Murphy Administration announces Bike Month Proclamations on Bike to Work Day

NJDOT Reminds communities of New Grant Opportunities workshops

(Trenton) - In honor of National Bike Month, Governor Phil Murphy signed proclamations recognizing May as Bike Month, as well as Walk and Bike to School Month. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is committed to safe and convenient bicycle travel and has several programs to promote this form of transportation.

Today, Friday May 18, is National Bike to Work Day, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and celebrated in communities across the country. Most of New Jersey’s eight Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) are sponsoring bicycling events in May.

May is also Walk and Bike to School Month in New Jersey. NJDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) support the New Jersey Safe Routes to School program which encourages and enables children to walk and bike to school as a safe and healthy daily activity.

“Connectivity through transportation is the new operative strategy. Whether it’s connecting transit services to our cities and towns to foster economic development, or, in this case, connecting communities to their schools through bicycling and walking, which also promotes healthy lifestyles,” NJDOT Acting Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “The Department of Transportation is committed to helping communities provide safe and efficient pedestrian and bicycling accommodations for our residents and visitors.”

As part of the Acting Commissioner’s Commitment to Communities Initiative, NJDOT is hosting a series of Grant Workshops to coincide with the opening of the grant applications solicitations for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program and the Transportation Alternatives Set-Asides (TA-Setasides). These programs have awarded millions to towns in New Jersey for bike trails, bike lanes and other bicycle compatible infrastructure projects. These workshops will take place at the following locations:

• Monday, May 21, 2018 at 10am: Edward J. Bloustein School, Special Events Forum in New Brunswick
• Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at 10am: Cumberland County College, Forum Room in Vineland
• Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 10am: NJDOT Headquarters, Multi-purpose room in Trenton
• Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 10am: NJ Transportation Planning Authority, Training Room in Newark

Since the Safe Routes to School Program began in 2005, NJDOT has awarded more than $30 million to communities for projects that make the travel environment around schools safer. Local Safe Routes to School Coordinators from the TMAs are ready and willing to assist schools and communities with SRTS programs. Coordinators can assist with organizing a Walk and Bike to School Day or a Walking School Bus, hosting a bike rodeo or pedestrian safety workshop and assessing the walking and bicycling conditions around your schools.

Please visit the New Jersey Safe Routes to School Resource Center at www.saferoutesnj.org or SRTS@ejb.rutgers.edu for information and resources to start walking and bicycling to school programs in your community. For information on grant opportunities for infrastructure projects, contact us at SafeRoutes@dot.nj.gov or visit our website at www.state.nj.us/transportation/community/srts. For NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info and on the NJDOT Facebook page.