Jersey City announces plan for 54.7 mile bicycle network

This news is getting a little old now but is significant enough on the statewide level that WalkBikeJersey needs to cover it.

Early last week the Jersey Journal reported about Jersey City's plan to add 35.2 miles of bike lanes and 19.5 miles of sharrows throughout the city in a attempt to start a comprehensive, 54.7 mile bicycle transportation network.

Jersey City is in a unique position to create a fairly luxurious bicycle network as most of the main avenues are exceedingly wide and underutilized, at least in the eastern portion of the city.  It has been my own personal experience that much of Jersey City's streets are easy to navigate, even during rush-hour, as motor traffic demand is just not there.

This is, in part, due to planning efforts in the city that placed much less emphasis on accommodating the car and instead focusing efforts on planning around pedestrians and public transportation, namely the Hudson-Bergen Lightrail and PATH.  Also, Jersey City doesn't even require parking and puts a maximum on the number of spaces!  So effective has this planning been, that it was the focus of a major Streetfilms series and can be viewed below. 

This is the first large New Jersey town to embrace a comprehensive bicycle plan and will undoubtedly act as a model and leader for many other Jersey towns to follow.

Go JC!

Bike / Ped investments critical as Hoboken PATH Station remains closed

News 12 New Jersey is reporting today that demand for bicycle parking at the Newport PATH Station has skyrocketed as the Hoboken PATH Station remains closed due to flood damage from Hurricane Sandy.  This is not surprising to us here at WalkBikeJersey.  With the opening of the Newport section of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway in 2009 the cities of Hoboken and Jersey City are connected for bicyclists and pedestrians like never before.  The Newport walkway has proven to be very popular with locals and exceptionally useful to commuters during normal circumstances.  In the Summer of 2011 the East Coast Greenway Alliance conducted trail counts and found that over 1,100 trips occurred on this section of the walkway between 4 and 7pm on one particular weekday.     

Locals walk and ride from Hoboken to Jersey City on the Newport section of the walkway, Summer 2011. (c) AJ Besold

With the Hoboken PATH Station remaining closed due to extensive damage, the walkway is now proving to be critical transportation asset.  By bike and using the walkway, the trip between the two stations is stress-free and takes about 5 minutes.  By road, cyclists would have to travel on treacherous Observer Highway, Marin Blvd and Washington Blvd (all roads even this LCI would rather not ride on) and its nearly twice as far (Note - WBJ realizes that those living in western Hoboken would find it more direct to use Marin Blvd to get to the Newport PATH Station).


View Hoboken PATH to Newport PATH in a larger map

This sudden emergency demand for bike parking at the Newport PATH didn't just materialize out of the blue after Hurricane Sandy.  Under the leadership of Mayor Dawn Zimmer, the City of Hoboken has been working hard to make the city and the Hoboken Transit Terminal much more accommodating for those looking to use a bike.  Back in October, Hoboken was named a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.  With the Hoboken PATH Station remaining closed, the Newport PATH Station has become an obvious alternative for those looking to access the PATH system by bike.  Without the Newport walkway the PATH system would have remained much more difficult to access for many Hoboken residents.

East Coast Greenway Alliance announces major advancement in New Jersey

The East Coast Greenway Alliance made this announcement in its December Newsletter about a major breakthrough that has closed the gap between Newark and Jersey City.

The largest gap in the alignment of the East Coast Greenway as it passes through New Jersey has just been completed! For the first time, pedestrians can walk along sidewalks between Jersey City and Newark – two of New Jersey’s largest cities.  New Jersey Department of Transportation recently constructed sidewalk along the ECG alignment of Truck Route 1 & 9 in Newark and Kearny. This links Lincoln Park in Jersey City, across Kearny, through the Ironbound section of Newark to Newark’s Penn Station. There are already ECG wayfinding signs in place the rest of the way across New Jersey, between Newark and Trenton.

Now that this new segment of sidewalk is available, ECG travelers will finally be able to travel 100% of the way across New Jersey under their own power – no trains needed! There is still advocacy work to do as we continue to improve this important secion of the Greenway. However, this is a huge step forward as there is finally a continuous sidewalk network between Newark and Jersey City for everyone to use!

The above was written by Mike Dannemiller, East Coast Greenway Alliance  New Jersey State Committee Co-Chair

Help Jersey City preserve and create its own High Line

The below comes from the Embankment Preservation Coalition in Jersey City.  For those of you that don't know, the  "Embankment" is the old Harsimus Stem Embankment which is an elevated stone structure that once carried seven tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad to the Hudson River Waterfront.   

Like the incredibly successful High Line across the Hudson in the once derelict Meatpacking District, the Embankment has the potential to completely transform and improve this part of Jersey City.  If allowed to be turned into a park, the Embankment would become a linchpin in a network of walkable, bikeable greenways within the City of Jersey City, and beyond.  The East Coast Greenway Alliance would even like to use the Embankment as the permanent, off-road route of the East Coast Greenway which would connect to the Meadowlands via the Bergen Arches to the west.

