Farewell Quick Release Bill

The end of the 2006 - 2007 Legislative Session on January 7 marked the demise of the dreaded Quick Release Bill. It remains to be seen if Rep. Paul "Can You Believe It" Moriarity tries to reintroduce the bill in the 2008 session, but the outcry of bicyclists and the bicycle industry assures that this bill will not be sneak through the Assembly as it did in 2007.

In response to the bill bicycling interests came together in the state as they never have done before, it's now our turn to keep the momentum going. If you live in NJ we urge you to support WALKBIKEjersey. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is sponsoring the fledgling organization and we are accepting tax deductable donations on its behalf. It's important to follow these instructions to make sure your donation goes to WALKBIKEjersey.

No Movement on the Quick Release Bill - S2837

Here is the December 13, 2007 status for the Senate version of the Quick Release Bill


Identical Bill Number: A2686 (2R) Weinberg, Loretta as Primary Sponsor

6/21/2007 Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee
Introduced - 3 pages
PDF Format
HTML Format

12 Year Old Killed by Automobile in Pleasantville

From 6 ABC in Philadelphia

PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. - October 21, 2007 - A 12-year-old girl was struck by a car and killed while riding her bicycle on Sunday.

The accident happened on the 11-hundred block of South Main Street in Pleasantville, New Jersey.

Police said 37-year-old Joel Zafra was behind the wheel of the Honda Civic that hit the girl just before 3:45 p.m.

She was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries. Her name was not immediately released.

Zafra was charged with Christopher's Law for driving with a suspended license and not having a license at all.

He was held on $50,000 cash bail at the Atlantic County Jail.

(Copyright 2007 by Action News and 6abc. All Rights Reserved.)

NJDOT Announces Safe Route to School Grants

NJDOT awards $4.15 million in Safe Routes to School grants

Grants will improve pedestrian safety through engineering and education

(Trenton) - Highlighting the importance of pedestrian safety, Commissioner Kris Kolluri today announced that the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will award $4.15 million in Safe Routes to School grants to 29 communities.

“The Fiscal Year 2007 Safe Routes to School Grants represent significant progress in Governor Corzine’s statewide pedestrian safety initiative,” said Commissioner Kolluri. “By addressing the needs of municipalities, NJDOT can improve road safety for all pedestrians, and especially schoolchildren.”

The initiative, created in 2006 as an effort to encourage New Jersey’s children to walk and bike to school, will provide local governments funds ranging from $7,500 to $337,000 for projects including the creation of safer walkways, bikeways and street crossings near schools.

The grants may be used for a variety of pedestrian safety improvements near schools. Infrastructure improvement projects to be funded through the program include the construction of sidewalks, the improvement of existing sidewalks, the installation of new crosswalks and school-zone markings and the installation of new speed-limit signs. The grants may also be used for educational and promotional pedestrian safety projects such as “Walk to School” days, public outreach and awareness programs and bike rodeos.

The goal of New Jersey's Safe Routes to School Program is to assist communities in developing and implementing projects and interactive programs that encourage walking and bicycling to school while enhancing the safety of these trips. The program increases pedestrian safety awareness among motorists and schoolchildren. Safe Routes to School also helps the environment by easing traffic jams and curbing air pollution. In addition, Safe Routes to School can improve pediatric health by providing regular physical activity.

Governor Jon S. Corzine last year created a five-year, $74 million initiative to improve pedestrian safety throughout New Jersey by encouraging motorists share the road with pedestrians through engineering, education and enforcement. The initiative includes $15 million over five years for the Safe Routes to Schools program.

The NJDOT Safe Routes to School program is part of a national program conducted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Through the 2005 passage of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Congress designated a total of $612 million toward developing the National Safe Routes to School Program.

FY 2007 Safe Routes to School Grant Awardees

Brigantine City, Atlantic County $90,000
Garfield City, Bergen County $18,000
Tenafly Borough, Bergen County $39,600
Allendale Borough, Bergen County $250,000
Ridgewood Village, Bergen County $158,000
Burlington City, Burlington County $280,000
Somerdale Borough, Camden County $13,150
Haddonfield Borough, Camden County $200,000
Oaklyn Borough, Camden County $36,350
North Wildwood City, Cape May County $24,500
South Orange Village, Essex County $10,000
Bloomfield Township, Essex County $55,000
Pittman Borough, Gloucester County $120,000
Hopewell Township, Mercer County $14,000
Dunellen Borough, Middlesex County $78,000
Neptune Township, Monmouth County $269,000
Netcong Borough, Morris County $150,000
Brick Township, Ocean County $190,000
Berandsville Borough, Somerset County $7,500
Somerville Borough, Somerset County $250,000
Newton Town, Sussex County $265,000
Roselle Borough, Union County $250,000
Cranford Township, Union County $90,000
Westfield Town, Union County $36,000
Greenwich Township, Warren County $150,000

