The Jersey Shore's most bike friendly resort town continues to move forward, according to an August 18th
article in the Ocean City Patch. Three projects on the short term improvements list include:
- A signed bike route on the north end of Ocean City from the Longport Bridge to Battersea Rd.
- A HAWK signal that will assist bicyclists and pedestrians cross 9th Avenue to allow north end residents and visitors better access to the Route 52 Causeway and the Haven Avenue Bicycle Boulevard
- Buffered bike lanes or cycletrack on West Avenue on the south end of the city to connect with Haven Ave. This would be completed when Cape May County resurfaces the road.
Recent discussions between City officials and bicycle advocates suggest that buffered bike lanes on each side of West Avenue may be an option. West Ave currently has
hybrid bike/parking lanes, which can be problematic during the summer. Buffered bike lanes on West Avenue would require a four lane to three lane road diet.
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5 comments:
While I very much support cycling infrastructure, all too often it's done poorly. The first graphic looks good, but the hybrid bike/parking lane is obviously a bad idea. And, regarding the two-way bike path, I submit
this video of one in DC (granted, car traffic in DC is probably much worse, but the conflicts and safety issues are the same:
I am wondering if you have recommendations for other towns on the shore that are bike friendly? Do people ride bikes for transportation in shore towns or is it mostly tourists out for a scenic ride?
Emily,
People sure do use their bikes for real trips "down the shore" because car parking is impossible, trip distances are short AND its just a lot of fun! Most shore communities have amazing potential for developing bicycle infrastructure as they are very dense, built on a grid system and very often have overly wide main streets with excessive motor vehicle capacity. What town are you thinking of?
Andrew, Good point about parking! We have been going to Ocean Grove and bike there and feel good about it. But I wondered about other towns. We have friends in Spring Lake who say that everyone is always so shocked that they walk and bike around town. Love your blog!
Emily
Ahh yes, Spring Lake. Big beautiful houses on big lots with lots of off-steet parking which leaves for lots of on-street parking. I often park my car there when going for a bike ride down the shore as parking is plentiful and free and even shaded. With lots of available car parking in town, it makes it easy to drive so people do.
BUT riding in Spring Lake is still very easy as there are plenty of quite side streets that connect to practical destinations. No cul-de-sac nightmare there! Plus with the beautiful shade trees and lovely older homes Spring Lake is simply an ideal place to rie a bike even without a single bikelane.
I'm also a big fan of Ocean Grove and go there often. I will typically park my car right on Main Ave on the west side of town where parking is pleantiful, under the shade of a nice tree and take my bike out and ride around and ultimately end up on the beach. Main Ave could use a bike lane howeverbut the layout with concrete on the travel lanes and asphalt on the parking area would have to be redone as the joint between the two surfaces is a hazard.
There is SO much potential at New Jersey's shore communities for cycling that many people already ride, often despite that lack of any bicycle specific infrastructure. A visit to almost any beach access on a sunnu July day will be loaded with haphazardly parked bikes (beacuse there's no real bike parking, of course).
That's it. John and I are glad you like the blog. Say "Hi" to Kerry at Second Life Bikes for me!
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