Registration is now open for the 15th Annual WW BikeFest on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at West Windsor Community Park coordinated by the West Windsor Recreation Dept. The event includes several ride distance options for the entire family including: 1.5, 7, 11, 20 & 40 miles. Discounted pre-registration by May 11 includes an event t-shirt. Onsite registration is also available.
Post ride party includes lunch and DJ entertainment.
Rain Date Sunday, May 27, 2018. Hope to see you there.
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WWBPA has issued its annual scholarship for June 2018 Graduating Seniors. See the link?https://wwbpa.org/action/scholarships/ for more details and the application due May 1.
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Everyone is invited to attend the WWBPA Annual Membership?Meeting?March 8 @ 7 pm?in the WW Municipal Bldg ? Theme: Vision Zero for Downtown West Windsor/Princeton Junction; Guest Speaker: Aylin Green to discuss Creative Placemaking ? differentiating our town.
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The WWBPA is an all-volunteer nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that cannot endorse or oppose any candidate for political office, but we can ask them questions and report their answers to our members and the public. On October 6, each candidate for West Windsor Twp Council or Mayor was emailed a questionnaire developed by the WWBPA trustees. Thank you to the candidates who responded, here are their responses, in order received (Khamal Khanna, former Council member and Mayoral candidate, and Yingchao Zhang, Council candidate, did not respond).
WWBPA: What are your views on the needs of bicyclists, runners and walkers of all ages living in West Windsor, and what steps would you take to address these needs?
Kristin Epstein (Council candidate): “Interconnections: We have sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and paths that lead to nowhere or have large gaps. I propose creating a comprehensive detailed map of all sidewalks, bicycle lanes, paths, and trails in West Windsor Township and surrounding areas. The map should indicate surface type, width, and types of use (foot only, foot and bike, etc). With such a map, we can target the ?quick fixes? first and then integrate bicycle and pedestrian safety into all planned and proposed construction projects.”
Linda Geevers (Council member and candidate): “I support capital funding and grant applications for bike lanes, off road paths and new sidewalks in order to improve safety and encourage alternate modes of transportation. This promotes a healthier and more sustainable community. I also support the urgent need for additional funding to replace uplifted existing sidewalks due to municipal street trees. It is not only dangerous to walk on many sidewalks, but it is causing residents to walk in the roads.”
Virginia Manzari (Council candidate): “For many years I?ve advocated for sidewalks on Cranbury Road and other neighborhoods at WW Council and County Freeholder meetings. Constructing those sidewalks during the bridge closure would?ve been ideal. The most dangerous section still needs to be addressed. We should ensure we have sidewalks, bike lanes, and multi-use paths to accommodate all residents; crosswalk lights must be more visible; and sidewalks should be repaired so people don?t walk in the road when sidewalks buckle.”
Hemant Marathe (Council member and Mayoral candidate): “Safety is extremely important to me, and I?d like to see West Windsor become a zero-fatality community.? Education for all parties ? pedestrians, runners, bicyclists, and motorists ? is the first step in achieving that goal, and we should all be part of the solution.? West Windsor is a beautiful community, and I am committed to providing ample opportunities for residents to enjoy the amenities that WW has to offer, whether they walk, bike, or drive there.”
Yan Mei Wang (Mayoral candidate):”Our present road infrastructure is suitable for ?brave? bicyclists and runners only, not for residents of all ages and physical conditions. Bicycle lanes and sidewalks are fragmented; sidewalk pavements are lifted, posing a tripping hazard. I will actively seek external funding to connect up our bike lane and sidewalk networks, timely repair damaged sidewalks while selecting appropriate trees for future sidewalks, and protect our bicyclists and runners on the road with physical barriers by introducing protected bike or multi-purpose lanes to West Windsor.”
WWBPA: What are your views on the Route 571 area often referred to as ?Downtown West Windsor??
Kristin Epstein (Council candidate): “?Downtown West Windsor? improvements provide a perfect opportunity to make West Windsor more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. With County assistance, Route 571 needs widening and reconfiguration to be safer and more attractive. For example, the road needs lamp posts to illuminate the walkways and a landscaped pedestrian island to make it easier for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross safely. Additionally, more restaurants with outdoor seating, shops with outdoor displays, and community events would improve the ?hometown? feel of the area.”
