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In this update…

League of American Bicyclists Board Chair to speak at summit

NJ Bike & Walk Summit hosts for the first time the Lawrence Hopewell Trail Corporation and the New Jersey Horse Council

Organizing the New Brunswick Ciclovia – From Idea to Launch

Take our “Shared Responsibility” Survey!

League of American Bicyclists Board Chair to speak at summit
We are pleased to announce that Hans van Naerssen, Chair of the Board of Directors of the League of American Bicyclists, will be among our opening speakers. Hans is a bicycling activist, and an active bicyclist. He is also co-founder and Board Chair, Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes, and Board member and past President of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. He has a Governor’s appointment to the PA Pedestrian and Pedalcycle Advisory Committee, was a citizen member of the regional transportation planning committee, and co-founded his local township Sidewalk, Trails, and Paths committee. He uses these platforms to help make a difference. Before retiring, Hans was Partner of a multi-million dollar international consulting practice, received numerous achievement awards, and was the first to commute by bike to corporate headquarters. He has led and enjoyed biking across USA, in Canada and Europe. His stable includes a Bike Friday for errands and transit-based travel, a recumbent for touring and a mountain bike for thrills.

Building Community Support for Trails
Trails are about much more than bikers or walkers. Trail users are fishermen, equestrians, kids, teachers, persons with disabilities, seniors, people re-habbing from injury or stroke, naturalists, bird watchers, amateur entomologists and astronomers, students and teachers, do g-walkers, parents of toddlers; any of them could be on bike, foot or horseback. To increase sensible, passive access to preserved, open space and other public lands, this is the message to take to public officials and your neighbors: trail users are all of us. Hear how this was accomplished from moderator Michael Gray, project manager of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail and panelists Becky Taylor, Co-President – Lawrence Hopewell Trail Corporation, Charles Latini – Township planner for Ewing Township, and Janice Elsishans, New Jersey Horse Council Trails Advocate, Equestrian Chairperson for the Heritage and Agricultural Association, participant in the Sussex County Trails Partnership and President of the Paulinskill Valley Trail Committee, and Wally Tunison of the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA).

Organizing the New Brunswick Ciclovia – From Idea to Launch
The City of New Brunswick in partnership with New Brunswick Tomorrow will launch the first ciclovia, or “open streets”, in New Jersey in 2013. Panelists include Fatimah Williams Castro, Ph.D. of New Brunswick Tomorrow and New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-New Brunswick, and Glenn Patterson, Director of Planning, Community & Economic Development, City of New Brunswick. The panel will cover key topics such as building support, member recruitment, designing a route, and creating a strong planning team and operating structure.

Take our Survey!
The Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation will sponsor a panel at the summit, “Shared Responsibility,” to begin a dialogue between cyclists, law enforcement and motorists. Your views are important; therefore, please complete the survey “Sharing the Road, Sharing the Responsibility: A survey for bicyclists, motorists and law enforcement professionals.” Results will be shared at the summit.

Post-Summit Cocktail Mingle – At 5:30, take a short walk across the street to Christopher’s Bar in the Heldrich hotel. Cash bar, lots of socializing and networking. Make sure you try a “Derailleur,” a special cocktail being prepared for us by the mixologists behind the bar.

Pre-registration closes on February 21 at midnight. Registration will be available on the morning of the Summit, for an additional $15 per registrant. Register today!

Looking forward to meeting you at the summit!

Our Sponsors and Collaborators

Join us for…
The Complete Streets Implementation Plan: Translating Policy into Action
Getting from Here to There: Improving the Built Environment through Policy Change
The East Coast Greenway – A National Trail
Safe Routes to School – Mom, Apple Pie and Your First Two-wheeler: Getting Children Back on Bikes and Using Their Feet
Market Street Redesign: Making Newark’s Streets Complete
MAP-21 and Beyond: Our nation’s new transportation bill, and what is next in alternative transportation for America
New Brunswick Bike Exchange Collection at the Summit!

