'Woonerven' and More Discussed at Bikeway Meeting

The dozen plus attendees at Wednesday night's "Bikeway Study" report at Maplewood Town Hall learned about proposed plans to create bike paths within Maplewood and connect those paths with trails in Millburn and South Orange.

They also learned about the "woonerf."

Mark Gordon of Urbana Consulting LLC explained that the "woonerf" or "woonerven" (plural) are streets where pedestrians and cyclists share the road with cars. (The word is Dutch and the concept is employed in The Netherlands.) The roads employ traffic calming measures that defer to the speeds and needs of cyclists and pedestrians over cars.

A few streets in Maplewood—such as Hickory Drive—might be able to accommodate the concept.

But more importantly, Gordon presented the overall proposed network of bike routes and paths connecting Maplewood to communities to the north and south and within the township itself. Gordon elicited some pointed feedback from representatives of Maplewood and Millburn's bike committees who came out to the meeting despite the foul weather. Gordon has been developing the plan since last fall, utilizing the bike corridors identified in the Maplewood 2004 Master Plan. He has been working with Town Engineer Robert Bratt.

The objectives of the plan are to develop routes that serve all parts of the township as well as connect with South Orange and Millburn, with minimum use of major streets. For bike routes on the road, shoulders would be added where feasible while vehicle parking would not be restricted. "Share the Road" signage will be added and pavement will be stenciled so that motorists will be aware of cyclists. Some routes on quieter streets would be more appropriate for younger, less experienced cyclists. Off-road bike paths are delineated through parks and along the waterlands.

A creative approach would be taken to ramp the staircase at the pedestrian tunnel at the Maplewood Train Station. The plan also proposes obtaining easements through properties such as Winchester Gardens.

During the public input section of the meeting, questions were raised about whether parking would be allowed in road shoulders (yes) and whether the message of "Share the Road" signs are effective. When budgeting questions came up, it was pointed out some of the improvements can occur in conjunction with routine road resurfacing at little additional cost. Federal and state funds are available for some of the plan's suggestions and would be applied for.

Gordon explained that, after public input is incorporated into the plan, it will be presented to the Maplewood Township Committee and voted on within the next few months. The plan will be implemented in phases. Phase 1 will link the half mile from downtown Maplewood starting on Lenox Place to the newly developed bike route in Millburn that starts on Glen Avenue and works up to Brookside Drive into the South Mountain Reservation—where there are traffic-free mornings on Sundays.