Cape May’s Aim: Bike, Pedestrian Friendly

CAPE MAY – Cape May City Council heard from its Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Sept. 4 on continued progress to make the resort bike and pedestrian friendly.
The summer tourist season brings with it an ever-increasing problem of vehicular congestion and endless searches for elusive parking spaces. Offering residents and tourists safe, attractive options for getting around by bike and on foot could appeal to many who would eschew the automobile once parked at this Victorian city by the sea. 
Committee Chair William Murray made his pitch to continue efforts with the county to lower the speed limits on Pittsburgh Avenue, a county road that runs along the Coast Guard housing complex and is a main crossroad for children going to and from the elementary school.  
Earlier entreaties to the county have not produced action on an agenda to reduce the speed limit, repaint the bike paths and more adequately mark the many pedestrian crosswalks.
Committee member Gus Mosso provided a perspective on the committee’s efforts to produce and distribute a bicycle safety brochure. With a large population of visitors in the summer months renting bicycles, the efforts also extended to gaining access to over 8,000 safety hangtags that can be displayed on the handlebars at rental locations and at bed-and-breakfast inns.
The tags were obtained through the state Attorney General’s Office.
Bob Morris of the Kiwanis Club told council that his organization, in conjunction with the advisory committee, launched a “Bike at Night, Have a Light” initiative. It provided over 400 front and back lights to area school children and others.
The committee’s discussion of its activities ran to success with better signage and road markings, an increase in the number of bike racks, and even, as member Jim Moffatt  highlighted, efforts toward the establishment of the pedestrian-friendly Soldiers and Sailors Park which should see groundbreaking on Veterans Day this Nov. 11.
Calling the recently extended period for bike riding on the Promenade a victory, the committee lamented the fact that movement has been glacial on the long-discussed extension of the bike path from the Coast Guard Training Center to the elementary school.
The committee will share its vision with the team working on the master plan. The goal is simple, to make bike riding and pedestrian activity safer and a more rewarding experience for residents and visitors.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.