Avenues in Motion

In the month of October, a total of 18 schools within our service area participated in Walk & Bike to School Days. Avenues in Motion supported these schools during their Walk/Bike to School Day initiatives, offering a range of resources such as giveaways, promotional flyers, a “Walking to School Around the World” poster, and providing staff assistance on the morning of the events. Avenues in Motion staff actively participated in 2 Walk to School Day and Walking School Bus events, engaging with 250 students.

80 students in 1st grade and 4th grade at Valley Road School in Stanhope participated in Safe Routes to School programs including Ready to Walk and Roll and Bike Drivers education. Each program reviewed common street signs, crosswalk safety, and helmet safety. Staff also went over the positive affects walking and biking can have on our health, environment, and road congestion.

80 4th grade students at Riker Hill Elementary in Livingston participated in Avenues in Motion’s Bike/Ped Safety program “Pumpkin Helmet Smash”. reviewed common street signs, crosswalk safety, and helmet safety. Staff demonstrated how a helmet can protect heads by dropping the pumpkin first in a helmet and then without a helmet.

Cross County Connection

In recognition of Walk & Bike to School Month and NJ Pedestrian Safety Month, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti visited Samuel T. Busansky School in Pemberton Township to highlight the NJ Safe Routes to School program. The Commissioner recognized Pemberton Township for their successful efforts to improve pedestrian safety in the township.
A very well-spoken student started off the event with a short speech, followed by an introduction of the NJDOT Commissioner. Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti shared the importance of building better infrastructure for our children through grants provided by NJDOT, so that all students have the opportunity and feel safe to walk, bike, and roll to school [see clip here]. Pemberton Township was awarded two grants to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety on local roads surrounding Howard L. Emmons and Samuel T. Busansky Elementary Schools. For more on the project, and the official NJDOT press release, visit the NJDOT News.

South Jersey Schools Walk to School Day Participants
South Main Street Elementary, Pleasantville

Mark Newbie Elementary, Collingswood

Mansion Avenue Elementary School, Audubon

Glenview Avenue Elementary School, Haddon Heights

Seventh Avenue Elementary School, Haddon Heights

Atlantic Avenue Elementary School, Haddon Heights

Jordan Road School, Somers Point

Woodbine Elementary School, Woodbine

Roebling Elementary School 5, Roebling

Dawes Avenue Elementary School, Somers Point

EZ Ride

In October 2023, 9,094 students participated in 61 Walk, Bike, and Roll to School events within EZ Ride‘s service areas. Of those 61 events, the EZ Ride Bike & Pedestrian team personally attended 13 or 21 percent of events with 1,310 students. EZ Ride also led and provided the following: 14 Pedestrian Safety Presentations, 16 Bike Safety Presentations, one Train Safety Presentation, four Learn to Ride Events, nine Bike Safe Skill classes, one community bike ride, one School Travel Tally with 399 students, and five poster contests for a total of 5,646 participants. For the participants of our events, we provided four bike helmets, eight-string book bags, eight bike bells, nine pairs of lights, 595 washable tattoos, and 1,181 Walk & Roll Day stickers. Below are photos from Tisdale School in Ramsey, Raritan Valley School in Hazlet, Deal School in Deal, and Kelly School in West Orange.

goHunterdon

Elementary schools across Hunterdon County celebrated International Walk and Roll to School Month in October by walking and bicycling to school. Over 900 students at Barley Sheaf School, Clinton Public School, Delaware Township School, Frenchtown Elementary School, Hampton Borough School, High Bridge Elementary School, High Bridge Middle School, Lambertville Public School, Lebanon Borough School, and Reading Fleming Intermediate School participated in “walking school buses”, designated chaperoned routes to school, or arrived to school by bike.

Funded through the New Jersey Department of Transportation, goHunterdon facilitates the Hunterdon County Safe Routes to School Program at nearly twenty Hunterdon County elementary and intermediate schools. The program includes offering educational safety presentations and activities and promoting walk and bike to school events like International Walk and Roll to School Month.

For information about the Hunterdon County Safe Routes to School Program, contact Ryan Fisher, Safety Programs Manager, rfisher@gohunterdon.org.

Greater Mercer TMA

The Greater Mercer TMA team participated in some fun Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day events in October. These events emphasize the significance of safe, active travel by biking, walking, and rolling to school. New Jersey DOT and the resident giraffe, a.k.a. Principal Luis Ramirez, joined us at Littlebrook Elementary School in Princeton. The Littlebrook community really can throw a walk and bike party! The popular GMTMA Quiz Wheel was spinning as we tested the students’ bike and pedestrian safety knowledge as they arrived at school. Many students walked and biked to Ben Franklin and Slackwood Elementary Schools located in Lawrenceville and Hopewell Elementary School in Hopewell Borough.

Our team even walked about ourselves while conducting a walkability audit in Point Pleasant Borough for Ocean Road Elementary School. We walked with some parents, a police officer, and the Borough engineers while taking note of improvements that could be made on the streets surrounding the school. With our collected data, we updated the Ocean Road School Travel Plan for 2023.

GMTMA held a couple of bike and pedestrian safety presentations for our younger community members, one at the Point Pleasant Borough Branch of the Ocean County Library System. The young library kids learned some new safety tips for biking and walking on their neighborhood streets and to school. Slackwood Elementary School in Lawrenceville welcomed the GMTMA staff back for a bicycle and pedestrian safety assembly. The first-grade students practiced using mock pedestrian crossings and various road signs while learning about bicycle helmet safety and the correct use of arm signals while riding a bike. Do you know your right from your left?

Hudson TMA

Hudson TMA celebrated iWalk by hosting Kids Bike Ride and Scavenger Hunt along Jersey City’s Historic Train Network. On Sunday, October 22nd Clues were collected to be entered to win special prizes, provided by Hudson TMA, Bike JC, and the City of Jersey City. Free helmets and snacks were given out, and Citi Bike offered free day passes for riders. More info can be found at jcnj.org/kidsride

Keep Middlesex Moving

In October, Middlesex County celebrated International Walk and Bike to School Month with the enthusiastic participation of 34 schools spanning across 10 different school districts. Communities in Middlesex County were joined by their local police departments, elected officials, teachers, parents, librarians, and more!

One notable event was at Milltown’s Joyce Kilmer School, where two bike trains embarked from different meeting points, showcasing a commitment to promoting active and sustainable modes of transportation.

In the Borough of Spotswood, the involvement of the Spotswood PTA added an extra layer of engagement to their Walk & Roll to School Day. Spotswood PTA organized a poster contest for participating students at Appleby, Memorial, and Schoenly Schools. This creative competition encouraged students to visually express the importance of safe walking and biking to school.

Keep Middlesex Moving is looking forward to seeing Middlesex County students again in May for Bike & Roll to School Day!

RideWise

October was Walk to School Month, and we’ve been teaching students about pedestrian and bike safety all month long! RideWise visited several Somerset County schools last month to give “Safety Town” pedestrian safety presentations, teaching students how to walk and bike to school safely, especially in advance of Halloween, when many students would be walking and trick-or-treating after dark.

1,400+ students from Bound Brook’s Smalley Elementary School, North Plainfield’s Stony Brook School and East End School, and Bridgewater’s Crim Elementary School have all taken part in our Safety Town this month! RideWise also participated in Stony Brook’s Walk-a-Thon, a day-long educational event that taught students about the benefits and joy of walking.

To have a pedestrian safety class in your school, contact us at staff@ridewise.org.