Linda Geevers (Council member and candidate): “The township has to work collaboratively with Mercer County and the Alliance towards enhanced safety. Improvements include reviewing speed limits, possible medians, additional lighting for better pedestrian visibility to motorists, crosswalk enhancements and continuous sidewalks on both sides of the road. As new site plans come forth, careful consideration is needed for the entering and exiting of a property. Continuous efforts must also be made to educate drivers on the laws regarding crosswalks.”
Virginia Manzari (Council candidate): “Route 571 is often mentioned as a desired ?downtown,? and I?ve been a leading voice in its rejuvenation and improved safety for a decade. Unfortunately, 571 is a major through-way. As a county road, the speed limit isn?t likely to be lowered, which makes creating a walkable downtown on both sides difficult. We should focus on improving walkability from the train station to Windsor Plaza, Nash Park, Arts Council, High School South, and Cranbury Road.”
Hemant Marathe (Council member and Mayoral candidate): “We must work with the county to better control traffic flow and speed to provide a safe corridor to walk and bike here. It?s challenging, as the needs of drivers must be balanced with the needs of walkers and cyclists ? all of whom are trying to get to stores, the train station, etc.? Several required improvements include consistent lane structure, sidewalks, better street lighting, more visible crosswalk lighting, and better education and signage for drivers.”
Yan Mei Wang (Mayoral candidate): “Downtown should be a destination that can be accessible by residents via convenient, alternative transportation. While the Route 571 area vaguely resembles a downtown and is the embodiment of our anticipation for a downtown, it is not the described downtown, yet. The Wang administration will strive to bring diverse activities and businesses to the area as well as the necessary alternative transportation methods – community shuttle, sidewalk, and bike lane networks and make the Route 571 area our downtown.”
WWBPA: How do you feel about working with schools, police, and the Recreation Department to improve safe walking corridors in heavily used pedestrian areas?
Kristin Epstein (Council candidate): “Schools, police, and the Recreation Department–as well as NJ and Mercer County DOTs, businesses, and residents–must work together to improve pedestrian safety. I?ve spoken with many residents about their neighborhood concerns, especially near the train station and schools. Every neighborhood should be evaluated for improvements–such as ambient lighting, signs, flashing signals, cameras, crossing guards, and speed bumps–to ensure that safety is paramount.”
Linda Geevers (Council member and candidate): “As a Council Member, former School Board Member, Liaison to the Recreation Commission and Alliance Member, I wholeheartedly support working with these groups and to have these groups work collaboratively together. The collective knowledge of everyone?s experiences helps in identifying and prioritizing goals for safety improvements around schools, parks or shopping centers. For implementation, the Capital Budget provides direct funding for safety improvements, grants are identified for specific projects and site plans are carefully reviewed.”
Virginia Manzari (Council candidate): “Each of these groups shares a common goal, and coordination of efforts is the key to success. It begins with education ? making sure each party is aware of and understands the law with regard to crosswalks, right-of-way, etc. Then implement a coordinated effort among all stakeholders to create a long-term traffic plan at each school and other high-traffic areas to improve flow of vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic with safety as the number one goal.”
Hemant Marathe (Council member and Mayoral candidate): “As School Board President I appreciated that WW Township provided crossing guards at each school. We should encourage as many kids to walk to school as we can and provide them with the safest environment in which to walk. The safety aspect will come from educating the public and through tougher enforcement. ?As mayor I will work with schools and police to encourage non-vehicular ways of getting to school, with safety being of utmost importance.”
Yan Mei Wang (Mayoral candidate): “Currently, 1.5% of West Windsor school children walk/bike to school even though at least 10% of our students do not have school bus services; parks are mostly accessed by cars, and many local residents cannot walk safely across the street to parks; and sidewalks near the train station are fragmented. We should (1) apply for grants such as Safe Route to School grants to provide continuous sidewalks around heavily used, or anticipated to be heavily used, areas near schools, (2) implement the Walking School Bus program so children walk, and (3) increase police enforcement on traffic safety violations, such as speeding in heavily used pedestrian areas.”