The Complete Streets Implementation Plan: Translating Policy into Action
New Jersey proudly leads the nation in passing Complete Streets policies at all levels of government. Complete Streets are streets designed for everyone – all users, travel modes, and ability levels – balancing the needs of drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit vehicles, emergency responders, and goods movement. Following up from talks at previous Summits, Sheree Davis of the New Jersey Department of Transportation will lead a panel on how NJDOT is now focused on the next step: how to take a municipal Complete Streets Policy and use it as a roadmap for implementing strategies, procedures, plans, and projects in ways that create networks of safe, multimodal streets.

Getting from Here to There: Improving the Built Environment through Policy Change
Darrin W. Anderson, Sr., PhD, CSCS, Deputy Director, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids will lead a panel on how sidewalks, bike paths, parks and playgrounds all increase opportunities for physical activity. Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School and Joint Use policies can help change the built environment and improve the bikeability and walkability of a neighborhood. This session will highlight the activities of the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids and the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance in creating healthier communities where we work, live and play.

The East Coast Greenway – A National Trail
The East Coast Greenway is the nation’s most ambitious long-distance urban trail project. Often called the urban Appalachian Trail, it will be formed by connecting existing and planned shared-use trails. The ultimate vision for the Greenway will be a continuous, traffic-free route, serving self-powered users of all abilities and ages. When complete, the Greenway will be 3,000 miles long and will link Calais, Maine at the Canadian border with Key West, Florida. In New Jersey, the Greenway has made use of a number of preexisting trails, most notably the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath. Elsewhere, the trail has been the catalyst of new trail construction such as the Middlesex Greenway, the Lenape Trail in Union County, the construction of Newark’s first road diet with a bike lane on Irvine Turner Blvd, and the first foot and bike connection between Newark and Jersey City. Andy Hamilton, the Mid-Atlantic Trail Coordinator, will discuss how the Greenway has been critical to getting long planned New Jersey trail projects built and much more.

Mom, Apple Pie and Your First Two-wheeler: Getting Children Back on Bikes and Using Their Feet
Leigh Ann Von Hagen of the NJ Safe Routes to School Resource Center at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center will lead a panel of Safe Routes to School experts. Safe Routes to School in NJ continues to build momentum and bring visibility to the benefits of walking and bicycling to school for children, families, schools and communities. This session will help participants understand why Safe Routes to School is important to everyone, highlight successes in NJ, and provide resources including those who can help implement walk and bike to school projects in your neighborhood. Participants will walk away with technical assistance to start or enhance a Safe Routes to School program.

Market Street Redesign: Making Newark’s Streets Complete
Michael Lawson, Bradley Stuart, and Daniel Dominguez, all urban planning students at the Bloustein School at Rutgers University, will introduce a concept design for the redevelopment of Market Street in Newark. Market Street is a vital corridor through the city’s rejuvenating downtown historic Four Corners District. The concept design includes such improvements as a roundabout with fountain and plaza, bike and bus lanes, new greenery and street furniture, lane diets, and intersection and street reconfigurations. Session participants should expect to walk away with the understanding of how design improvements can allow Newark to improve its pedestrian, bike, and bus facility infrastructure by combining urban design and traffic planning techniques.

MAP-21 and Beyond: Our nation’s new transportation bill, and what is next in alternative transportation for America
James Corless is the Director of Transportation for America, a national coalition of over 400 organizations working to promote a new national transportation policy that’s smarter, safer, cleaner and provides more choice. James will discuss how advocates are shaping the next transportation bill to move our nation in a bold new direction of alternative transportation that includes world-class clean transportation, empowered communities with more transportation options and safer streets that ultimately create healthier, more livable places.

New Brunswick Bike Exchange Collection at the Summit!
Donate your old bikes and parts to the New Brunswick Bike Exchange at the Summit. Bring us your old, tired and vintage bicycles yearning to be free from the deep recesses of your basements and garages. The New Brunswick Bike Exchange will be ready, willing and able to accept your donated bicycles at the New Jersey Bike and Walk Summit, so bring ‘em those old wheels looking for a new life and purpose! All bikes that can be repaired and parts that still have serviceable life are welcomed and will be appreciated.

To register for the NJ Bike & Walk Summit, visit the registration page on EventBrite. Pre-registration closes on February 21 at midnight. Registration will be available on the morning of the Summit, for an additional $15 per registrant. Register today!

