Bikes will fill the local streets on June 7 when the annual Jersey City Ward Tour & Festival returns for its sixth year and celebrates the growth of bike culture in the state’s second-largest city.
The signature event of local bike advocacy group Bike JC, last year the Ward Tour took well over a thousand riders on a 15-mile cruise through all six of Jersey City’s political wards with a police escort. Early registration for the 2015 edition is on pace for an even bigger ride.
“We’re proud that the city’s bike community has embraced our Ward Tour,” said Bike JC president and co-founder Christopher Englese. “One reason it’s been successful is that Jersey City has become a hotbed of cycling, in a state previously known for unmanageable car traffic.”
The city government has been painting bike lanes, installing bike racks that were crowdfunded in a campaign co-led by Bike JC, and preparing to open a bike share system.
Although originally tied into a program with Hoboken and Weehawken, Jersey City has opted to launch its own bike sharing plan connected to New York’s Citi Bike. Jersey City will begin with 350 bikes at the cost of $5,000 each, all of which will be paid for by the program sponsors. This includes about 35 docking stations around the city with an option to expand.
Englese said Bike JC’s many years of advocacy are bearing fruit under the administration of Mayor Steven Fulop – a triathlete who enjoys riding in the Ward Tour himself.
“We’re proud that the city’s bike community has embraced our Ward Tour.” – Christopher Englese.
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Registration for the tour is required and is free at bikejc.org, with a $5 suggested donation to Bike JC. Riders must be age 10 or older, and must wear helmets. Younger children may be carried securely on an adult’s bike. Rain date is June 14.
The tour starts on a Sunday morning at 11 a.m. at Exchange Place on the Hudson River waterfront. Protected by rolling street closures implemented by city police, riders make a clockwise loop around the city at a manageable 10 mph pace with several rest breaks, and finish back at Exchange Place at around 1 p.m.
The Finish-Line Festival follows there and lasts all afternoon, featuring live music, a Gastro Alley of food trucks and vendors, a beer garden, arts and kids’ activities, bike retailers and restorers, a Wellness Village, an expo with at least 15 community/nonprofit organizations, and more.
The scheduled bands are Sandra Small and the Smallworld Band, Kiwi, the One and Nines, and the Defending Champions. Food/drink trucks and purveyors expected include White Star Bar, Mordi’s Schnitzel Truck, The Taco Truck, incrediBalls, WHOS gluten free, Carmella Italian Street Fare, and Modcup Coffee.
The Sirelo Entertainment community drum circle will warm up and send off the riders at the start (all are welcome to participate with their own percussion instruments). There will be group stretching sessions before and after the ride.
The Jersey City Ward Tour & Festival is produced by Bike JC in collaboration with the agencies of the City of Jersey City and a small army of Bike JC volunteers, and made possible by other sponsors. For more information got to www.bikejc.org.
Proponents for biking in Jersey City and beyond
Bike JC is a citizen-based advocacy organization that aims to make Jersey City streets safe and welcoming for bicyclists, by promoting traffic law enforcement, bicycle lane creation, additional bicycle rack placement, education, and group rides.
The group is made up of bicyclists, commuters, parents, BMX riders, businesspeople, planners, and advocates for what they say is the full potential of Jersey City.
“We are committed to working with our neighborhoods, schools, and elected officials to make Jersey City the most bike-friendly city in the state,” organizers said in their web presentation. “We want to help bicyclists commute, exercise, enjoy scenic rides, ferry children to activities, and head out shopping in increasing numbers in the immediate future.”
They believe that with its extensive network of public transit options and parks, Jersey City provides the perfect infrastructure to support commuter and recreational bicycling. At the same time, bicycles are also a key option for facilitating inter-modal connections. Seven miles long and approximately two miles wide, encompassing Liberty State Park and Lincoln Park as well as many smaller city parks, Jersey City is just the right size for a bike ride.
“We believe a bike-friendly city is safer for everyone. Studies have shown that the mere presence of more bicyclists (and pedestrians) encourages motorists to drive with more caution and decreases accidents,” their website said. “Bicycle lanes not only tend to increase the number of cyclists but can act as a traffic-calming measure, helping pedestrians navigate streets safely as well. Bicycling is also economical and easy on the environment, and it transforms the average commute into a great workout.”
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.