Thousands of New Jersey and New York City cyclists
traversing the George Washington Bride
daily en route to 9W, arguably the most
traveled cycling route in the northeast, will soon have improved visibility
this fall after the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) begins
repainting the road shoulder lines and adds new signage along Englewood Cliffs,
Tenafly, and Alpine up to the state line.
“There’s a study we’re looking at to see what is feasible in terms of longer term improvements for the 9W corridor,” said Joe Dee, spokesperson for NJDOT, who is also an avid cyclist. "We’ve been interested in addressing this issue for some time now due to the volume of cyclists. It’s a very popular area.”
While the project is designed to make the road more visible and safer for cyclists, Dee says motorists need to understand the road is to be shared by a variety of users. Nevertheless, cyclists need to do their part as well.
“I think it’s awareness,” Dee said. “Cyclists can make themselves more visible by wearing bright jerseys. But I shake my head at the recklessness of cyclists when they go two abreast on a highway that doesn’t have a shoulder. And clearly, they’re on the highway for a short distance, they’re trying to get off it onto a country road, but they absent mindedly or arrogantly decide to take over a section of the road and it just doesn’t make sense.”
“I always look at little stretches of highway, and even county routes where there’s no shoulder, and I’m on those periodically like Route 579 in Hunterdon,” Dee added. “That’s the time for a pace line. If you have a bunch of riders, get in the pace line and grind it out.”
According to the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, bicycles have
the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicles. Cyclists must ride on
the right side of the road, travel in the same direction as motorists, obey all
signals, and ride no more than two abreast when traffic is
not impeded, but otherwise ride in single file.
Narrower sections along 9W are posted with signs requiring
cyclists to ride in a single file. Cyclists under 17 years of age are required
to wear a bike helmet approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission,
although bike shops, groups, and clubs advocate the use of helmets regardless
of age.
Organizers of Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York (GFNY), a timed
race that utilizes 9W for much of the 105-mile course, has developed a “sixth
sense” for what’s improved and what requires more focus, including speeding
cars, distracted drivers due to texting, and the 3-foot distance rule motorists
should maintain when passing cyclists – all of which require additional
education for both cyclists and motorists.
“While speeding and distraction will have to be enforced by ticketing drivers,
passing cyclists appropriately requires education because many drivers are not
aware of the danger that comes from passing cyclists closely,” says Lidia
Fluhme, who has successfully co-organized the GFNY with her husband, Uli Fluhme
for the last three years.
Group rides meeting at Strictly Bicycles every Sunday at 8am
not only provide a supportive training environment for cyclists training for
the next GFNY and other events, they also educate cyclists on road rules,
etiquette, and how to properly share the road with motorists, other cyclists
and pedestrians.
But Fluhme believes non-cycling motorists needs to
experience the road from a cyclist’s perspective to better appreciate the
potential for disaster.
"Ideally, before anyone is granted a driver's license, he/she would have to be
on a bike and have cars, trucks and motorbikes speed by with 3-12 inches of
distance while riding their bike from A to B,” Fluhme explained. “Experiencing
that fright firsthand would show drivers how horrible it feels and deter them
from doing it and, hence, avoid terrible accidents.”
For more information
regarding cycling tips, bike safety, and to view digital maps, go to the Road Rules section under Community @StrictlyBicycles.com.
Want to learn proper cycling?
Join one of our FREE Sunday group rides. We meet at Strictly Bicycles 8am (when
store opens) to stock up on hydration, nutrition, and last minute tire checks.
Rides depart SB parking lot approximately 8:30am. All levels welcome!
Join the Strictly Bicycles Strava club
to follow Nelson Gutierrez, the Strictly Bicycles staff, and all your friends
on Strava. See where and when they ride, who is King of the Mountain in your
area, plus personal records and other fun stats. Join our Strictly Bicycles
Strava Club today!
Signup for our newsletter to receive alerts on part
three of this cycling news series and other cycling news.
