National Advocate with NJ Roots Congratulations to Sharon Roerty of Maplewood, NJ on her promotion to Executive Director of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW) [http://www.bikewalk.org], an advocacy organization supporting bicycle friendly and walkable communities across North America.

 

Sharon has been advocating for the creation of a more walkable and bikeable New Jersey for many years through her work for and with many planning organizations, including the Voorhees Transportation Center. An expert on the Safe Routes to School Program, Sharon has been vital in starting and providing guidance to New Jersey’s statewide program. Good Luck to Sharon as she leads the nation on bicycle, pedestrian, Safe Routes to School and active living initiatives.

 

NAA Foundation Honor’s Garfield Newspaper in Education Program The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) Foundation has recognized Garfield’s “Get Up and Go” series as an outstanding Newspaper in Education (NIE) program. Garfield was awarded third place in the annual NIE Content Awards in the category of Special Projects.

 

NIE is a cooperative effort between schools, newspapers and civic-minded sponsors that promotes the use of newspapers as an educational resource and curriculum tool. Garfield

received SRTS funding to launch NIE programs with The Record and Herald News. Student activities centered on safe bicycling and walking strategies were published in The Record and Herald News for an eight-week period last fall. In addition to helping students in Garfield, it is estimated the special insert reached more than 30,000 students each day in northern New Jersey.

 

Congratulations to Garfield and to all those who have worked so hard to build Garfield’s strong and innovative Safe Routes to School program!

 

Safe Routes Inventory takes place in West Windsor

Volunteers from the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance and The McGraw-Hill Companies came together in May as part of the company’s fifth annual Global Volunteer Day. Their goal is to increase awareness of bicycle and pedestrian conditions in and around West Windsor and promote the township’s Safe Routes to School program. McGraw-Hill is a major regional employer, with offices in nearby Hightstown.

 

As part of their efforts, volunteers assessed nearly 200 intersections throughout West Windsor to determine their quality and safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Information was gathered on crosswalks, curb cuts, pedestrian signage, and the timing and position of walk signals.