Newark/University of Delaware has a new multi-use trail.

The City of Newark officially opened the James Hall Bicycle Trail on Wednesday. The trail runs parallel to the Amtrak tracks between Devon Place and the Delaware Technology Center, which is adjacent to the College Square Shopping Center. The Trail is grade separated from route 72 and South College Avenue, two major barriers in the city. SEPTA's Newark Station has a direct off-road connection to the trail via the South College Ave overpass.

Details on the path are available here.

Tell the Pennsylvania Turpike to build a new bicycle pedestrian crossing over the Delaware River

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is taking public comments on the proposed second span of the PA-NJ Turnpike Bridge. Currently in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) there is no mention of a bike ped crossing.
http://www.paturnpike.com/i95/FEIS/feis_index.htm

Tell the PA Turnpike Commission that a bicycle/pedestrian crossing is a cost effective mitigation of the environmental impact of the turnpike bridge. And that you as a tax and toll paying citizen demand that the Turnpike Bridge serve all modes of transportation.

The public should mail any comments about the FEIS to the following address before the August 15 deadline. Comments must include name, address, and signature.

Jeffrey Davis, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
PA Turnpike/I-95 Interchange Project Office
3220 Tillman Drive, Suite 104
Bensalem, PA 19020-2028

Thanks - taking 10 minutes to write a short letter can go a long way to providing a new bicycle crossing of the Delaware River.

House Appropriations Committee votes down transportation enhancements

On July 24, 2003, the House Appropriations Committee failed to pass an
amendment offered by Congressman John Olver (D-MA) to fully restore
enhancements funding by a vote of 29-33. While this is a setback, it is
not a complete loss. The vote was closer than we expected and sets the
stage for a battle on the House floor when Congress returns from its
August recess.


Click here to take action

URGENT: Enhancements at Risk for FY 2004

The House Transportation Appropriations subcommittee recently eliminated funding for the Enhancements program for fiscal year 2004. A majority of federal funding for bicycling projects comes from these funds. The full Committee is expected to mark-up this measure as early as next week. Please telephone or EMAIL your Member of Congress TODAY!! Ask them to fully restore funding for Enhancements for FY 2004!

Click Here to to take action

Zoning Board Meeting to determine Chestnut St. Parking Garage

The Bicycle Coalition opposes a Chestnut St. curb cut (exit) to a controversial
parking garage being built on 9th and Chestnut. The curb cut will degrade the bike bus lane because cars will have to use it to access Chestnut St. Turning Vehicles are a greater hazard to cyclists than traffic from behind.

The Zoning Hearing, I just read in today's paper, is scheduled for
Wednesday 16 July 2003
12:30 PM
1515 Arch St.
18th floor.

Bicycle Counts at the Jersey Shore

Here are some 15 minute counts of bicycles on the Boardwalk of three Jersey Shore Communities
that I took this morning thanks the webcams at Onthebeach.com/

Wildwood 7:45-8:00am -- 141 bikes
Sea Isle City 8:15 - 8:30am -- 71 bikes
Ocean City 8:40 - 8:55am -- 333 bikes

Sign a Petition for a Pedestrian Bridge over Route 1

An online petition is circulating that would allow a safer bike ped access between Princeton Jct Train Station and the Dand R Canal and ultimately Princeton Borough. The proposal calls for building a bridge over US 1.

Go to the Petition

Transportation Enhancements Announcement for Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania will begin the 2004 round of TE funding. Federal Transit Enhancements funds (nearly $2 million) will be combined with highway Transportation Enhancements funds ($8.3 million), creating a single project selection process (approx. $10 million) for both programs in the Delaware Valley region.

DVRPC's member governments, through the Regional Transportation Committee Pennsylvania subcommittee, and with advice from the Regional Citizens Committee and technical assistance by staff, jointly make the difficult choices involved in creating a list of projects constrained to the available funds. The final list of projects to be funded is expected to be approved by the DVRPC Board in February 2004, and by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Commission in May 2004.

Applications are available online at the PENNDOT website

Applicants are strongly urged to attend one of the three workshops prior to completing the application.