WWBPA: Now that Canal Pointe Boulevard has been reconfigured, do you think other roads might benefit from a ?Road Diet? or other traffic calming measures?
Kristin Epstein (Council candidate): “The Canal Pointe Boulevard road diet has improved pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist safety without impeding traffic flow. However, each neighborhood is unique, so we must be guided by the experts to design the most effective solution for each road. For example, the parts of South Lane that have no sidewalks or curbs would benefit from road widening and the addition of sidewalk. Bike paths separate from car lanes are ideal. But on roads with width constraints, we could explore asphalt sidewalks that pedestrians and bicyclists could share where bike lanes are infeasible.”
Linda Geevers (Council member and candidate): “Traffic calming measures are needed on Rt. 571 from Clarksville Road to the Wallace Road/Cranbury Road intersection. Additional street lights and sidewalks should be put along both sides of this road to enhance pedestrian safety. The crosswalk at Sherbrooke Drive is very wide and a median should be considered for further safety. Traffic near the Old Bear Brook Road and Alexander Road area will increase due to new development and should be closely monitored too.”
Virginia Manzari (Council candidate): “We should take a proactive approach to safety, and carefully evaluate each roadway on a case-by-case basis, as some options will work on some roads but not others. When a problem is identified, we?ll evaluate options for improvement and choose the best alternative, considering efficient and zero cost options in the form of grants, as well as policing the existing speed limit, additional speed limit signage, lowering speed limits where appropriate, and installing additional lighting.”
Hemant Marathe (Council member and Mayoral candidate): “I?m happy the Road Diet has worked well. One point we should communicate is that bike lanes on CPB are not meant for elementary-aged children to ride unsupervised. I?ve heard of two instances where a child fell in the bike lane, yet unbelievably, cars kept zipping by.? Luckily they weren?t hurt.? I?d consult with experts on which roads would benefit from a road diet, giving weight to the opinions of people directly affected by any changes.”
Yan Mei Wang (Mayoral candidate): “Before the Canal Pointe Boulevard reconfiguration, I heard opposite predictions ? some people thought it would increase congestion, while others thought it would alleviate congestion. After the reconfiguration, I gathered feedback from Canal Pointe residents; most like the road for both its smoothness and its new configuration. The congestion level, however, seems to remain the same. I await safety evaluation to further assert that the ?Road Diet? works in this case. If confirmed, ?Road Diet? can be an effective traffic calming measure in other roads.”
WWBPA: Please include any information about your candidacy, background, or other topic that you would like to share.
Kristin Epstein (Council candidate): “I am an environmentalist by training and practice. I jog and bike throughout West Windsor. When my daughter was young, I could not safely jog her to the Kindercare on Rabbit Hill Road because no sidewalks or trails were nearby. With comprehensive planning and grants, West Windsor can expand the Trolley Line Trail and add new trails through many open space parcels, to provide safe and beautiful routes to parks, schools, and businesses.”
Linda Geevers (Council member and candidate): “The Marathe-Geevers-Manzari ticket has 43 collective years on the Council, Planning Board, Zoning Board and WW-P School Board. Our team is unequivocally opposed to rezoning the Howard Hughes property for residential housing. We will retain an expert Business Development Director to attract and keep high tech firms and next gen startups to provide critical commercial ratables. We will support additional funding for sidewalk and road repairs, new sidewalks, additional street lighting and bike lanes.”
Virginia Manzari (Council candidate): “My son rides his bike just about every day throughout town to stores, parks, and friends? homes, and my husband typically bikes 20-25 miles each weekend day. Both of my kids cross 571 to get to Windsor Plaza. So I spend a lot of time worrying! But since that?s not productive, I also try to find solutions to problems and encourage their implementation. I?ve done this not just in my neighborhood, but throughout WW, too.”
Hemant Marathe (Council member and Mayoral candidate): “As a student at I.I.T. Bombay I used a bicycle to commute to class every day for five years. ?During break I would take the bike home 22 km in Bombay traffic. ?As a parent with four daughters we had six bikes in the garage at one point, and we all enjoyed riding around West Windsor.”
