By MADDY VITALE
All one has to do is take a walk downtown or in any neighborhood in Ocean City and there they are — bicyclists — lots of them.
In a community that has become a bicycling haven for visitors and residents, turning off the ignition and hopping on two wheels to let your body do the work is one way people are staying in shape. And while doing so they are also improving the quality of life by cutting down on traffic congestion and emissions.
A grant application for Cape May County will allow improvements to Ocean City’s biking infrastructure along with amenities in a proposal that has been in the works for over a decade.
The application, on the city’s website www.ocnj.us, explains it best:
“The City of Ocean City and the County of Cape May are proposing to provide the biking infrastructure to promote increased biking in the city, improving air quality and reducing traffic congestion. This project would coincide with the city’s Complete Streets Policy and city-wide bike routes,” it reads.
Improvements would include 40 bike racks and a biking pocket shelter.
The racks would be installed at the following locations:
- Boardwalk street ends from North Street to 23rd Street
- Beach Street ends from 23rd Street to 59th Street
- And racks as needed within the city
Officials agreed there are many benefits to the project.
Not only would it enhance the number of bicyclists in the community and improve fitness and the environment, but it would also stimulate economic development and smart growth in the downtown, and create public spaces that connect the community, according to the grant application.
Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald M. Thornton, who is on the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO), said of the project, “The County of Cape May is pleased to help facilitate the application by the City of Ocean City to the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization for grant funds in support of new bicycle system improvements in Ocean City.”
Thornton continued, “The current project includes the establishment of designated bicycle parking facilities at multiple beach/Boardwalk access points throughout the city. The hope is that these improvements will help to increase safety and organization at the street-end locations and will encourage our residents and visitors to use bicycles to get to the beach and other activities along the oceanfront.”
Ocean City’s Public Information Officer Doug Bergen said of the joint effort between the city and the county, “As always, the city is grateful for the county’s partnership in improving infrastructure and recreational facilities and amenities.”
Officials noted that former Cape May County Engineer Dale Foster was closely involved with the project. Foster used congestion management air quality funding to create enhancements throughout Ocean City, including bicycle racks and signage, to encourage people to use bicycles instead of cars.
Freeholder Will Morey, who is the liaison for Open Space and Farmland Preservation, said the freeholders have been focused on developing bicycle-related facilities throughout the county.
He said there have been great strides in the project while working with municipal partners in developing a comprehensive bicycle network with amenities throughout the county.
“It is wonderful to see how the city has undertaken the pursuit of SJTPO funding to add to the city’s network and to provide bicyclists with the facilities they need,” Morey said. “Getting people out of cars and onto their bikes will help ease traffic congestion, parking woes, and will ultimately lead to a healthier community.”
