Friday, July 2 by sandy
Summer brings out bicyclists as well as bicycle thieves. Remember to lock your bikes securely.
The New York Times reports an increase in bicycle thefts, but the article also notes ways to track bikes and thieves.
For more ways to keep your bicycle safe and tips on what makes for a good (or bad) technique when locking your bike, see our Bike Racks and Lockers page.
Remember to register your bike online with the West Windsor Police Department. If it is stolen, having the serial number on file makes identification easier if it is recovered.
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Posted in BIke Locks, Bike Racks, Bikeability |
Saturday, April 24 by silvia
These bike lockers are getting a new home
We are moving closer to adding more bicycle racks and lockers at the Princeton Junction train station.
Employees of West Windsor Public Works took down bike lockers that were going unused at the Howell bus station and will install them in the coming weeks at the Princeton Junction train station, where there is a waiting list of people wanting to rent them. They also have bike racks from New Jersey Transit that will be installed on both sides of the Northeast Corridor tracks.
Join the WWBPA, WW Public Works, New Jersey Transit and the other partners on this project — Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, BikeFest and the West Windsor Parking Authority — for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at 8:30 a.m. on May 18. GMTMA is sponsoring a (grab and go) bikers’ breakfast beforehand. Mark National Bike to Work Week May 17-21 by riding your bike to the train station!
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Posted in Bike Racks, Princeton Junction train station |
Monday, March 22 by sandy
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is conducting a quick online survey of bicyclists and non-bicyclists in our region.
Shifting Gears is an outreach program run by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) to help determine bicycle issues and priorities for our region. Shifting Gears seeks input from bicyclists and non-bicyclists through an online survey at www.dvrpc.org/shiftinggears.
The online survey only takes about 5-10 minutes and asks questions about bicycle use, facilities, policy, and information on what would best enhance the cycling environment.
Please go to www.dvrpc.org/shiftinggears and tell them what is on your mind. If you’ve already taken the survey, then tell your friends– don’t keep it to yourself. Bicyclists of any level, as well as non-bicyclists are invited to participate.
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Posted in Advocacy, Bicycle routes, Bicycling Trip, Bike Racks, Bikeability |
Sunday, March 21 by sandy
Kudos to BikeFest, which paid for badly needed bike racks at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, and West Windsor Division of Recreation and Parks for handling the installation earlier this month. Funding came from proceeds from the 2009 BikeFest (and registration is open for BikeFest 2010 on May 29).
The two new racks, in Pirate green and located to protect bikes from the elements, can hold up to 22 bikes at a time. Read more about the racks in the WW-P News.
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Posted in Bike Racks |
Tuesday, December 22 by silvia
Work on a concrete pad for eight bike racks
A number of groups, led by the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance, are funding the installation of additional bike racks and lockers at the Princeton Junction train station to alleviate the overcrowding there. Eight bike racks (room for 16 bikes) will be installed on a concrete pad in the triangle between the Trenton-bound and Dinky tracks, where two concrete pads for racks already exist. Another concrete pad, also for eight racks (16 bikes), will be added to the northbound side along the walkway to the Wallace Road parking lot (and next to bike lockers). Individual lockers for 10 bikes (in five gray containers) will be added along the Dinky tracks where a similar number of lockers already have placed. These should essentially eliminate a two-year waiting list.
The concrete pads were poured just before the snow came this weekend. New Jersey Transit is providing the racks and lockers. West Windsor Public Works is handling the installation, which will happen in early 2010.
The cost for the concrete pads, at just over $6,000, is being shared equally by the WBBPA, BikeFest, the West Windsor Parking Authority and Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, which among other things manages the locker rentals. Those interested in renting a locker should call GMTMA at (609) 452-8988.
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Posted in Bike Racks |
Saturday, November 7 by silvia
Here are some of the articles and videos we’ve enjoyed over the past month.
Who’d have thought that Columbia, Missouri, is becoming one of America’s bike-friendly communities? But this university town of 100,000 is one of four communities that is benefiting from a federal government pilot program that is creating “bike boulevards” and making it easier for residents to walk to local destinations. Its mayor says: “If we could get people to use their bikes or walk on 20% of their short trips, I’d be delighted.” Read more.
But let’s be realistic: Change can take years. On the other hand, it has a way of feeding on itself. Watch this video about Boulder, one of America’s most bike-friendly cities, and how it got to be that way.
For those who want to do more reading on creating bike-friendly communities, the West Windsor library has a copy of Jeff Mapes’ Pedaling Revolution. Read rock icon and cyclist David Byrne’s review.
Several members pointed out the NPR interview with David Byrne, who has a book of his own out. In Bicycle Diaries, he shares the thoughts, adventures and observations he’s experienced while cycling through some of the world’s major cities.
Finally, read about a heavy-duty bike ride from Queens to Princeton.
Send us your reading, listening and viewing suggestions!
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Posted in Bicycling Trip, Bike Racks, Bikeability |
Wednesday, September 16 by silvia
About a dozen bicycles were stolen from the Princeton Junction train station this summer. That’s a small fraction of the 100 or so bikes locked there every day, but still very frustrating for the victims.
How to fight back:
- Use a good lock. Or two. Even the most expensive lock can’t guarantee that your bike won’t be stolen, but thieves prefer easier targets and are less likely to have two types of tools to tackle two types of locks. Cable locks are easier to cut. Combination locks are easy to open.
- Lock your front and rear wheels. Make sure your U-lock is on tight and that the space within it is filled with your frame, spokes and security post, leaving no room for a bottle jack to get in and break it.
- Think about where you lock your bike. A thief can lift your locked bike over a short pole. Use bike racks!
There are many videos online with tips on what makes for a good (or bad) technique when locking your bike. Here are two:
Hal (and Kerri) Grade Your Bike Locking
How to Stop Your Bike from Being Stolen
Remember to register your bike online with the West Windsor Police Department. If it is stolen, having the serial number on file makes identification easier if it is recovered.
Finally, the WWBPA is working with New Jersey Transit and others to add 10 lockers at the station as well as extra bike racks. Let us know your ideas of how to make the train station and other areas around town safer.
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Posted in Bike Racks, Bikeability |
