaluating the merits of a project and its usefulness for cyclists. I admittedly set the bar pretty high but that’s the point. If a candidate could pass this test then I would have unquestioning confidence with their professional opinions relative to proposed bicycle facilities. So beyond the candidate’s relative professional and academic achievements (degrees / experience in engineering, planning, etc.) the candidate would need to pass the following requirements to be a qualified bicycle planning and facility design expert. Those are:

Mandatory competences –

1. Theoretical and practical mastery of Smart Cycling as taught by the League of American Cyclists

A comprehensive, firsthand understanding of the hazards cyclists face while interacting with motor vehicle traffic would help prevent the design and construction of undesirable if not unsafe facilities. The candidate would have to demonstrate his/her proficiency with Smart Cycling in both a written format and while riding a bike. The on-bike proficiency must be demonstrated with ease and confidence under all but the most extreme traffic conditions. One does not need to be a League Certified Instructor to show competence in this requirement but it would indeed be a bonus. This requirement does not preclude the expert from approving facilities that do not attempt to exactly replicate Smart Cycling techniques in their profession practice.

2. Practical experience riding a bike for transportation purposes

A bicyclist riding for transportation will frequently seek a route that is the most direct. However, the bicyclist will often have to balance the need for a direct route verses the desire for a route that provides the best level of comfort and safety from motor vehicle traffic. Since most funding sources for bicycle facilities are often based on the premise that people will use their bicycles on these facilities to replace trips that would otherwise require the use of a motor vehicle (private and/or public), having firsthand experience bicycling for transportation would naturally help to make the best use of limited bicycle amenity funding. And by default, having used a bicycle for transportation the candidate would have a better understanding of the practical and proper placement of secure and situational appropriate bicycle parking. The candidate must show competence in using a bicycle for transportation over a minimum one-way distance of ten miles.

3. Experience riding a bicycle in rural, suburban and urban environments

Understanding that the needs of cyclists differ depending on the local environment is critical to providing site appropriate bicycle amenities. For example, barrier-protected bicycle lanes might be highly desirable to provide a comfortable bicycling environment on an urban arterial with heavy traffic volumes but would likely be totally inappropriate elsewhere. Understanding these needs would prevent the construction of inappropriate facilities and also help to wisely disseminate scarce bicycle amenity funding.

4. Experience and confidence riding a bicycle at speeds in excess of 25mph

Such experience would allow the expert to fully comprehend the needs of cyclists comfortable with operating a bicycle at higher speeds. Experience in operating a bicycle at such speeds also brings with it an understanding of a bicyclist’s strong desire to conserve hard earned momentum. Such an understanding could help prevent the design of slow speed facilities in downhill situations and/or the repeated close placement of stops signs on a bicycle facility in all but the most necessary circumstances.

5. Experience riding a bicycle at slow speeds (<12mph) in heavy traffic

Just as some casual bicyclists are completely unfamiliar with the needs of bicyclists who travel at high speeds (averaging >15mph), others who approach bicycling strictly as a high paced and sometimes competitive sport are often equally unaware of how bicycling at slower speeds can completely change the riding experience on a given stretch of road under otherwise identical traffic conditions. The candidate must understand that riding a bicycle at slow speeds can actually make bicycling more dangerous and more stressful, independent of the individual bicyclist’s experience and comfort in traffic. First, bicycling at slow speeds increases the total number motor vehicles that will overtake the slow bicyclist versus that of a fast bicyclist over a given distance. Second, on top of increasing the number of passing motor vehicles, those that do overtaking the slow bicyclist will do so at a higher relative speed, making each pass more stressful and potentially more dangerous. Third and finally, when bicycling at slower speeds it is much more difficult and stressful to take a lane when needed. By contrast the fast bicyclist can interact with traffic more easily, by being able to take a lane for a shorter period of time and with minimal interruption to the velocity of motor vehicle traffic. By understanding that riding a bicycle at slow speeds can actually be more stressful than riding fast, in certain instances, the expert would be better able to identify the needs of slow (often new) bicyclists while also considering the needs of fast bicyclists.

