Outdated Standards are Allowing New Jersey to Avoid Designing Safe Streets for Bicyclists

Last week the New Jersey Department of Transportation announced plans to reduce the travel lanes and create shoulders on Black Horse Pike (Route 168). This will affect a one-mile section in Mt. Ephraim and Haddon Heights between Merchant Street and I-295.

On one hand, this will be a major improvement for bicyclists over the current wretched conditions on Black Horse Pike (many bicyclists used the sidewalk/driveways/parking areas). However, it continues a pattern of NJDOT claiming that shoulders are sufficient infrastructure to make a street bike-friendly and complete street-compliant. They are not. NJDOT is exploiting an outdated standard for bicycle infrastructure, one made further outdated by a 2012 NJ Supreme Court decision involving a bicyclist killed on the shoulder of an Essex County road.


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Making the Suburbs More Bike-Friendly: Forums Coming On June 23

Biking the Suburbs Our next two Biking the Suburbs forums are on Saturday, June 23. Join us for Bike Lanes 101 in the morning and The Circuit: Greater Philadelphia's Regional Trail Network in the afternoon. Event flier here. Montgomery County Bike Lanes 101--10:30 am to 12:30 pm Do you want your community to be bicycle friendly? This forum will cover what to ask for, building local support, securing funds, and getting the attention of your elected officials in order to make it happen. It's free but please register.

Circuit Trail Map The Circuit: Greater Philadelphia's Regional Trail Network--1:00 to 3:00 Our vision: walk out your door and head north or south, east or west, and spend all day traveling on the trails of The Circuit – 750 miles of trail connecting Greater Philadelphia. Learn how to use this vision to ensure your favorite trail gets built and is well maintained. Visit ConnectTheCircuit.org for a preview. It's free but please register.

Forums taking place at: Easttown Library 720 First Avenue,  Berwyn, PA 19312 (Arronson/Kohn Room) Easttown Library is accessible via Septa's Paoli Line to Berwyn Station (SEPTA Schedule) If you come to both forums, we will feed you lunch!

Biking the Suburbs: A Bicycle Conference for Southeast Pennsylvania County Cyclists

If you are a cyclist who lives or works in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery or Bucks counties and wants to become more involved in advocating for improved roads and other facilities that accommodate bicyclists, this event is for you!

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is sponsoring a one day conference on Saturday, February 12th for cyclists to learn more about how to make biking better in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

This conference (9am to 3:30pm) will be held at the Spring Mill Corporate Center in Conshohocken.    Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffle will be the keynote speaker.  The conference will feature sessions with county planners from each of the four counties and issue briefings on topics ranging from chip and tar, the future of the region's trail network to the National Bike Summit.  The agenda is here.

This conference is being generously sponsored by the William Penn Foundation and the Central Bucks Cycling Club.  The meeting location is right next to the Schuylkill River Trail, the Spring Mill transit stop, and valet bike parking will be available.  Lunch will be provided and the event is free, although donations are certainly welcome.  We invite anyone who signs up and isn't already a member of the Bicycle Coalition to join.  Space is limited, so sign up today!


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