FY 2007 Safe Routes to School Pilot Programs

Lumberton Township, Burlington County $226,000
Montclair Township, Essex County $324,000
Jamesburg Borough, Middlesex County $227,760
Wharton Borough, Morris County $337,000

Quick Release Bill Update

According to an article in the Herald News, It looks like the vote in the State Senate will occur after the November Election.

Quick Release Bill Language

The Quick Release bill is back and it has passed the State Assembly.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A3000/2686_R2.PDF

[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 2686

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

212th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 27, 2006

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman PAUL D. MORIARTY

District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblyman DAVID R. MAYER

District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblywoman JOAN M. VOSS

District 38 (Bergen)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Gusciora and Bramnick

SYNOPSIS

Prohibits sale of certain bicycles with quick release wheels.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As reported by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee on October 19, 2006, with amendments.

An Act the prohibiting the sale of certain bicycles with quick release wheels and supplementing P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that:

Children riding bicycles with quick release wheels have been involved in over 100 accidents;

Many of the children involved in these accidents have suffered injuries, including permanent scarring, disfigurement, major bone and dental trauma, severe scraping and bruising, brain injury, and ruptured internal organs;

²[Multiple bicycle manufacturers have recalled their quick release mechanisms due to failure of the mechanism; and]²

The danger to children caused by bicycles with quick release wheels is unacceptable in light of the fact that safer alternatives exist ²; and

Furthermore, advances in quick release technology make it right and proper that the new mechanisms—which are less prone to assembler and user error—be used in place of the old².

It is, therefore, altogether fitting and proper that the State regulate the sale of bicycles with quick release wheels to stem the rash of senseless injuries to children resulting from their use.

2. a. It shall be an unlawful practice for any person to sell a bicycle ¹[intended for use by children] with a ²front² wheel diameter of 20 inches or less,¹ which is equipped with a quick release wheel ², exclusive of specialty adult bicycles² .

b. For the purposes of ¹[this act] P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)^{1 2}[,] :

(1)² "quick release wheel" means ²[a] any bicycle front² wheel which does not require the use of any tools ²[to be removed from the bicycle.

A wheel which:

(1) is equipped with, or has been retrofitted with, a mechanism designed to hold the wheel in place in an emergency, including but not limited to a retainer clip; or

(2) requires significant level of dexterity to remove, so as to reasonably prevent removal by a child,

shall not be construed to be a “quick release wheel” for the purposes of ¹[this act] P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)¹] for wheel removal;

(2) “primary retention device” means a device that keeps the bicycle wheel connected to the bicycle for riding; and

(3) “secondary retention device” means a device that retains the bicycle wheel in the bicycle fork when the primary retention device is disengaged.

c. (1) It shall be an unlawful practice for any person to sell a bicycle which is equipped with a quick release wheel if:

(a) the front wheel diameter is greater than 20 inches; or

(b) it is a specialty adult bicycle with a front wheel diameter of 20 inches or less.

(2) The sale of a bicycle which meets the following conditions shall not be considered an unlawful practice under paragraph (1) of this subsection:

(a) The quick release wheel is equipped with both a primary and a secondary retention device; and

(b) The secondary retention device conforms to the following performance specifications:

(i) The secondary retention device activates automatically when the wheel is placed in the fork dropouts;

(ii) The secondary retention device does not disengage for wheel removal unless it is actively held in the disengaged position by the user during wheel removal;

(iii) The secondary retention device, regardless of the method of manual operation by the user, always prevents wheel separation while the bicycle is ridden; and

(iv) During all states of fastening and unfastening of the primary retention device, the secondary retention device, in a hands-off condition, does not allow the wheel to separate from the fork².

3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month after enactment.

Monmouth HeritageTrail/Henry Hudson Bikeway Map

Includes a low traffic detour that avoids Route 79 to connect the southern and Central sections. Route courtesy of the Bicycle Hub

Monmouth Heritage Trail

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com