Advocacy & Safety - Southern pinelands natural heritage trail

SOUTHERN PINELANDS NATURAL HERITAGE TRAIL

Scenic New Jersey Byway

Report To South Jersey Wheelmen and Outdoor Club of South Jersey

Wednesday, March 25, 2008



This route is 130 miles within Atlantic and Cape May counties. The northern end is defined at the Mullica River watershed and nearby coastal resources. The central segment is along the Great Egg Harbor River, and the southern loop includes the Delaware Bayshore coastal areas. It is also important to note that the route approaches Cumberland county at Port Elizabeth, Burlington/Camden counties at Basto and Nesco, and Gloucester county as it goes though Hamilton Township.

Given the fact that increased traffic is planned for some prime cycling roads that are used by the club and its members, we need to ensure the club is involved and providing information as well as support. Of immediate concern would be ensuring proper size roadway shoulders are provided. Perhaps the yet to be sign include indication to ‘share the road’ or similar logo. This could be that of a bicycle helmet that would serve a dual purpose of alerting motorist to cyclists and remind bicyclist to wear their helmet. This would also serve at an outstanding opportunity to advertise the club and get excellent visibility. How great it would be in any literature handed out at the ‘Interpretive Site’ that the club be mentioned as providing supporting information.

Therefore, recommend the club pass a resolution to support this effort and commit to attending these meetings.
To read the full report go to:

www.geocities.com/cycling_repete/REPORT_ON_SOUTHERN_PINELANDS_NATURAL_HERITAGE_TRAIL.pdf


Safe Cycling...Wear Your Helmet!
Tom Garrett
Pete (RePete) Nahaczewski
March 28, 2009

I am interested in getting ideas as to what to present at upcoming committee meetings. Obviously width of roadway shoulders are a concern...what else can be included?

Also like to hear from anyone that has been involved is such efforts...

RePete

Given that cyclists are not required to use shoulders in NJ, I don't think you are going to accomplish much requesting them to be widened for the benefit of your club rides. If there is to be a considerable increase in traffic on the roads you use and they currently do not have useable shoulders or passing lanes, you may have some success requesting that shoulders be widened to benefit faster traffic on these roads as it will make overtaking slower traffic easier.

My other personal opinion is to leave your helmet promotion out of it.

My other personal opinion is to leave your helmet promotion out of it.

Thanks for your suggestions...helmet use is a requirement by both clubs as well as most other clubs in the area.

RePete

Thanks for your suggestions...helmet use is a requirement by both clubs as well as most other clubs in the area.

But helmet use is not required by law for everybody on a bike in NJ, only under the age of 17. The clubs are not the only cyclists using those roads.

39:4-10.1 Bicycle helmets, requirements.

1. a. A person under 17 years of age shall not operate, or ride upon a bicycle as a passenger, unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet which meets the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z90.4 bicycle helmet standard) or the Snell Memorial Foundation's 1990 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling. This requirement shall apply to a person who rides upon a bicycle while in a restraining seat which is attached to the bicycle or in a trailer towed by the bicycle.

Thanks for your suggestions...helmet use is a requirement by both clubs as well as most other clubs in the area.

RePete

Presumably there are "stakeholders" for this trail whom are not members of bike clubs, who have interests and concerns that do not match the self imposed "requirements" of organized bike clubs. You should be less provincial and consider that the other stakeholders may not wish to be coerced into compliance with your bike club "requirements."

I think we are getting lost on a single issue...this byway program has been around since 2000 with many states participating...

Would be great to hear from anyone that has some experience with this program in their state.

RePete

I think we are getting lost on a single issue...this byway program has been around since 2000 with many states participating...

Would be great to hear from anyone that has some experience with this program in their state.

RePete

For the record, your sig line and your proposal for the new signage greatly entwined the helmet issue in your post. You could have left that out and no comments on that topic would have been made. Just a suggestion for future posts so that your major issue does not get clouded with minor ones.

With that said, we have scenic byways in Delaware. They have no more traffic on them now than they did prior to having some signs posted stating the obvious.

Having cycled through the pine barrens in NJ, I highly doubt you'll see any great increase in traffic there ever as the second part of the name gives an indication of how much there is to see there. Nice quiet roads for cycling; hardly anything I'd spend an afternoon driving through for the scenery.

Plug it once, plug it all, plug it in nice big letters, all while skirting any further undesirable comments after the first rebuttal. Repeat it, Pete!

What's with all the self-serving, traffic planner wannabes lately? They're starting to overshadow all the self-serving, cycling advocate wannabes.

-Kurt

Thanks for posting this RePete. I ride these roads very frequently and I would support anything that encourages the widening of the county road shoulders in Atlantic County. Often these roads have no shoulder at all, just a fogline painted on the very edge of the pavement. If you ever get a chance, check out the county roads in Burlington County. Most have very wide shoulders which are kept clean of debris and are well marked with share the road signs.

Thanks for posting this RePete. I ride these roads very frequently and I would support anything that encourages the widening of the county road shoulders in Atlantic County. Often these roads have no shoulder at all, just a fogline painted on the very edge of the pavement. If you ever get a chance, check out the county roads in Burlington County. Most have very wide shoulders which are kept clean of debris and are well marked with share the road signs.

Nick...no problem...this may be something fairly big if the state follows through. The pinelands are so unique being located so close to some major development. Guess if this doesn't happen...we cyclist still have some great roads to ourselves. But the purpose here is to be on top of changes that would impact us...and to have a voice in those changes.

In the full report there is a link providing the 130 mile route...not sure if you seen. If you are familiar with any of those roads that may already have problems...pass these to me. Any suggested improvement will also be gladly accepted.

RePete