Our Sponsors and Collaborators

Regards,
Cyndi Steiner
Executive Director

Featured Sessions
MAP-21 and Beyond
Creating a regional bike plan: The Philadelphia Regional Circuit
Walk the Walk: Individual & Community Wellness One Step at a Time
Bicycle Friendly America Program
Bicycle Authors Roundtable
Riding Across the USA
Organizing the New Brunswick Ciclovia
Other Featured Presenters

MAP-21 and Beyond: Our nation’s new transportation bill, and what is next in alternative transportation for America
James Corless is the Director of Transportation for America, a national coalition of over 400 organizations working to promote a new national transportation policy that’s smarter, safer, cleaner and provides more choice. James will discuss how advocates are shaping the next transportation bill to move our nation in a bold new direction of alternative transportation that includes world-class clean transportation, empowered communities with more transportation options and safer streets that ultimately create healthier, more livable places.

http://www.newjerseybikewalk.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/circuit1.png

Creating a regional bike plan: The Philadelphia Regional Circuit
A panel to include John Boyle of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and Matt Norris of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign will discuss The Circuit, a regional bike plan in and around the City of Philadelphia and the greater metro area, including the Delaware Valley region of New Jersey. John and Matt will share information on how to create a regional plan and why regional bike and trail plans are important in providing connectivity from one community to another, thereby enabling bicycling as a viable transportation option.

Walk the Walk: Individual & Community Wellness One Step at a Time
To walk is as basic to human life as breathing, eating and other activities we take for granted. This expert panel will explore the intersection between walking and public health, walking advocacy, the behavioral impact of walking and strategies for individual motivation. Learn how to promote unique walking programs in your community and how integrating walking into your daily life can change the way you live. The Moderator is Risa Olinsky, M.A. Certified Wellcoach® and Founder, Count on Yourself Coaching & Integrative Medicine Practitioner with Atlantic Health System. Panelists include Yolanda Savage-Narva, MSEd., Campaign Director at America Walks, Cornelia Santschi, Ph.D, Neuropsychologist, Neuro/Biofeedback Provider and Founder of the Anatta World Health & Education Outreach, and Paul Kiczek, Founder, FreeWalkers.org which challenges New Jerseyans to walk long distances in organized events.

Bicycle Friendly America Program
Moderated by Debbie Kingsland of NJDOT, panelists Nicole Wynands of the League of American Bicyclists, Arthur Chew from Ocean City, NJ, Susan Poliwka from Hoboken and Andrea DeRose of Princeton University will discuss the League’s Bicycle Friendly program for communities, universities and businesses, what the program means, and how you can get your comunity involved.

Bicycle Authors Roundtable
Professor David Burleigh of Stockton State College will host a gathering of some America’s most knowledgeable contemporary bicycle authors. They include:

• Sue Macy, author of Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way). A graduate of Princeton University, Sue grew up in Clifton and currently lives in Englewood. In 2012, Sue gave the keynote address at the first-ever National Women Cycling Forum in Washington, DC.
• David Herlihy, author of Bicycling: The History, a book which many herald as THE definitive guide to bicycling history, and The Lost Cyclist.
• Michael Gabriele, author of The Golden Age of Bicycle Racing in New Jersey, which re-establishes the state’s claim as the “cradle of cycling” for the United States. Michael is a lifelong resident of the Garden State.

Riding Across the USA
Moderator Bruce Weber is a New York Times reporter who rode across America twice, once in 1993 and again in 2011. Each time his journeys were featured reports in the newspaper and his 2011 trip became the subject of his book, Life is a Wheel. He will host a panel of cyclists from the Major Taylor Cycling Club of New Jersey who rode across the US using different methods and approaches. Mr. Weber traveled in a slower self-sufficient manner, taking 13 weeks with all of his belongings stuffed into saddlebags on his bicycle. By contrast, two members of the MTCCNJ completed their journey in the summer of 2011 in a mere 28 days with a support vehicle and four more in 2012 self-supported.

Organizing the New Brunswick Ciclovia – From Idea to Launch
The City of New Brunswick in partnership with New Brunswick Tomorrow will launch the first ciclovia, or “open streets”, in New Jersey in 2013. Panelists include Fatimah Williams Castro, Ph.D. of New Brunswick Tomorrow and New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-New Brunswick, Glenn Patterson, Director of Planning, Community & Economic Development, City of New Brunswick and Melissa Selesky, Member, John. J. Heldrich Institute for Leadership Development and Director, Office of Community Affairs at Rutgers University. They will cover key topics such as building support, member recruitment, designing a route, and creating a strong planning team and operating structure.

