The West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance is organizing its third annual Walk to the Farmers’ Market on Saturday May 5 to mark the opening of the market for the season.
This free family-friendly walk is open to people of all ages, and those in wheelchairs and strollers as well. We will meet in the Maurice Hawk School parking lot at the back of the school, and start strolling at 9 a.m.; please arrive by 8:50 a.m. so we can leave on time.? Our mile-long route will take us to Berrien Avenue on the school path, and then down Berrien to Alexander Road.? We will then cross Alexander Road by the Arts Center and turn left onto the new sidewalk constructed last summer with the help of a Safe Routes to Transit grant obtained by West Windsor Township.? We will cross Wallace Road and continue up over the roundabout and along more of the sidewalk along Alexander Road,? including a key portion installed last year, to Vaughn Drive, where we will turn right and proceed to the Farmers’ Market.
Children of all ages will be challenged by a game of “I Spy” along the way.
We’ll follow a different route back to the Hawk parking lot for those who are interested.
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Mercer County’s Board of Chosen Freeholders, the legislative branch of Mercer County, adopted a resolution supporting a Complete Streets policy on Thursday, April 26, 2012. Mercer now joins Monmouth County as the only two counties in the state to adopt Complete Streets, which requires roadway projects to support all users, including bicyclists and pedestrians, by default rather than by exception. We thank the Freeholders for their support, and look forward to our county roads becoming more bicycle and pedestrian friendly!
Realistically, infrastructure projects are very long term in their planning and implementation, so with consistent and persistent application, we should see results after several years, while a complete transformation may take decades. We look forward to working with the county planners and engineers to make our county the best place in the state to live and work.
Essex County also ad0ppted a Complete Streets policy, but we’re glad to say that Mercer was only 2 days behind!
So your child knows to how to bike but needs some extra safety skills? As part of Plainsboro?s Founders Day celebration, the township?s recreation department is sponsoring a free ?bicycling skills 123? class on Sunday, May 6 for kids up to age 10. Instructors certified by the League of American Bicyclists will teach them about cycling safety and responsible riding.
Participants will learn about and practice stopping, proper signaling, and other aspects of basic traffic safety. They will also ride in a “chaos box” to demonstrate the importance of following the rules of the road.
Come with a bike and helmet to the municipal grounds between 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The WWBPA is delighted to support the event.
Can’t make it? BikeFest will include a “bike rodeo” where kids can practice their skills.
Adults can take a more intensive traffic skills class through the West Windsor Recreation Department.
If you feel confident about your bike-handling skills but haven’t yet mustered up the courage to try road riding, this class is for you! WWBPA member and League of American Bicyclists’ certified instructor Les Leathem will teach a Traffic Skills 101 course at the Senior Center on Friday May 11 and Saturday May 12.
WWBPA members who complete the course will be reimbursed $25, and the first five members who write us an account of your experience taking the course will be reimbursed an additional $25!
Please see the West Windsor Recreation Division web site for course details.
The WWBPA is once again supporting a “Ride of Silence” in West Windsor as part of our National Bike Month activities. This is an annual international event to honor those cyclists killed or injured on the roads and to raise awareness among motorists that we are on the road. We will leave the West Windsor Municipal Center at 7 pm on Wednesday, May 16 for a slow, silent, one-hour, 10-12-mile ride through town. We will remain as a group, slowing down as needed.
You must wear a helmet! Think about ways to make yourself visible to motorists.
The ride is free; please bring a friend. (Also bring water, ID, spare tube and anything else you think you might need).
Please arrive for the ride at least 15 minutes early.
Mercer County Freeholders discussed adopting a Complete Streets policy April 10, supported by over 15 residents from across the county. Freeholder Andrew Koontz of Princeton drafted a resolution for consideration, and a lively discussion ensued. Please join us at the April 24 Freeholders meeting to support Complete Streets!
WWBPA trustees Jerry Foster, Alison Miller and Daryl McMillan spoke during public comments, as did Jeff Laurenti (pictured) of the Trenton Cycling Revolution, Patricia Van Hise of Hamilton and President of the Princeton Free Wheelers bike club, John Stevenson of Hopewell Township and Diane Ciccone, former West Windsor Township Council and current WWBPA member. We were supported by other WWBPA trustees, members and residents from Trenton, Lawrence, Princeton and West Windsor. Thanks to everyone who showed up!
Please join us Tuesday April 24 at 6:30pm at the McDade County Building in Trenton to witness Mercer County becoming the 2nd county in New Jersey to adopt Complete Streets. Essex County is also considering a Complete Streets policy, so with luck we can be first.
