Report: Newark on Cutting Edge of Bike Use in NJ

Newark is helping to set the benchmark for municipal bicycle use, according to a report from the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center (BRPC).

Using data from 60 cities and towns in New Jersey taken from 2013 to 2014, researchers compared metrics such as municipal level of spending on bicycling, city bicycle policies, and implementation of programs such as Safe Routes to Schools and Complete Streets.

As part of their research, Newark was noted for having the 3rd longest shared-lane network in New Jersey.”

The study also found that:

• Out of 104,438 Newark workers that are over 16 years old, 0.3 percent bike to work
• Newark spent $600,000 on bicycle infrastructure in 2013, or $2.16 per capita
• Newark has over a half-mile of protected/buffered bicycle lanes, and 4.5 miles of shared lane markers

“The City of Newark had the largest reported expenditure on bicycle infrastructure with $600,000 spent in 2013,” the study reported. “The city spent $2.16 per person on bicycle infrastructure, and has installed green-painted, buffered bicycle lanes downtown, along with a solid network of sharrows. Newark passed a Complete Streets policy in 2012, and is located in Essex County which also passed a policy that same year.”

Read the full report online here.