City plans for bike paths

Bordentown City’s Planning Board and the Environmental Commission are currently soliciting questionnaires from residents to comment on what should be included in the walking and biking plan.

By: William Wichert
   BORDENTOWN CITY — Residents now have the chance to add their two cents and then some to the city’s proposed bicycle/pedestrian plan.
   The city’s Planning Board and the Environmental Commission (BCEC) are currently soliciting questionnaires from residents to comment on what should be included in the walking and biking plan, such as their favorite destinations, and which city streets are in need of improvement.
   The plan, which officials plan to adopt in the fall, would become part of the city’s Master Plan and address issues like safe routes to schools, bicycle lanes, and traffic conditions, said BCEC Chairman Mike Hunninghake in a recent e-mail message.
   Existing paths like the Delaware Heritage Trail, Thorntown Creek Trail, and Blacks Creek Trail will be incorporated into the plan, which will then serve as a guide for all future biking and walking improvements that need to be made, he said.
   The effort to make the city more bike- and pedestrian-friendly began last year with the installation of two bicycle racks at the Corner Deli and the post office. However, with the help of a recent $90,000 state grant, city officials are looking to finalize an entire plan after residents have submitted their questionnaires and participated in future public hearings, said Mr. Hunninghake.
   Stephen Chiaramonte, a transportation planner for Parsons Brinckerhoff, which has been hired to help administer the plan, said he has received about a half-dozen questionnaires, which show strong support for a pedestrian-oriented environment as well as fears of bicycle riding in the city.
   Some residents said they were concerned about riding bikes in the city, given the high speeds of cars coming off of Route 130 and Park Street, said Mr. Chiaramonte. The limited response so far, however, has been positive, he said.
   "The general consensus is that Bordentown is a great place to walk in," said Mr. Chiaramonte. "Walking around Bordentown is fairly easy and it’s one of the things that make Bordentown very attractive."
   The bike/pedestrian plan will be focused on several of the most popular destinations in the city, including the schools, the riverfront area and the Farnsworth Avenue business district, but it will also address the conditions of city sidewalks, he said.
   Mr. Chiaramonte said he and city officials walked every street in the city for a sidewalk inventory and found that the condition of the overall pedestrian network was pretty good.
   Once any deficiencies in this network have been cleared up, a bike/pedestrian route will be established in the plan, said Mr. Chiaramonte. As for the residents’ part, he said they should keep sending their questionnaires his way.
   "It’s one of those things (that) we’ll take them as long as we can get them," said Mr. Chiaramonte.
   To pick up a questionnaire, residents should visit the Planning Board secretary at the Municipal Building on Farnsworth Avenue. Questionnaires should then be sent to Mr. Chiaramonte at Parsons Brinckerhoff, 506 Carnegie Center, 2nd Floor, Princeton, NJ 08540, or by fax at (609) 734-6900.