Lawrence-Hopewell biking route draws criticism, praise

Deputy Mayor Marylou Ferrara said intent of taking public comment is to find a route that, it is hoped, has no opponents.

By John Tredrea
   The currently proposed route for a 20-mile long bicycle path linking Hopewell and Lawrence townships drew criticism and praise from residents of Bayberry and Elm Ridge roads during the April 3 Hopewell Township Committee meeting.
   The bike path route is a work in progress and thus is subject to change, township Deputy Mayor Marylou Ferrara said, noting the intent of taking public comment is to find a route that, it is hoped, has no opponents.
   Mayor Fran Bartlett agreed. "Nothing is in stone yet," she said. "There is no final plan on the bike path."
   Bayberry Road resident Anthony Gaeta reiterated comments he had made during a March 31 meeting about the bike path’s proposed route, which includes the full length of Bayberry Road.
   "Bayberry Road is too narrow, with too many blind hills and curves" for a bike path to be included on the paved portion of road, as is currently proposed, Mr. Gaeta said. He added that, in his view, the oddly configured intersection of Bayberry Road is "very bad for cars, let alone bicycles."
   Ms. Ferrara said it may be possible to route that path through a tract of open space near Bayberry Road, rather than on the road itself. She said she and others involved in the bike path effort are working on that possibility.
   Bayberry Road resident Mark Solomon supported the idea of running the bike path on the road. "I would love to see it," he said, adding he has run and biked on that road on a nearly daily basis for years without incident, as have a number of his neighbors.
   "It’s time to recognize that roads are for users other than just motor vehicles," he said. He characterized Bayberry Road as "a scenic byway" that would be perfect for a bike path. "Don’t take out the curves and hills," he said. "They slow cars down."
   A woman who lives on Bayberry Road agreed. "I’m thrilled with the idea" of the bike path, she said. "I hope Pennington gets included."
   The bike path as currently proposed does not reach Pennington Borough. The closest it gets to the borough is the Bristol-Myers Squibb (B-MS) office-research park, off Pennington-Rocky Hill Road about a mile east of the borough. The proposed path would connect that B-MS site to two other B-MS sites in Lawrence — one off Carter and Carson roads, the other near I-95 and The Lawrenceville School.
   The path would access the Educational Testing Service (ETS) facility, near Carter and Rosedale roads in Lawrence. The path would pass through Rosedale Park, in Hopewell Township, and Mercer County Park Northwest, which is bisected by Hopewell and Lawrence townships.
   Elm Ridge Road resident said the bike path’s currently proposed route would run near a greenhouse used by his business. This causes him to be concerned about vandalism to his property, he said. He said he, too, feels Pennington Borough should be brought into the bike path.