In off-season, boardwalk bike rules stay the same
Police chief says waterfront still crowded in fall, winter
With the summer gone and the boardwalk a bit emptier, some local residents are dismayed to find they can’t ride their bikes on the boards between noon and midnight.
Bicycling on the boardwalk from noon to midnight has been prohibited year round since June 2009, but some city residents have recently asked if the rules changed due to what they perceive to be increased enforcement.
“Why on earth Asbury Park would need to discourage bike-riding in the off season is beyond me,” said resident Jeffrey Seeds during public comment at the Oct. 3 council meeting. “My hope is that the council will revisit this matter as it did the crazy bathing suit ordinance, because everybody I’ve talked to thinks it’s just as crazy as that was.”
According to the city ordinance, riding or using a “bicycle, skateboard, roller skate or toboggan” on the boardwalk or adjacent paths is prohibited, execpt between the hours of 12 a.m. and 12 p.m. — and no riding of those vehicles is permitted north of Sixth Avenue. Seeds suggested the council change the rules so bicycling is permitted in the off-season.
But according to Police Chief Mark Kinmon, the rule is in place for a reason.
“In the summer time obviously with the crowds and everything it’s definitely an issue,” Kinmon said. But Asbury Park’s is “not a traditional type of boardwalk where from May to September it’s crowded and then everybody goes home.”
Due to concert and event venues like Convention Hall and the local bars and restaurants, “there’s a pretty steady flow of people on the boardwalk,” Kinmon said. Also, many senior citizens walk the boardwalk during the day and “that could be an issue,” he added.
As for increased enforcement, Kinmon said police officers have not been cracking down on bikers, but cyclists may feel they’re being targeted because they don’t realize the rules are the same year round.
Also, the police assigned to the boardwalk are not taking away from other responsibilities in town, as they are paid for by boardwalk redeveloper Madison Marquette, Kinmon said. “It’s not like if they weren’t on the boardwalk they’d be somewhere else,” he added.
Several years ago, bike riding was prohibited after 9 or 10 a.m., Kinmon said.
“I understand both sides of the situation but it’s just the safest thing in my opinion,” Kinmon said. “We still have crowds [in the off-season].”
