Complete Streets Coalition Hosts Community Bike Ride
Light Up The Night 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
The Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition will host a Light Up The Night community bike ride 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The grassroots organization, which formed during the summer of 2015, works to make city streets safe for all who use them. Their steering committee is comprised of Paula ‘Polli’ Schildge, Pam Lamberton, Doug McQueen, John Grant, Eric Galipo, Chris Lanni, Joe Grillo, Tracy Rogers, Rick Lambert, and Michael Kushner.
The group won the Department of Transportation’s Complete Streets Champion Award, to be given during the State’s Complete Streets Summit in October.
Tuesday’s four-mile ride sets off at Springwood Avenue Park and traverses throughout city streets. Participants are asked to be as creative as they would like in decorating and lighting up their bicycles. Helmets are required for those 17 and under.
This is the group’s second Light Up The Night ride, the first occurring last month in conjunction with the launch of the City’s bike sharing program.
The rides help draw awareness to bicycle, pedestrian and vehicle safety. Below is a narrative submitted by member Paula ‘Polli’ Schildge:
Pam Lamberton posted on ND in summer 2015 asking for any interested individuals to help with the bicycle code which she was reviewing and updating. We had a few informal meetings which began with focusing on riding bikes on Ocean Ave and the boardwalk, and gradually evolved into discussion about safety on AP streets and the most vulnerable users-bicyclists and pedestrians. In October 2015 we learned that the city had resolved to reject the NJDOT redevelopment plan for Main Street. Part of the plan included a road diet involving changing from 4 travel lanes to 2 with a left turn lane, and bike lanes.
The executive director of NJ Bike & Walk Coalition attended one of our first meetings, and they have provided continued support and guidance. Our founding members included 3 who have extensive background in urban planning. Others in the group each have unique strengths, and we’ve worked together to bring awareness and educate the community about Complete Streets. We utilized a research document, info-graphic, lots of community engagement, a Facebook page and a website. We garnered support from businesses with a logo letter, and a petition for the Main Street reconfiguration, both presented to the city council. We had many individual and group meetings with the mayor, members of the city council and within the community, as well as presentations at council meetings. This was our first specific initiative, which was successful in May 2017 when the city resolved to rescind the resolution to reject the NJDOT plan! We continue to engage with city leaders and administration to advocate for equability and safety of city streets, and to make Asbury Park a great city to live in and visit.
For more about Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition, visit their website and Facebook page.
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