Other Featured Presenters
Darrin Anderson is the Associate Executive Director of the New Jersey YMCA Alliance, and Deputy Director of the NJ Partnership for Healthy Kids; he is responsible for the daily operations of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation‘s State Program Office for Childhood Obesity Prevention and other YMCA initiatives.

Ken Podziba is the president and CEO of Bike New York, whose mission is to facilitate and promote cycling in New York City through education and public events as well as collaboration with both community organizations and municipal agencies. He joined Bike New York in 2010 and has helped expand Bike New York’s free education programs to include all five boroughs, year round classes, nine summer camp program sites for underserved children and multilingual classes. As a result of his efforts, Bike New York’s education program reached over 12,000 children and adults in 2012.

New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill will open the summit. In 2012, under the Mayor’s leadership, the city installed miles of bicycle lanes and Shared Lane Markings, or Sharrows. His push to increase bicycle safety and access is the natural next step for a city that is the home of one of the nation’s largest universities and complements previous progress by the city to do the same for pedestrians.

To register for the NJ Bike & Walk Summit, visit the registration page on EventBrite. Pre-registration closes on February 21 at midnight. Registration will be available on the morning of the Summit, for an additional $15 per registrant. Register today!

In his comments, Jerry focused on the economic development benefits of increasing the ability to bike and walk to transit (including buses and trains) as a competitive advantage NJ can relatively easily implement compared to other states. He requested that NJ Transit work with municipalities and counties to ensure safe routes to transit, including bike lanes and sidewalks within 2 miles of train stations and bus stops.

Jerry further made the point that using public transportation has the potential to save NJ families over $8,000 annually by having 1 less car; it also results in less congestion, less pollution, and improved overall health. As an example of the demand for biking and walking to transit, he described an increase of 18% from 2011 to 2012 in biking and walking at the Princeton Junction train station, according to counts taken by the West Windsor Bike & Pedestrian Alliance.

Neile spoke about how the “spontaneous” increase in Manhattan cycling immediately following Sandy was facilitated by “a decade of relentless and methodical implementation” by NYC government. He emphasized the long-term need in New Jersey to replace the number of trips by car by fully integrating human-powered and mass-transport modes in order to maximize catchment; further that this heightened integration is a necessary component of a disaster-hardened mass transit infrastructure.

Specifically, the requests were:

• Facilitate “complete-street-to-train-bike-ped” routes to NJT stations
• Upgrade bike parking at NJT stations — including staffed, full service facilities operated by local bike shops and community groups
• Reduce or eliminate peak-hour restrictions by providing bike storage that does not reduce the number of passenger seats:
  • in multi-level cars, increase per car bike capacity from 8 to 28 by adding overhead hooks.
  • in older stock, retrofit vertical storage to yield a per-car five-bike capacity in a six foot space.
• Develop Rail-With-Trail (“RWT”), built on the right-of-way of an active railroads. Where the right-of-way allows sufficient separation, RWTs could serve as connectors to supplement “spur capacity” (rail lines with limited service), or substitute for trains taken offline.
• Look for opportunities to expand ridership by:
  • changing policies to enable suburb-to-suburb commuting
  • launching a cyclo-tourist marketing campaign to boost local economies, build constituency and justify expansion of weekend service.

NJBWC will continue to advocate for increased bicyclist accessibility on board NJ Transit trains. Hurricane Sandy made this agenda that much more critical.

Bike New York’s President & CEO to speak at NJ Bike & Walk Summit
Ken Podziba, the dynamic and creative CEO of Bike New York, will be joining us at the NJ Bike & Walk Summit this year. Ken will chair our featured panel session on working with local politicians. As the former NYC Sports Commissioner in both the Guiliani and Bloomberg administrations, Ken is well-versed in the interworkings of city and municipal governments. We look forward to hosting Ken at this year’s summit! To register for the summit, please access the registration page on EventBrite.