Yan Mei Wang (Mayoral candidate): “I?m the only candidate that has concretely acted towards improving our bicyclists? and pedestrians? lives – by designing the first protected bike lane in NJ and introducing a Walking School Bus program to West Windsor. Therefore, I?ll be the only candidate to bring her bicycle/pedestrian campaign platform into reality if elected mayor. Vote for Yan Mei Wang for her action-based bicycle/pedestrian platform.”
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Thank you to all those who donated bikes via WWBPA at the farmers market on 9/23 to help the Trenton Bike Exchange – supporting the Boys and Girls Club.
A new bicycle FixIt station was installed at Community Park near the swimming pool thanks to the help and support of the WW Public Works and WW Recreation Commission.?
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For all you adults that have always wanted to learn to bike, now is that time. WWBPA will teach you in our specialized clinic; free to members on Aug 19 from 9-11am at the WW Farmers Market. Helmet and bike required. Also, come learn basic repair skills to maintain your bike. 10am-12pm Sat 8/19.
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The 2017 WWBPA Annual Membership meeting will be on Thursday, March 9 at 7 pm in the West Windsor Municipal Bldg, Room A. Members and non-members are encouraged to attend. Guest speaker TBA.
Many of you probably prefer and feel safer to bicycle, run and?walk on a multi-purpose path rather than on the edge of the road. Go for a walk with your dog. Say hi or wave hello to others you pass by. Let’s do this for Conover Rd.?Submit your comments online by Friday, August 19 at:http://www.westwindsornj.org/conover-road.html and select ContactUs Form.
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Help make West Windsor more accessible and safe for walking, running and biking to Conover Fields, Mercer Lake, PNRA Rowing Center and Mercer Park by showing support for the Conover Rd multi-purpose paved trail project. It will connect the trail at S Post Rd, Conover Fields, and all of the neighborhoods until Galston Dr.
Join us for our annual Learn to Bike Event on June 4th at 9am-12:30pm, for children 5+ yrs old, at the WW Farmers Market. Required: working bike, helmet, current member of WWBPA. (Can buy a helmet from WWBPA for $10 and join WWBPA at LtB). Contact wwbikeped@gmail.com with questions. ?Pre-registration is suggested via email.
Bring your bike to the West Windsor Farmers Market Saturday, 5/21, and stop by the WWBPA tent for our annual bike repair clinic. We’ll teach you how to do minor repairs on your bike so it is safe to ride for the summer season.
Please join us tonight at the WW Twp Council’s work session to support bike lanes and safe crossings on Canal Pte Blvd, 7:30ish pm at the WW Municipal Center, after the regular business session. The proposed repaving and reconfiguration from the current 4 lanes to 3 plus bike lanes is far from a done deal – there is an active contingent who believe that roads are for cars and bikes do not belong on them. We need your help tonight, hope to see you there!
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Please come celebrate WWBPA’s?10th anniversary on Thursday March 17, 7pm at the West Windsor Senior Center, 271 Clarksville Rd, West Windsor Township, NJ 08550. Raffle, cake, awards and hear the latest happening in West Windsor.
Let’s re-visit the great war between the executive branch (NJDOT) and the legislative (NJ Title 39) and judiciary (NJ Supreme Court Polzo v Essex County ruling) branches with regard to bicycling on the shoulder. Everybody does it, but is it legal?
NJDOT’s excellent 2011 Bicycling Manual recommends “riding on the right side of the road or on the shoulder.” NJDOT’s circa-1996 Introduction to Bicycle Facilities notes, “Advanced bicyclists are best served by bicycle compatible streets and highways which have been designed to accommodate shared use by bicycles and motor vehicles.” Paved shoulders are considered one form of bicycle compatible roadway.
So NJDOT encourages it, but does that make it legal? NJ Title 39:4-14.1 states: “Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle.”
Wait a minute, isn’t a bicycle a vehicle? Not in NJ – human-powered devices are specifically excluded from the legal definition of vehicle in 39:1-1: “”Vehicle” means every device in, upon or by which a person or property is or may be transported upon a highway, excepting devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks or motorized bicycles.”