King of Prussia - Thursday, September 4, 2003 - 4:00 to 7:00 PM
Henderson Room
Upper Merion Township Building
175 West Valley Forge Road (PA 23)
King of Prussia, PA 19406

Philadelphia - Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 4:00 to 7:00 PM
Main Conference Room
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (8th Floor)
The Bourse Building - 111 South Independence Mall East
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Media - Friday, September 12, 2003 - 4:00 to 7:00 PM
Room #110 (Across from the Recorder of Deeds)
Delaware County Government Center Building (First Floor)
2nd and Orange Streets
Media, PA 19063

Wash. Twp. officials 'pedal' bike, walking path plan

Friday, July 04, 2003

By Shawn Menzies
smenzies@sjnewsco.com

WASHINGTON TWP. -- Township officials here say a plan to increase public safety by decreasing the amount of bicyclists and pedestrians on local, Gloucester County and state roadways is in the works.

By constructing paths, or bike and walking trails, officials want to connect recreational parks and athletic fields with the help to fund the projects from state grant and not local tax dollars, officials here said.


Mayor Randee Davidson said the primary reasoning for the paths is to make parks and fields in the township more accessible for residents.

"Safety is a huge issue here," Davidson said. "We want people to be able to go to one park and be able to move throughout the park system"

"This came up as an issue because we wanted to get the bike riders and pedestrian traffic off roads near parks and athletic fields like Egg Harbor Road and East Holly Avenue that do not have sidewalks," said Robert Gruber, chief Ranger for the Washington Township Park Service.

Plan so far call for three paths.

One path would be built from near the rear of the James A. Yates Memorial Amphitheater in the Washington Lake Park through woods and into a local parks and recreation field that is only accessible now from East Holly Avenue, officials said.

A second path would then go from the athletic field to Route 47, where across the state highway that has a signal traffic light and pedestrian crossing lanes, is the James G. Atkinson Memorial Park formerly Bethel Mill Park.

A third path that has been proposed would be a 2-mile bike and walking trail from Washington Lake Park through existing greenways in the Heritage Valley Development to Quay Park on Langley Drive.

The total cost projected for all three paths is approximately $524,000.

The cost for the path from the Washington Lake Park to the athletic field is $198,000, of which $150,000 has already been approved for through a grant, officials here said.

The path from the athletic field to Route 47 is estimated at $31,000 and the third path from Washington Lake Park to Quay Park could cost approximately $295,000.

The 468 acre Washington Lake Park, Gruber said, already has 2.5 miles of path trails.

Gruber said no time frame has been set for the overall project to be completed and local officials are awaiting on word on the grants.

"We keep applying for different grants," Gruber said. "Locally, with taxes and all, we really are strapped."

Teens in SUV charged with hitting bicyclists
By DAN P. LEE Staff Writer, The Press of Atlantic City

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP NJ - Police have arrested two teenagers on charges they drove around the township in a sport utility vehicle earlier this week, leaning out a window and striking two bicycle riders with a blunt object.

Both victims - whom police did not identify - suffered injuries but declined medical attention, police said.

According to police, Anthony Rizzo, 18, of Egg Harbor City, and an unidentified 16-year-old township boy approached the two bicycle riders within 10 minutes of each other, shortly after 8 p.m. Monday.

Police said the teens first approached a 29-year-old township man riding his bicycle on Leipzig Avenue. One of the suspects leaned out a window of the vehicle and struck the man in the back with what the man described as a "bat-type object," police said. The vehicle then fled.

Six minutes later, police received a report that a 49-year-old township woman who had been riding her bike in the area of Zurich Avenue and Herschel Street had also been struck on her back. Once again, the vehicle fled.

A description of the vehicle was broadcast, and Richard Stockton College of New Jersey police spotted and stopped a vehicle matching the description at the intersection of Jimmie Leeds Road and First Avenue, police said. A subsequent investigation by two township police officers led to the arrest of the two occupants.

The vehicle, a 1998 Dodge Durango, was impounded by police.

The teens were charged with two counts each of aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon. It was not clear if a bat was recovered.

Rizzo was released on $1,000 bail and the 16-year-old was released to a parent, police said.

Bike Commuting doubles in Center City

According to DVRPC analyzing the US Census data, bicycling has doubled since 1990 in Center City with 3% of the population commuting by bicycle every day. Bicycle commuting in University City stands at 3.8%. The city as whole reports 0.9% while the national average for bicycle commuting is 0.38%

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.

* * *

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