River Road/Hudson Waterfront Corridor Strategy Project- Public Meeting Announced
NJBWC is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the River Road/Hudson Waterfront Corridor Strategy Project, a study to design a multi-modal transportation system for the Bergen County portion of River Road (Edgewater to Fort Lee) in order to reduce congestion and improve safety and quality of life along this section of River Road. NJBWC has provided input on the proposed designs – bike lanes, walkways and sidewalks, and improvements to the bus system along this route. We would like to see our constituents also speak up about this project, given that it is highlighted in the latest release from Tri-State Transportation Campaign as one of the two most dangerous roads to ride in Bergen County. There will be a public meeting to review the proposed design on Thursday, January 17th from 4 -7pm, at the Edgewater Community Center, 1167 River Road in Edgewater. We encourage everyone with an interest in River Road to attend. More information is available at the project website.

BTCNJ and NJBWC partner in donation to Newark Bike Exchange
Together with Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey, NJBWC made a donation of bicycle equipment and clothing to the Boys & Girls Club of Newark Bike Exchange. BTCNJ members donated bicycle gear as part of their annual Shop & Shop held at their December club meeting; NJBWC collected these items and delivered them to the Newark Bike Exchange.

The Boys & Girls Club of Newark Bike Exchange was opened in the past year by the New Jersey Bike Exchange, which runs bike exchanges in Trenton and Plainfield in addition to Newark. The Bike Exchange is an all-volunteer effort that collects, repairs and sells bikes that have been donated to the organization. The mission of the Bike Exchange is to help low income families get bikes at low cost, and to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club. Since it’s founding in 2008, the Bike Exchange has sold 7136 bikes and raised $324,432 for the after-school programs of the Boys & Girls Club.

If your club or organization is interested in donating bikes, bike parts and accessories to the NJ Bike Exchange, please contact the exchange at info@BikeExchangeNJ.org. More information about the Bike Exchange can be found at www.BikeExchangeNJ.org.

Cyndi Steiner and Ethan Brook at BTCNJ’s December Shop and Swap. (photo by Ralph Monti)

Gary Johnson, Stacey Troilo and Andrew Kuntz, volunteers at the Newark Bike Exchange (photo by Cyndi Steiner)

Earn your NJBWC patch!
The NJBWC depends on your support to continue our advocacy work. Please consider showing your support by joining the coalition. Memberships start at $35/year for our bronze level. An embroidered iron-on patch of the NJBWC emblem will be sent to you when you join NJBWC at the bronze level or higher. The patch can be placed on clothing, backpacks, panniers, rack bags, or any other cloth item of your choosing.

“The freedom, independence and enjoyment of fresh-air discovery, with all the resulting health benefits, are embodied in cycling. We need a strong advocate for a safe cycling infrastructure to maximize general public benefit. ” Jay Marowitz, chair of the Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation.

Join on-line using PayPal or download and send in our membership form. We look forward to having you on board with us!

Club memberships are $250 annually and include your logo in our newsletters for the year. Shops may also purchase annual newsletter sponsorships for $250. Contact us at info@njbwc.org for details.

This is good news; however, we asked for a commitment to 2012 funding levels, a request which went unanswered. Therefore, NJBWC is continuing the campaign to protect these funds through our advocacy work at the state and MPO levels, to ensure that all possible bike & pedestrian federal funds are used for those purposes. These are the funds that counties and townships can use to make our communities more bike and pedestrian friendly and therefore, more livable places.

Congratulations to Hoboken, Ocean City, and Princeton University!
Please join NJBWC in extending congratulations to Hoboken and to Ocean City, who each recently achieved Bronze status as Bicycle Friendly Communities by the League of American Bicyclists.

“This latest round of BFC awards proves yet again that any city — regardless of size or geography — can take cost-effective steps to increase bicycling in their community,” said League President Andy Clarke. “From Bentonville, Arkansas, to Bethesda, Maryland, cities are embracing biking as a means to save money, reduce congestion, improve health and boost their economy.”

