Starting this month, cyclists will have an easier time securing their bikes while they peruse all downtown Asbury Park has to offer.
The city is set to install 14 new bicycle racks around the central business district [CBD], according to Chamber of Commerce executive director Jackie Pappas. If weather permits, installation will begin next week. The city engineering department will take the lead on the installation.
Pappas has spent the past six months “canvassing the area and talking to business owners” to determine which spots would be best for the bike racks, she said.
“We want them to be in the most useful spaces and we don’t want them to be interrupting anybody’s aesthetic communication,” she said.
Bike racks are part of the city’s original plan for the downtown streetscape, she said. They are being purchased and installed using funds from the now-defunct urban enterprise zone [UEZ].
The racks will be brushed stainless steel in a U-shaped design, Pappas said. In the future, the city could decide to paint them.
The racks will be placed on Cookman, Lake, Mattison and Bangs avenues, as well as close to Main Street, in an effort to show passing motorists that Asbury Park is bike-friendly, Pappas said.
In the past, the city installed some bike racks on the boardwalk, Pappas said. Also, some businesses have installed their own bicycle racks.
Pappas hopes the city will expand on the program soon, possibly with sponsorships from businesses and “more artistic” racks, she said.
“I think it will be really nice during the fall season,” Pappas said of the impending installation. “People will really be encouraged to take bikes into the city.”
