By Donald Gilpin

Princeton has again been designated a Silver-Level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).

Princeton is one of four bike friendly municipalities in the state and the only Silver-Level award-winner. West Windsor, Lambertville, and New Brunswick received Bronze-Level recognition. There were 460 communities across the country that were recognized as Bicycle Friendly by the LAB.

“Princeton remains committed to reimagining its roadways beyond a car-centric model, fostering diverse transportation options that promote healthier, more sustainable lifestyles in the community,” said Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros, liaison to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee. “We are proud to be a Bicycle Friendly Community for the 12th year in a row.”

The award process considers very visible elements such as bike infrastructure as well as other essential elements including adult, youth, and motorist bike education; policies and design standards; encouragement through events like Bike to Work Day; evaluating and improving safety outcomes; and equity and accessibility.

“In 2024, the municipality made significant progress toward ensuring Princeton is a bike and pedestrian friendly community,” said Deputy Administrator/Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton. “We completed the third and final phase of the Witherspoon Street project, incorporating traffic-calming elements, raised crosswalks, and widened sidewalks to create a safer bike route for Community Park Elementary students.”

She continued, “Additionally we added bike lanes to Hodge Road, prohibited parking on Valley Road, and launched planning projects for Hamilton Avenue and the Harrison Street corridor to further improve bike safety.”

Both Lambros and Stockton expressed pride in Princeton’s Silver-Level bike friendly status, but they both acknowledge that there is room for improvement.

“As we did this past year, when road improvements are done, either by the municipality or by PSE&G, we use the opportunity to add bike infrastructure such as restriping for bike lanes or bike boulevard markings and adding traffic calming improvements,” said Lambros. “This is a cost-effective way to implement more bike infrastructure, one road project at a time, and while the progress is incremental our goal is municipal-wide connectivity for bicyclists. This past year we made a lot of progress, and we plan to continue this important work in 2025 and beyond.”

Stockton pointed out some of the challenges as Princeton moves forward to enhance its bike-friendliness. “Completely overhauling our roadways to include bicycle infrastructure is not feasible from a planning and cost perspective,” she said. “Some roadways present unique challenges when considering the incorporation of bicycle infrastructure, so we must study the options and make tough choices.”

She continued, “For example, the Harrison Street corridor is being studied for opportunities to add bicycle infrastructure. In this case, the best type of bicycle infrastructure might be to use a lower stress parallel roadway for a portion of the route. Princeton’s roadways have specific constraints and opportunities; our task is to determine how each area can be improved for bike safety. This main corridor, along with Hamilton Avenue, will offer significant improvements to bike connectivity, particularly connecting new housing units, commercial areas, and schools.”

The LAB’s extensive application process included an opportunity for Princeton’s local bicyclists and transportation advocates to provide input on their experiences and perceptions of bicycling in their community through a survey that was distributed this past August.

In response to the question “How satisfied are you with how this community is designed for making bike riding safe?” about 59 percent of some 170 respondents answered “very dissatisfied” or “somewhat dissatisfied.” And in response to the question “Is it safe or dangerous to ride a bicycle in your neighborhood, or does it depend?” 14.20 percent said it’s “safe,” 65.68 percent said “it depends,” and 20.12 percent said it’s “dangerous.”

When asked “What are the top 1-3 changes you would most like to see the local government make in this community for bicyclists?” 54.34 percent said “more bike lanes,” 44.51 percent said “more bike paths,” and 36.42 percent said “improve existing bike lanes to protected bike lanes.”

Princeton, and other bike friendly communities, must renew their status every four years “to ensure that they not only maintain existing efforts, but also keep up with changing technology, national safety standards, and community-driven best practices,” according to the municipality press release.

LAB Executive Director Bill Nesper commented on the significance of the awards and the importance of bicycling. “Bicycling is more than just a mode of transportation — it’s a powerful tool for building healthier communities, fostering sustainability, and connecting people,” he said. “The cities and towns recognized in this round of Bicycle Friendly Community awards are leading the way by investing in infrastructure and programs that make biking an easier, safer, and more accessible choice. Their leadership demonstrates that supporting bicycling is an investment in a healthier future for everyone.”

Walk & Wheel Wednesdays

In additional Bike Friendly Princeton news, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Council of the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) has announced a new district initiative, “Walk & Wheel Wednesdays,” starting on March 5.

The PTOs — with support from the Princeton Police Department, the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, Sustainable Princeton, and other community partners — are encouraging students to walk, bike, or take the bus to school every Wednesday to reduce traffic and emissions around the schools — and also to create more safety in numbers.

The PTOs encourage families to plan their route with other families. Young children should be accompanied by an adult. If participating on bike or scooter, students must wear helmets and know how to ride.

Walk & Wheel will take place every Wednesday rain or shine, but not in cases of snow or ice. PPS will send out an alert to all families if the event is canceled. There will be an increased police presence and enforcement of traffic laws in school areas on Wednesdays.

Visit princetonptoc.weebly.com/walk—wheel-wednesdays for further information.