Prior to Hurricane Sandy, Tom Heist, Co-Chairman of BikeOCNJ, reported to us, “We have long known that when our visitors arrive, they want to park the car and unwind to fully enjoy our beach, boardwalk, and other family attractions. Now they can in a safer way as Ocean City builds out our extensive bicycle network throughout town. Our end-to-end bike boulevard allows convenient access to the solace of nature and our busy downtown alike and the new Ninth Street Bridge offers two miles of scenic views before landing in charming and historic Somers Point. With this, we are so proud to earn a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community designation and encourage you to come and experience, by bike, the treasures in our town.”

(Our hearts go out to the residents of Hoboken, Ocean City and the rest of the Jersey Shore in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. We will report next month from Tom and BikeOCNJ and from Hoboken on how they are faring since the hurricane. In the interim, we are talking with NJDOT about making bike & pedestrian projects a priority in the rebuilding of our shore towns, as these transportation modes were key to residents’ ability to get around in the days immediately after the storm.)

The League awards Bicycle Friendly Communities at five levels (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze); there are now 242 BFCs in 47 states. With the guidance and expertise of the BFC program, these communities are propelling the growth in bicycling nationwide. According to recent census data, bicycle commuting grew 80 percent in the largest BFCs, but only 32 percent in non-BFC cities, from 2000 to 2011.

Hats off also to Princeton University, who received Bicycle Friendly University status. Along with West Windsor, New Jersey’s first Bicycle Friendly Community, New Jersey now has three BFCs and one Bicycle Friendly University. For information on how you can move your community or business towards BF status, please refer to the league’s Bicycle Friendly America Program.

Major Taylor Club of New Jersey completes TS101 Training

Fifteen members of the Major Taylor Cycling Club of New Jersey attended the Traffic Skills 101 class conducted by the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition at the Irvington, New Jersey Municipal Building on Saturday, October 20th.

Welcomed by Mayor Wayne Smith, class instructors were Jen Laurita, LCI and John Sowell, MTCCNJ and an LCI . Class began at 9 am sharp. The majority of our club members who attended the class have extensive cycling experience and are quite comfortable in traffic, but being comfortable in traffic and legal may not always find themselves on the same side of the white line.

There was plenty of Q & A and some of the answers were in contrast to my inner thoughts yet were legally right. For me, it is a balancing act. Collectively, we approached the Traffic Skills and Safety course with an open mind and having cycled this past summer from Washington State to Denver, Colorado in 23 days, I have a wealth of touring experience, yet at the end of the day, I knew it was a productive 7 hours.

One area our club prides itself with is rider safety and at the end of the cycling season, we review the schedule to determine where we need to make rider safety improvements. This class will help your club reach their safety goals. Our club, Major Taylor Cycling Club of New Jersey, paid for the members to take the course. (Membership dues well spent.)

Our class instructors were well informed and their sense of humor made for an enjoyable yet informative experience. Highlights of the class were bike handling drills and skills practiced in a nearby parking lot, crash avoidance techniques and the bike safety check done prior to every ride. By early afternoon, we were on the road practicing our safe riding skills in an urban setting.

Club members were able to identify cycling habits (good and bad) while increasing their safety awareness.

A Big Up to our club president James McCarther and board members who deemed the class important enough that our club attend. Thank you to Karen Jenkins, board member of NJBWC, for organizing this class.

Contributed by Randy “Wheels” Jackson, MTCCNJ

Summit Update – Announcing Group Interest Meetings!
The NJ Bike & Walk Summit has always been a great place to meet new and old friends, network, and develop new ideas. The 2013 Summit will be even better! Groups can reserve rooms during the lunch hour to hold meetings, have a reception, invite donors, or just relax with friends you don’t see often.

Among the groups that will hold a meeting are the League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) of NJ to become acquainted and talk about creating more teaching opportunities. Officers of the NJ recreational bike clubs will meet to share best practices and talk about collaborating to increase membership and getting more people on rides. The New Brunswick Cyclovia, scheduled to be the first one in New Jersey, will hold an organizational meeting.

If you or your group would like to be assigned a room during the 2013 Summit to meet during the lunch hour, please click here and complete the form. Rooms will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. There is no charge for a room and lunch is included in the Summit registration fee.

