The WWBPA’s mission is “To promote bicycling and walking in West Windsor Township and neighboring communities,” and this past week we’ve worked with residents of Plainsboro and Hopewell Boro to encourage them to become more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.
On February 1, WWBPA trustees met with Plainsboro residents, a township official and interested WWBPA members at the Plainsboro Library to discuss the issues. Topics included biking on the road vs. paths, the upcoming closings of the Rt 1 circle at Washington and the jughandle at Harrison, bike commuters to the Forrestal campus, biking and walking connections to West Windsor on the PSE&G right of way and Cranbury Road, biking and walking to school and many others. Various ideas were presented on how best to encourage biking and walking, including a having a bike rodeo at the annual Founders Day event and organizing a community bike ride.
On February 6 at the Hopewell Borough Council meeting, a resident advocate invited bicyclists from the area to support bike lanes on CR 518. A dozen bicyclists, including a WWBPA trustee and 2 members, showed up to support? the bike lanes as well as a Complete Streets resolution for the borough and for Mercer County. Representatives from New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition,? Princeton Free Wheelers, Lawrence Hopewell Trail, New Jersey Bike Exchange and the Battle Against Hunger Ride also spoke in support. We hope to see Hopewell Borough adopt the next Complete Streets resolution in Mercer County!
Tags: Battle Against Hunger Ride, Complete Streets, Hopewell, Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, Mercer County, New Jersey Bike Exchange, New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition, Plainsboro, Princeton Free Wheelers
Glad to hear you’re walking, Joe. Plainsboro has been persistent about building multi-use trails for many years, but connectivity is still an issue. The usual mechanism is to require developers to build the trails as part of a nearby development, so if there hasn’t been development there… Let us know which specific connections you’re interested in, and we can help communicate with municipal officials, or identify which agency has jurisdiction over that particular space.
I just started walking. The many paved trails and paths I say was definitely one of the attractions to Plainsboro. Now that I live here and have had a change to try out some of the trails and do some walking I’m surprised and a little upset that so many paths and sidewalks go on for a ways … then just disappear, possibly showing up again half a mile down the road. Would it be possible to connect a few trails together a little bit better. That would encourage more walking. More working water fountains on the public lands would be nice too.
Bicycling … ugh! I think the people who try to bicycle on the trails and bike paths, and especially the ‘bicycle lanes’ take their life into their hands. The bicycle lanes are especially dangerous. Like the sidewalks and walking trails they often just disappear or become so narrow and debris strewn that they might as well disappear. Most of the car drivers seem like they each have two cell phones going, one at each ear and they’re always late late late to wherever they’re going. I wouldn’t trust my life to them riding a bicycle. Many of the cyclists seem almost as obvious and discourteous to the car drivers the way that they ride two, three and four abreast on the roads.
BTW,
I just looked at the NJDOT website for Penns Neck and the only document there is just the preliminary investigation with several proposed alignments. Nothing on a decided preferred alternative or if the project is moving froward or a timetable.
Andy
Andy, apologies for the terse description of the Rt 1 closings – only the jughandle-like parts of the circle will be closed off at Washington. Cars and bikes will still be able to cross Rt 1 east and west at Washington. Rt 1 traffic northbound will not be able to turn left into Princeton, and Rt 1 southbound will not be able to turn left into Princeton Jct. Right turns will be allowed. There’s a full description at http://westwindsornj.org/
Jerry
Huh?!?! What?!?!
The upcoming closing of Washington at Rt 1? How the hell am I to get to Pricenton Junction from Princeton on my bike?!?! I use this all the time and I live all the way up in North Brunswick! Alexander is a meatgrinder particularly at the bridge over Rt 1 and east of there. I’ve seen the proposals to deal with the traffic mess at Penns Neck but heard nothing about it moving forward. Sorry but closing Washington at Rt 1 is not an option for cyclists even if its only during construction.
More info please!!