Building a Bicycle and
Pedestrian Friendly Community
Tuesday, February 10 by silvia
This proclamation from West Windsor Township honors the 20 years of work done by the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance to make our community more walkable and bikeable.
Comments Off on A proclamation in honor of the WWBPAMonday, January 12 by silvia
20 years ago today — on Jan. 12, 2006 — the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian held its first meeting. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we give a special shout-out to all those who have served on our board as well as on our predecessor organizations.
Comments Off on 20 years of WWBPA: Thanks to all those who made it happenThursday, September 25 by silvia
The West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance invites you to a special “walk and talk” with the head of Mercer County’s engineering department this Friday afternoon.
Comments Off on A special ‘walk and talk’ about a new bi-directional pathWednesday, December 11 by JerryFoster
To learn to love our traffic engineers, we have to understand why they don?t feel they have the authority to design roads to meet citizens? needs ? the standards won?t let them.
Marohn notes that standards are ?the engineering profession’s version of defensive medicine.?
Gary Toth invites us to ?marvel at how thoroughly the transportation establishment delivered on its perceived mandate?, including ??language/terminology; funding mechanisms; curriculum at universities; values; and policies. Common professional organizations? reinforce and standardize this? at a scale that has rarely been matched by any other profession.?
Citizens should note that engineers are required to follow the standards for traffic signals (Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices) – the others are guidelines.
Toth advises ?Design manuals often present standards in ranges from minimum to desirable. Has the designer selected the desirables instead of minimums?? Residents will want the minimums, as the ?desirables? are from the point of view of creating a wider, straighter and faster roadway.
In this series, we?ve set up a ?straw man? based on traditional engineering practices. The critique reported here comes from within the profession, however, and context sensitive standards such as NJDOT?s Smart Transportation Guidebook have been published that, if implemented, will significantly improve livability, which is the goal of the WWBPA.
We?ve seen how standards? flexibility enable engineers to design bike and walk friendly roadways, so in our next installment, we?ll look at liability concerns.
Comments Off on Learning to Love Your Traffic Engineer ? StandardsWednesday, August 17 by silvia
Traffic engineers often seem to treat bicycles as an afterthought when planning roadways. Or they do something for bicyclists with the best of intentions, but the result just doesn’t quite work.
The Michigan Department of Transportation has a remedy for this. Since 2005, MDOT has been putting traffic engineers, planners and public officials behind the handlebars for a view from the other side of the windshield. Hundreds of transportation officials and decision makers have received training in bike planning, but perhaps more importantly, experienced the streets from a cyclist?s perspective. And yes, that means they get on bikes and take to the streets.
Many haven’t been on a bicycle in decades so they don’t all feel comfortable with this. And then they might be taken down a four-lane, high-traffic arterial road without bike treatments.
You can read more about this here, and then imagine how different West Windsor and New Jersey might look if we did this too.
1 Comment »Monday, February 28 by JerryFoster
The big melt was on, temperatures were rising into the 60s, school was out for teachers’ professional development, and student bicyclists flocked to Plainsboro’s Village Center.
During a short stop on a bike for coffee and a muffin on that day just over a week ago, a very interesting phenomenon was observed: the numerous bike racks in the back parking lots were completely deserted. Not to worry, the benches in front had bikes locked to them, and the bike rack next to the entrance of the new library was packed!
Nice job, Plainsboro! We in West Windsor look forward to our revitalized Main Street Route 571 being able to attract our fair share of bicyclists out for a nice ride.
In the meantime, there’s a lesson for all: if bike racks are visible (so generally, near entrances), they’ll be used much more than if they are hidden away.
Comments Off on Plainsboro Attracts Student BicyclistsMonthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month, at 6:15 pm at the WW library and via Zoom. Email us at [email protected] for details, including 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.
Aug. 22 — At the farmers market
Aug. 23 — Special walk in Rogers Preserve
Aug. 25 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Sept. 1 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Sept. 5 — at the farmers market
Sept. 8 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Sept. 10 — Monthly meeting
Sept. 15 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Sept. 19 — Community Day at Duck Pond Park
Sept. 22 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Sept. 29 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Oct 3 — at the farmers market
Oct. 6 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Oct. 13 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Oct. 17 — Bike drive at the farmers market to benefit Bike Exchange
Oct. 20 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Oct. 25 — Annual Martian bike ride with the Historical Society of West Windsor (details to come)
Oct. 27 — Weekly walking group at Community Park
Oct. 31 — our final day at the farmers market in 2026
Ongoing – Register your bike with the WW Police Department for free
Volunteer Opportunities – Sign up to give back to the community
Now Accepting Applications for WWBPA Student Advisory Board
Recent Infrastructure
Proposals and Actions
How to make Old Trenton Road better for all users
Our recommendations for the D&R Canal State Park master plan
New Jersey’s e-bike law needs to exempt 20 mph e-bikes
In support of a grant application that would include a canopy for bike racks
What needs to be included in Mercer County’s New Mobility Element
Our recommendations for the FY26-27 capital improvement budget
In support of an extension of the Union Transportation Trail in East Windsor
A request to Mercer County for rapid-flashing beacons at Edinburg Road and Howell Court
In support of West Windsor’s status as a Safe Routes to School community
In support of a rapid-flashing beacon at the D&R Canal towpath and Quaker Road
Our suggestions for modifications to the Edinburg Road multi-use path
A call for sidewalks on Millstone Road
Input on design for roundabouts in West Windsor
Feedback on a draft Complete and Green Streets policy for the township
A request to speak with NJDOT about a safe bike/ped crossing of U.S. 1 at Fisher Place
In support of the Moses Tunda Tatamy Trail
Our recommendations for the FY25-26 capital improvement budget
In support of safety improvements on Alexander Road in Berrien City
A request to Plainsboro for rapid-flashing beacons between the high school and middle school
A request to Mercer County for rapid-flashing beacons at Clarksville Road and Norchester Drive
Policy recommendations in the wake of a pedestrian fatality on Rabbit Hill Road