Earn your NJBWC patch!
The NJBWC depends on your support to continue our advocacy work. Please consider showing your support by joining NJBWC. Memberships start at $35/year for our bronze level. NJBWC is grateful to everyone who has joined and wearing their membership patch with pride. An embroidered iron-on patch of the NJBWC emblem is being sent to everyone who joins NJBWC at the bronze level or higher. The patch can be placed on clothing, backpacks, panniers, rack bags, or any other cloth item of your choosing.

Wally Tunison, owner of the Bicycle Hub of Marlboro and a long time cycling advocate in New Jersey and sponsor of the upcoming NJ Bike & Walk Summit, urges everyone to join NJBWC and also support our sister organization, Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA).

Wally stated, “In following the success of many advocacy organizations, I have found that the one true reason they flourish is because the folks that steer them are passionate. New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition has shown its true desire to serve the cycling public by not only being passionate, but being resolute. My support for NJBWC and my off road Cycling organization, Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA) is because I believe they are fully committed to the future of bicycling in New Jersey.”

When you receive your NJBWC membership patch, please send a photo of you wearing it and explain why you decided to join NJBWC. We would love to share your photo and statement.

Join on-line using PayPal or download and send in our membership form. We look forward to having you on board with us!

Club memberships are $250 annually and include your logo in our newsletters for the year. Shops may also purchase annual newsletter sponsorships for $250. Contact us at info@njbwc.org for details.

A fellow cyclist and NJBWC member has notified us about a volunteer relief “army” being prepared by one of his family members in West Virginia. This group has significant resources and people and are looking for space to distribute supplies and other assistance on the east coast. There are many communities along the Jersey Shore that could benefit from this effort.

If you know of any organizations or corporations along the Jersey Shore who would have large facilities to provide bus and truck parking, space for distribution of supplies to storm victims, and makeshift lodging for volunteers, please get in touch with Randy Bassin at rbassin@globalforceinc.com or at (616) 204-4847.

Please also pass this message along to those who might be able to offer space.

Thank you,

Cyndi Steiner
Executive Director
New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition

Perhaps you are a recreational cyclist who hasn’t tried bike commuting yet, or you have a bike in the garage that hasn’t been used in a while. Try using your bike to help you and your family get through this difficult time. Here are some tips on how to get started. Visit your local bike shop also, as they can provide you with the right clothing and gear to help you make this transition to “utilitarian cycling.”

Running errands on your bike
Due to debris on the road from the storm, mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes and hybrids are a better choice than road bikes to ride on the roads. If you only have a road bike, consider putting wider tires on it. You could do yourself one better and head to your nearest bike shop, where dealers are eager to make deals on 2012 models. Having that “utility bike” at your disposal will make this transition that much easier and more likely to remain a permanent lifestyle change for you.

The easiest way to carry things with you if you have a bike with no rack is to use a backpack. Most backpacks have straps that anchor them securely to your chest and back so that the load does not shift while you pedal. Start with a lighter load until you feel comfortable carrying a heavier load. Think about attaching a rear red blinking light to the backpack so that motorists see you better.

If your bike has a rear rack, you can use panniers (saddle bags) or rear trunk bags; these are two types of bags that attach to the rack and allow you to carry things without having to use a backpack. They come in many sizes and shapes depending on what you wish to carry.

Consider carrying a bike lock with you so that you can lock your bike when you stop at stores and local businesses to complete your errands. Locks come in a variety of styles and sizes; some are combination locks, some have keys.

Commuting by bike
It’s easier than you think to commute by bicycle-and there’s never been a better time for it. Cycling is fun and rewarding-a great way to start the day, a fine calorie burner and much less stressful than driving or waiting in gas lines! Here are some common misconceptions about commuting by bicycling and the “real story”:

