EZ Ride has always had a focus on serving New Jersey communities by reducing traffic, improving safety, decreasing pollution and encouraging active transport.  Now, EZ Ride will aim to improve the health and well-being of communities through our partnerships with other like-minded organizations.

EZ Ride began working with the Asbury Park School Health Council two years ago as a resource partner to bring Safe Routes to School programs and education to the elementary school community.  Last year, the School Health Council leadership decided to expand their mission and form a collaborative coalition of multi-sector partners to focus on reducing barriers to health in the entire community of Asbury Park.  What started as a mission to only increase physical activity and nutrition education in the schools has grown to a broader mission to use policy and environmental change to prevent chronic disease and improve community health by increasing access to healthier foods and fresh produce, improving transportation access to affordable housing, improving safety in the community, increasing access to physical activity, and improving access to healthcare.

The Coalition has grown significantly with more than 32 member organizations and over 90 individual members and has also adopted a new name, The Alliance for a Healthier Asbury Park, with a distinct logo that signifies the partnership and commitment by the multi-sector coalition members,.  EZ Ride is one of the Coalition’s lead organizations and has applied on behalf of the Coalition for a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Building a Culture of Health award to get training and grant funds to develop a three-year Blueprint for Action to reduce community barriers.

For more information about the program, please contact Lisa Lee at 201-939-4242 and llee@ezride.org.

Thank you to Lisa Lee, Safe Routes to School Coordinator and Manager of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs at EZ RIde, for writing and contributing this article!