Please contact our officials to show your support if you can’t make it to the meeting!
Not everyone learns to ride a bicycle as a child. But it?s never too late to learn and join your family on their outings. The West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance is holding a special ?learn to bike? class for adults of all ages (as well as mature teens) on Sunday April 29. We will use the same pedal-free balance technique that works so well in our ?learn to bike? classes for children. The class will be held between 10 a.m. and noon in the Vaughn Drive parking lot off Alexander Road (by the Princeton Junction train station) and is free.
Most people learn to ride their bikes while taking the class, but even if they don?t, they leave with an easy, crash-free, and low-stress way to teach themselves to ride. You can read about a Bike New York class here (they taught us!)
Just bring a bike and helmet. You must be able to rest your feet flat on the ground while sitting on the bicycle seat. If you don?t have a bike, please tell us so we can make arrangements. No helmet? The WWBPA sells them for just $10.
This is a small class and participants must pre-register via [email protected]
This is not a class for those who know how to bike but want to become more confident cyclists. The West Windsor Recreation Department is offering a class for you in May called Traffic Skills 101. The WWBPA will offer a ?learn to bike? class for kids in June. Watch for details.
Claim your spot (and T-shirt) at BikeFest, West Windsor’s big one-day bike extravaganza!
The ninth annual BikeFest is set for May 26 (Saturday of Memorial Day weekend; rain date is Sunday) and includes the usual five route options, from the 1.5-mile loop within Community Park for young kids to the 40-mile route for experienced cyclists. Registration is open; just download the form and mail your check or drop it off at the West Windsor Recreation Department.
BikeFest includes a “bike rodeo” to help younger cyclists learn safe riding skills.
The WWBPA isn’t the organizer of BikeFest; that is Dan Gerstenhaber and his team. But many trustees and student advisors will be there as volunteers, and we’ll also have a table with plenty of materials. So stop for a chat after your ride.
The WWBPA awards scholarships of up to $500 per student? to graduating seniors for their commitment to the community and their efforts to help make the area more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. This year’s application deadline is May 6.
Applicants must be seniors and residents of West Windsor or Plainsboro and attend West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North or South, or be West Windsor residents who attend another area private school or are home-schooled, and must complete their high school education by June 2012.
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The WWBPA is pleased to support a free road safety class for kids, put on by West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South’s Red Cross Club.
“Red Light Green Light” is a fun event for kids grades K-3 that will teach them that pedestrian safety is more than just a quick look left and right before stepping into the road. A mock roadway is just one of the ways kids will get hands-on experience!
The class will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, April 10–a perfect activity for the middle of spring break. The class is limited to the first 35 kids, and parents must register their child by April 7 at [email protected].
As part of the store’s expansion, bike racks were recently installed in front of Trader Joe’s grocery store. Now it’s even easier to bike to the grocery store! If you’re heading to Trader Joe’s from east of Route 1, there’s a nice short cut from New Meadow Road along the old roadway alignment that’s traffic-free until you get to the apartment complex. It even saves you a traffic light and the short hill.
Monthly meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month via Zoom. We will eventually resume meeting in the West Windsor Municipal Building. Email us at [email protected] if you would like the Zoom code.
Find us at the West Windsor Farmers Market (Vaughn Drive parking lot) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every other Saturday from May through Halloween.
The West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance is organizing its third annual Walk to the Farmers’ Market on Saturday May 5 to mark the opening of the market for the season.
Mercer County’s Board of Chosen Freeholders, the legislative branch of Mercer County, adopted a resolution supporting a Complete Streets policy on Thursday, April 26, 2012. Mercer now joins Monmouth County as the only two counties in the state to adopt Complete Streets, which requires roadway projects to support all users, including bicyclists and pedestrians, by default rather than by exception. We thank the Freeholders for their support, and look forward to our county roads becoming more bicycle and pedestrian friendly!
If you feel confident about your bike-handling skills but haven’t yet mustered up the courage to try road riding, this class is for you! WWBPA member and League of American Bicyclists’ certified instructor Les Leathem will teach a Traffic Skills 101 course at the Senior Center on Friday May 11 and Saturday May 12.
Mercer County Freeholders discussed adopting a 
As part of the store’s expansion, bike racks were recently installed in front of Trader Joe’s grocery store. Now it’s even easier to bike to the grocery store! If you’re heading to Trader Joe’s from east of Route 1, there’s a nice short cut from New Meadow Road along the old roadway alignment that’s traffic-free until you get to the apartment complex. It even saves you a traffic light and the short hill.