Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News

Wildwood Crest Bike Path to be extended

By Trudi Gilfillian, Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City, June 28, 2003

Wildwood Crest - Many a leisurely bike ride has come to a sudden halt
at Rambler Road, the terminus for the borough's popular beachfront
bike path.

Now, the borough, in conjunction with the state Department of
Transportation, or DOT, hopes to extend the path to give bicyclists
more room to move.

The plan is to stretch the path, built in the mid-1990s, south to
Jefferson Avenue, a distance of about 23 blocks or one mile.

Commissioner Don Cabrera said the state has already committed
$250,000 to the project, and has paid for the design phase. The
borough project is part of a state program designed to help towns that
want to provide bicycle and pedestrian activities.

On Monday, the public is invited to a presentation by DOT
representatives on three alternatives for the rest of the bike trail.

They include creating a bicycle lane in both the northbound and
southbound lanes on Seaview Avenue, making an at-grade pathway on the
beach about 100 feet away from the existing bulkhead, and finally
building a multi-use pathway on an elevated boardwalk along the beach,
located approximately 10 feet away from and level with the bulkhead.

The borough is benefiting from the state's emphasis on bike- related
projects, Cabrera said.

Having the state involved in the early stage of the project, Cabrera
continued, should put the borough in a better position to receive more
funding to actually build the path.

The project, he said, has an estimated cost of about $2 million.

State transportation officials will present an overview of the three
plans with sketches and designs at a meeting with Borough
Commissioners from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday in Borough Hall. Then, a
special public session will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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To email Trudi Gilfillian at The Press: TGilfillian@pressofac.com