1. It’s too far to bicycle commute. I don’t have the time. This may seem true, but often, if you analyze your situation, you’ll find that pedaling is possible-even practical. For example, we know a commuter who bikes 10 miles each way to work who says that it takes her only fifteen minutes longer each way. Plus, she says, “By combining my workout and commute, I get to exercise 1¼ hours per day and only spend an extra ½ hour to do it! Keep in mind that by avoiding stop-and-go traffic, you can make excellent time on a bicycle. You might also consider driving partway to work, parking, and pedaling the rest of the way. This saves money, gas, and the environment. And, while everyone else is idling in traffic developing road rage, you’re spinning along reducing your stress level.
2. I need to wear dress clothes at work. Many bike commuters solve this problem by bringing clothes to the office on the rare days that they drive to work, so that they have a supply of clean clothes. Other bicycle commuters bring their nice clothes and lunches to the office on weekends, so that during the week they can simply dress up once at work. This requires planning, but works great. And, if you drive in on the weekend to drop off your stuff, you at least won’t be dealing with rush-hour traffic. Another option for bringing clothes to work is to drive to work in the morning with two days’ worth of clothes and your bike, pedal home that evening, then pedal to work the next morning and drive home that evening. This not only allows you to have clean clothes available, but it eliminates one round-trip by car every two days and is a good system for those who wish to commute to work over longer distances.
3. I don’t have a place to shower. Consider a quick cleanup in the restroom, instead, by packing a washcloth and soap in your bag. Or maybe you can use the showers at a nearby health club (sometimes at a discounted shower-only fee). Be creative and check out the facilities near your office. Chances are pretty good that you can find an arrangement that will work. Also, remember that sweat doesn’t stink. If you’re clean when you leave home and you’re wearing clean clothes, no one will know you biked to work. In fact, if you wear the right clothes and don’t have to climb steep hills on your commute, you may not even sweat at all!
4. There’s no place to park my bike at work. There should be, and if there isn’t, maybe it’s time you asked management why they’re not encouraging something as healthy and responsible as bicycling to work. After all, they provide parking spots for cars! Now might be a good time to approach employers, as they may be more open to providing bike parking as a way to combat having their employees waste time sitting in gas lines. Bikes take up hardly any space. So, look for other areas in the building-a basement, utility room, closet, garage, etc. Or try an adjacent parking area where an attendant can watch out for your bike. Wherever you leave your bike, be sure to lock it and remove anything easily stolen, too, such as your pump, cyclo-computer, light, and spare tube.
5. The weather’s too rotten to ride my bike. Regular cyclists know that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. If you dress in layers and fabrics that block wind and repel rain and breathe, you’ll be fine. There are even special gloves and booties to keep your fingers and toes toasty.

Your local bike shop can help you select the proper clothing and equipment for year-round riding, and for using your bike to run errands and to commute. Choosing not to use your car or limiting the number of trips you take with your car will save you gas money, time, and make you feel great!

Read our letter here.

NJBWC in the news… 

NJBWC has been speaking up about the need for shared responsibility among cyclists and motorists on our roads. Joining in an initiative launched by the Morris Area Freewheelers, NJBWC co-signed an article with five touring clubs that appeared in the August 30, 2012 Morristown Patch and gave an interview for an article that was published in the Hunterdon Review on September 13, 2012, both stemming from an incident that occurred in Tewksbury Township. Our goal is to open up lines of communication between cyclists and motorists, encourage dialog, and spread the word about sharing the right to use the road and along with that, sharing responsibility for safe use of our roads among all road users.

Thank you to…

NJBWC would like to thank the clubs who hosted us this summer, giving us the ability to meet more of you and spread the word about our campaigns! We express sincere gratitude to:

• Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation and the Revolutionary Ramble
• Tour De Long Valley
• Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey and the Ramapo Rally
• Marty’s Reliable Cycle and the New Jersey Gran Fondo
• Hammonton Township and the Hammonton Green Committee
• Major Taylor Cycling Club of New Jersey
• Our sponsor Cycle Craft

JSTS presentation 

Join us on October 10 at the Monmouth County Library in Manalapan where we will be hosted by the Jersey Shore Touring Society. We will be speaking about the importance of bicycling advocacy and how building communities that encourage active transportation are good for New Jersey.

NJBWC has a Facebook page 

“Like” us on Facebook for more frequent updates. Our facebook page is linked to our e-newsletter mailing list; when you invite your friends to our FB page, they can then sign up for our newsletter.

We need your support! 

The NJBWC depends on your support to continue our advocacy work. Please consider showing your support by joining NJBWC. Memberships start at $35/year for our bronze level. Join on-line using PayPal or download and send in our membership form. We look forward to having you on board with us!

Club memberships are $250 annually and include your logo in our newsletters for the year. Shops may also purchase annual newsletter sponsorships for $250. Contact us at info@njbwc.org for details.