6. Experience riding a bicycle at night

Riding a bicycle at night is a unique experience that poses different challenges and potential dangers. Nighttime is also when a large percentage of bicycle crashes happen with motor vehicles with many of those resulting in fatal injuries to the bicyclist. Having experience riding at night would allow the expert to understand that a facility that may seem to work well during the day could pose significant hazards to bicyclists when used at night.

Elective Competences – (must show proficiency in at least two of the following)

1. Club / Competitive road bicycling

Many persons who readily identify themselves as bicyclists ride in bicycle clubs and/or ride bicycles competitively on the road. They also make up a large portion (if not a majority) of bicycle advocates. Having a firsthand understanding of their requirements would be a highly desirable so the expert could better satisfy their needs. Having ridden in a group and drafted other bicyclists is the critical part of this requirement.

2. Bicycle/Transit integration

Having firsthand experience using a bicycle with mass transit is critical to understanding the detailed needs of persons who wish to use a bicycle with mass transit. The candidate should be familiar with the both needs of bicyclists who use a bicycle just to access a transit station and those that also wish to take a bicycle with them on the transit vehicle. Better bicycle/transit integration has the potential to open up a whole host of possibilities for bicyclists while providing a new source of riders and revenue for transit agencies.

3. Riding with children

One could argue that this should be a mandatory requirement. Understanding the needs of child bicyclists is critical in providing proper bicycle accommodation on select facilities. Bicycle facilities where children are likely, or ones where bicyclists have must use a certain route to reach major, vacation or other family-friendly destinations must consider the needs of child bicyclists. A prime example of the later would be bicycle access to certain critical bridges. These facilities should be made comfortable for children as young as age 10 with adult supervision. This experience is also critical when working on Safe Routes to School bicycle projects.

4. Bicycle touring (preferably unsupported)

Bicycle tourists have many requirements uniquely different from that of most other bicyclists. They will often be totally unfamiliar with the area, roads and trails they are riding through, as they are likely visiting for the first and likely only time. As such bicycle tourist might not be aware of the safe scenic route that parallels a dangerous main highway. They can travel in excess of 100 miles in a single day and will have bicycles loaded with gear that can reach 100lbs or more. Bicycle tourists also require access to dinning and overnight accommodations and advanced knowledge of their precise locations. Again, having firsthand experience with bicycle touring would provide the candidate insights into the needs of a unique form of bicycling that is sure to grow as the popularity of bicycling increases overall.

Note – There is no requirement that the expert have experience with mountain biking. This is because mountain bikers themselves build most mountain biking amenities. There is often little need to bring in an outside expert to plan such facilities. And since these facilities rarely serve a transportation function, they are not usually eligible for transportation funding nor are they put through the same stringent vetting process as other bicycle facilities (yes, I am aware that some people do include sections of mountain bike trail on their commutes to and from work).

In closing, it should be noted that many bicycle planning experts in New Jersey already meet most if not all of the above requirements. Often, the frustrations bicyclists have with some bicycle amenities are due to compromises professional bicycle planning experts have to make with elected officials, other bureaucrats and members of the public others who don’t quite understand the needs of bicyclists. In some cases there is even total opposition to building bicycle accommodations that then force severe compromises to an excellent plan, if not complete cancellation of the amenity. It also cannot be forgotten that budget limitations can, and often greatly thwart otherwise excellent plans and ideas. This final issue is probably the greatest enemy of well thought-out bicycle plans and facility designs.

Still, government agencies, consultants and even the bicycle advocates themselves cannot petition, plan and design world class bicycle amenities until they first fully understand and comprehend the needs of bicyclists, which comes best from firsthand experience.

What do you think? Are there any other requirements that bicycle facility design and planning experts need to have to properly evaluate and design bicycle amenities?