Now the message from the Embankment Preservation Coalition:

VOTE EMBANKMENT

Help the Embankment Preservation Coalition win up to $25,000 in the National Trust for Historic Preservation "This Place Matters" Community Challenge. The Trust selected us from 250 entrants to compete with 99 others in the challenge.

Concept: Embankment looking west from Erie & 6th.       RomanP.com

Now It's Up to You!

As of this weekend, we rank #10 out of 100 participants.
To bring a prize home, we need your vote!

Just click on embankment.org
for instructions.

Voting ends June 30.
Anyone with a valid email may vote.
You do not need to be a New Jersey resident.
Please vote and forward to Facebook, Twitter - help us Get out the Vote!

Bike JC sets goals for 2011 at Tuesday's meeting

Fourteen intrepid bicycling soles braved the cold and ice on Tuesday evening and made it out to Zeppelin Hall in Jersey City for Bike JC's first meeting of the new year.  Even I made my way all the way up to Jersey City to see what these good folks are up to.  Their meeting boiled down to a number of key items.

Bike JC is looking into filing for 501(c)(3) status.  Currently they are just a loose gathering of like-minded people looking to improve the state of cycling in Jersey City.  As part of this they are also investigating whether or not they should become a League of American Bicyclists affiliated club, notably for the insurance LAB provides its affiliated clubs for liability incurred during officially sanctioned bike rides.

Bike JC would like to do more bicycle education in association with the Hudson TMA.  As part of this goal, one (if not more) of Bike JC's members became an LCI by attending the LCI training seminar in Hoboken last fall hosted by Hudson TMA.

Another issue discussed was the need for more and better bike parking throughout the city.  One place of particular concern was the plaza at the Grove Street PATH Station.  First, the bicycle parking at this location is facilitated with an APBP non-compliant style of bike rack and there simply isn't enough bike parking to meet demand.  To compound this problem at this location (and others) there are many abandoned bicycles taking up precious space.  Beyond the Grove Street Station, Bike JC would like to see the city come up with a general bicycle parking plan and start installing bicycle racks throughout the city.  This is taking on great urgency at this moment in time as Jersey City is removing their traditional parking meters, long a highly secure default bicycle parking option, with "muni style" parking pay stations.

Along with this, there was a general curiosity about the PA of NY/NJ with regards towards their policies about bicycles.  While all were aware of the PA's statement regarding the inclusion of bicyclists needs in future projects and policies, many wanted to know when that would amount to actual changes, particularly with access to PATH trains and bicycle parking at the stations.

By far most of the discussion focused on possible Bike to Work Week activities this May along with "Ward Tour 2.0."  While it sounded like Bike to Work Week activities may have to be put off this time around, there was much excitement and talk about repeating and exceeding the success of last years inaugural Ward Tour.  Last year over 530 bicyclists came out to see what Jersey City has to offer.  This year's event is likely to be held on either Sunday May 16th (but don't quote me on this), the day before Bike to Work Week and Bike JC would like to see this years event far surpass last years success.

A scene from "Ward Tour 1.0".  Image: Bike JC

Finally, the leaders at Bike JC said that they want to see some tangible bicycle safety improvements installed in the city before the end of the year.  This may be ambitious but it is a noble goal to aspire to.  There is excess road capacity between the curb lines on a multitude of city arterial streets, as many in Bike JC are readily aware.  And beyond the arterials, the traditional grid network of the city makes many side streets ideal alternatives.  Jersey City has a great deal of potential as a bicycling town and Bike JC members would like to see a first concrete (pun intended) step towards that reality before years end.

Overall, I was very encouraged by what I saw at Bike JC's meeting this past Tuesday.  They are a well organized and capable group with a good amount of "on the saddle" streetsmarts.  I look forward to seeing how they progress this year with their goals and will make a point of attending their Ward Tour 2.0

Bike JC (Jersey City) to hold meeting Feb 1st

Tip of the hat to NJ Off-Road Biking for originally covering this announcement.  The following comes directly from Bike JC's blog:

Join us at Zeppelin Hall, 8 pm, Tuesday February 1, to talk about 2011 plans, including Ward Tour 2.0, bike lanes, bike racks, and rides. Bike JC is also looking for guest bloggers on bike culture and local bike news as well. Come meet us and tell us what you know!

Zeppelin Hall is at 297 Grand Street, in Jersey City, near the Jersey Ave light rail stop.

WalkBikeJersey will try to attend but NJ Transit isn't as affordable as it used to be.

Note: Zeppelin Hall WILL NOT allow owners of folding bicycles to bring their bicycles into the restaurant.  I know this from firsthand experience.  Zeppellin Hall's policy may complicate my ability to attend.