More than 30% of our city’s households do not own a car at all. Trenton has an active bicycling and pedestrian culture, with many residents biking or walking to work, to school or simply for leisure. Unfortunately, the road conditions in Trenton are not always ideal for walking and bicycling: crosswalks are poorly marked, the bike lane system is fragmented, and maintenance is spotty, but the city is well-positioned to capitalize on its traditional grid network.

Particularly as a group of residents dedicated to creating a safe and healthy environment for bicyclists in Trenton, we urge swift action!

Bicycle and pedestrian improvements can improve the economy of Trenton by making the city safer and more accommodating for residents, as well as tourists. These improvements will help make it easier for Trenton’s kids to get active. Nearly 1 in 2 Trenton children is overweight or obese!

Please help enact a Complete Streets now! Make our streets safer for everyone and let’s get more residents using bicycles for transportation.

One piece of our letter:

“According to the American Community Survey of 2005-09, more than 6% of Trentonians commute to work each day by bike or foot, which is notable. More than 30% of the city’s households do not own a car at all. The road conditions in Trenton are not ideal for bicycling and walking: the bike lane system is fragmented; and parks in our community need serious upgrades.”

Near the entrance to an off-road trail, we found some illegally dumped garbage. We reported this dumping to the Department of Environmental Protection and will monitor the situation to make sure if gets cleaned up.

Although we had a good time exploring the trails, some of the path was still flooded from Hurricane Irene, and we couldn’t reach our intended destination. We doubled back toward Trenton, stopping for a quick picture along the river.

The Riverfront Park in South Trenton is a great place to walk and bike!

We’ll arrange for more rides in the area. Please join us next time!

Here is one piece of the letter:

“Bicycle and pedestrian improvements can improve the economy of Trenton by making the city safer and more accommodating for tourists, as well as residents. Building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure creates 46 percent more jobs than building road only projects, per million dollars spent. But these improvements will also help make it easier for Trenton’s kids to get active. Nearly 1 in 2 Trenton children is overweight or obese! These transportation enhancement programs are not inconsequential. The importance of their preservation cannot be understated.”

“As avid users of the bicycle network in our area, we know there is a pressing need for signage and infrastructure improvements. Upgrades to the bike network, and pedestrian crossings are urgently needed.  Clearly marking the roads with better signage for all users, particularly visitors, could help riders better recognize and take advantage of places of interest in close proximity to the train station. Trenton Cycling Revolution supports any programs that will improve the street system in Trenton.”

CONTACT: Dan Fatton, Trenton Cycling Revolution, 908-303-4546, trentoncyclingrevolution@gmail.com

photo courtesy of: Ideal Image Consulting

TRENTON, N.J. — More than 200 people came to Trenton on Saturday morning to take to the streets and participate in the 15th Annual Trenton Bike Tour, organized by the local cycling advocacy group Trenton Cycling Revolution (TCR) and in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton and Mercer County.

Bicycle enthusiasts, families, kids, local residents and out-of-towners started the 15-mile leisurely ride in Trenton’s Olmsted-designed Cadwalader Park, and continued on to tour the city’s historic streets and sights, diverse neighborhoods and community gardens.

Participants were escorted through the city intersections by the Trenton Police Department and toured notable sights such as the New Jersey State House, Trenton Battle Monument, and picturesque views from the D&R Canal tow path and newly completed East Coast Greenway “missing link” —which makes Canal Park a continuous 60-mile recreational path.

photo courtesy of: Ideal Image Consulting

Saturday’s ride also included a pit stop at Artworks, Trenton’s downtown visual arts center, which not only included snacks, refreshments and an opportunity to rest, but also entertainment provided by musician Billy Reiter. This year’s event was sponsored by a number of Trenton supporters including Shop Rite, AAA, Isles, East Coast Greenway and Knapp’s Cyclery.

As a part of National Bike Month and marking the culmination of National Bike to Work Week, the tour aims to not only highlight the city’s many tourist attractions, but also promote healthy lifestyles and raise awareness of bicycle safety throughout the region for avid, commuting and recreational bicyclists.

“We hope that great events like the Trenton Bike Tour will bring attention to just how important safe and complete streets are for everyone, especially residents riding their bikes through our great city,” said Dan Fatton, chair of TCR. “Trenton streets need to accommodate all users — bikers, pedestrians and drivers — because it is the right and fair thing to do for access, safety and economic development. Our city should follow the lead of Portland, Washington D.C. and New York City and be a model when it comes to being bike friendly.”

photo courtesy of: Ideal Image Consulting

The annual bike tour is just one of many efforts by TCR to promote safe streets for cyclists in Trenton. TCR most recently co-hosted a Breakfast for Bikers at the Trenton Transit Center on May 16 with the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, with more than 40 people coming out to support more cycling and public transportation — and fewer cars on the road.