So what, it’s the same thing while riding in the shoulder, right? Not really, as the shoulder is specifically excluded from the “roadway” legal definition in 39:1-1: “”Roadway” means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder.” So a cyclist riding in the shoulder would not be granted all the rights and responsibilities as the driver of a vehicle.
Aren’t we nitpicking? Motorists can’t legally drive in the shoulder anyway – cyclists can’t very well have the same rights and responsibilities as the driver of a vehicle while riding in the shoulder, as it would also be illegal.
Exactly! If a cyclist has the same rights/responsibilities to follow the rules of the road, s/he should only ride in the travel lane, not in the shoulder.
NJDOT’s lawyers, presuming to encourage only legal cycling behavior, may well point to the sentence structure of 39:4-14.1. It implies that every person riding a bicycle *outside* the roadway (e.g. on the shoulder) would not have the same rights/responsibilities as the driver of a vehicle, but that doesn’t make it illegal, since it’s not explicitly prohibited, like it is for drivers of a vehicle in 39:4-82.
Under this interpretation, it’s a cyclist’s choice whether to ride in the roadway, and be legally bound to follow all the rules of the road, or live free on the shoulder. Just think, no rules, no responsibilities – bike against traffic, blow the wrong way through stop signs, it’s all legal if you’re a cyclist on the shoulder. Under this interpretation, cyclists have an implicitly legal option to ride on the shoulder that isn’t offered to drivers of vehicles.
So which is it? Illegal or legally available w no rights/responsibilities? According to the NJ Supreme Court in Polzo v Essex County, “Bicyclists do not have special privileges on a roadway?s shoulder. Indeed, a bicycle rider is directed to ride on the furthest right hand side of the roadway, not on the roadway?s shoulder. The Motor Vehicle Code does not designate the roadway?s shoulder as a bicycle lane.”
So, as far as the law with regard to cyclists is concerned, the NJ Supremes ruled that a cyclist “is directed” to the roadway, “not on the roadway’s shoulder.”
The Polzo ruling was in 2012 – why is NJDOT still encouraging cyclists to ride on the shoulder? Shouldn’t shoulders with sufficient space be designated as bike lanes? What ever happened to the Complete Streets policy?
In our 5th annual survey, WWBPA volunteers counted 360 bicyclists and pedestrians at 5 locations around the train station on Wednesday September 16, 2015 between 5-8pm. Last year the count was 343, but the numbers are not directly comparable, since we counted at only 3 locations last year. Comparing the same locations at the same time slots, biking and walking decreased 5% over last year. At least we had beautiful fall weather again this year.
Cranbury/Wallace/571 (Rite Aid) ? 25 bike, 112 walk
Scott/Alexander (Arts Center) ? 26 bike, 90 walk
Vaughn/Alexander (bus stop) ?? 19 bike, 39 walk
Station/571 (Rep. Holt Headquarters) ? 5 bike, 6 walk
Wallace/Alexander (WW lot) ? 11 bike, 27 walk
Total: 360 people, 86 who bike, 274 who walk
Thanks to our volunteers!
Traffic along 571 in downtown West Windsor flowed freely throughout the observation time, except for 3 minutes at 5:30pm – this is consistent with last year, which congested for 4 minutes at 6:00pm. Honks were also consistent at 11 this and last year, while the number of semi trucks rose by 2 to 7 this year. One of the honks was to encourage a right turn on red from Wallace to 571, which both the honker and honkee proceeded to do, illegally – an additional sign at the corner would aid in getting the message out. I was honked at from behind a few weeks ago while waiting on my bike at Wallace, but just pointed up at the No Turn On Red sign overhead.
Other observations:
midblock crossings of 571 at Rite Aid driveway ? 10
male ? 261, female ? 99
walkers ? 274, cyclists ? 86
walkers – 187 male, 87 female
cyclists – 74 male, 10 female
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On?Sept 12 the West Windsor Bike Fest 2015 will be held at Community Park. 7, 11, 20 and 40 mi ride options. Rain date Sunday, 9/13. See?http://www.westwindsornj.org/recreation/ for more information.
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Bring your used bicycles Sept 19 to the WW Farmers Market. WWBPA will be collecting used bicycles to donate and support the Trenton Boys and Girls Club. Tax deductible donations.
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