Wildwood OKs More Boardwalk Biking; Waits for N. Wildwood

WILDWOOD — This city’s governing body approved a measure on Wed., July 14 that would have bicyclists pedaling on the Boardwalk for an extra hour each day, but likely not this summer.
Currently, bikes are allowed to ride the boards until 11 a.m. during the summer and shoulder seasons. The change pushes that to noon.
City commissioners, however, added conditions to the ordinance that only trigger it if the tramcars aren’t running and if North Wildwood adopts a similar measure.
Neither of those conditions are likely to be met any time soon because the tramcars start moving around 11 a.m. and Wildwood’s neighbor to the north has yet to introduce the change. Mayor Gary DeMarzo noted that there were also infrastructure issues to consider, with scores of signs currently displaying the 11 a.m. deadline.
During the public hearing on the measure, bike rental business owners and Boardwalk merchants squared up on opposite sides of the issue.
The bike renters of course were in favor of the increased hour, noting that their customers want to ride on the Boardwalk longer. They said their businesses were essentially limited to operating from 7 until 11 a.m. and don’t really get busy until after 9 a.m.
They added that stores on the wooden way can stay open all day and night.
Boardwalk merchants countered that their businesses would be hurt by this change because shoppers don’t want to deal with a Boardwalk full of bicycles. They said commissioners should have sought input from the merchants before considering this measure.
The bike renters said their customers actually help the Boardwalk merchants, using baskets to carry the purchases they make on the Boardwalk and locks to park their bikes to shop and eat breakfast on the Boardwalk.
In the end, the commissioners sided with the bike renters and their customers, approving the extra hour unanimously. Those on both sides of the issue must now wait to see whose side North Wildwood takes.