The Trenton Bike Tour was also part of “Let’s Move in May” an anti-obesity initiative in Trenton to get residents active. “Riding a bicycle or walking represents an affordable and convenient way to get around, particularly for short distances, and travel by bike or foot can help get your heart rate up. Despite an active bicycling community of those who commute via bike and recreational riders, Trenton has alarming rates of obesity. Events like the Trenton Bike Tour can encourage people to make healthy choices,” said Fatton.

Beginning and ending in Trenton’s crown jewel, the Olmsted-designed Cadwalader Park, the bike tour will be a leisurely 15-mile, police-escorted ride through Trenton’s historic streets and sights, diverse neighborhoods and community gardens.  The ride also includes a pit stop at Artworks, complete with snacks and entertainment.

As a part of National Bike Month, the tour aims to highlight the tourist attractions of the city, promote healthy lifestyles, and raise awareness of bicycle safety throughout the region for avid, commuting and recreational bicyclists.

This year’s event is sponsored by a number of Trenton supporters including Shop Rite, AAA, Isles, East Coast Greenway and Capital Health.

Notable sights on the tour include: Revolutionary War Trenton Barracks, War Memorial, New Jersey State House, Battle Monument, and views from the D&R Canal tow path and East Coast Greenway path.

Registration Information:
Ticket costs are $10/Adults and $5/Children. The first 100 registered riders will receive a free t-shirt.
Check-in begins at Cadwalader Park at 8:30 a.m. and the ride begins at 9:00 a.m.

To purchase register, visit www.trentoncycling.org or mail a check to the Trenton Cycling Revolution at PO Box 1155, Trenton, NJ 08611. If mailing a check, please indicate what type of registration you are purchasing.

Members of the media are welcomed and encouraged to attend! Please contact Dan Fatton at the information listed above to learn more or schedule an interview with Trenton Cycling Revolution leadership and past participants.

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The Trenton Cycling Revolution is a local Trenton organization dedicated to creating a safe and healthy environment for bicyclists in the greater Trenton area through education, advocacy and promotion. For more information, visit www.trentoncycling.org.

Yesterday, I biked to work and it was great to be on the road again. And there were a LOT of bikers sharing the streets of Trenton! I counted more than a dozen downtown; maybe because the weather was perfect. Hopefully there will be even more riders for Bike to Work Week later this month, May 16-20.

If you are one of the first 200 to register in advance for free with the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, you’ll get a free tee-shirt. And after that week, if you log your miles, you can win some prizes. Mmmm, prizes.

As an added benefit, if you are riding to work on Monday, May 16, please visit us at the Trenton Transit Center, from 7-9am. We will be handing out free coffee and refreshments to bicyclists on their way to work. If you have any questions, please contact rhersh@gmtma.org, or call 609-452-1491.

And of course, the culmination of Bike to Work Week, Saturday, May 21, the 2011 Trenton Bike Tour!

CitySmiles, in partnership with the Trenton Cycling Revolution, announced its annual Car-free Park Family and Community Bicycling Day. On Sunday, May 1st from 1:00-4:00pm, Cadwalader Park will be closed to cars so that children, families and community members can have the park to themselves with no car traffic to worry about. While bicyclists need to ride safely all the time around cars, other bicyclists and pedestrians, an afternoon in the park without cars offers a sense of quiet freedom, relaxation and beauty. Bicyclists all riding together in the park at the same time offers camaraderie around the enjoyment of bicycling and exploring the wonderful paths and places in the park. The park day is also a time for families to get their bikes out of their yards and basements, and get their legs moving and in shape. The afternoon is free. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch. All bicyclists must wear a helmet. For more information, please contact lisa@citysmiles.org.

The Sixth Annual Spirit Walk in Cadwalader Park will be held on Saturday, May 7th, 8 a.m. to 12 noon—rain or shine. Come walk for as long or as short a time as you like. Trenton Spirit Walk brings area faith and civic groups and families and friends together to walk for good health. This free event will start with registration at 8 a.m and the walk around the park will begin at 9:15 a.m. Raffle prizes, health screenings, local entertainment and face-painting will be available until noon. For more information, please contact trenton350jacque@gmail.com.

The Greater Mercer TMA and Trenton Cycling Revolution are hosting a Breakfast for Bicyclists at the Trenton Transit Center on Monday, May 16 from 7-9am, in celebration of National Bike to Work Week and National Bike Month. They encourage you to bike to work that day, stop by for free coffee, snacks, and information.

Trenton Cycling Revolution, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Trenton and Mercer County, will host the annual Trenton Bike Tour on Saturday, May 21. Beginning and ending in Trenton’s crown jewel, the Olmsted-designed Cadwalader Park, the bike tour will be a leisurely 15-mile police-escorted ride through Trenton’s historic streets and sights, diverse neighborhoods and community gardens. As a part of National Bike Month, the tour aims to both highlight the tourist attractions of the city, and raise awareness of bicycle safety throughout the region for avid, commuting and recreational bicyclists. Registration begins at 8:30 AM, and the ride begins at 9AM. Online registration is available.

After the program, press conference participants signed a proclamation, which can be seen here.