bicyclists at select locations and by distributing questionnaires with pre-paid return envelopes.

 

The survey results reveal that:

• Nearly two thirds of daily bicycle trips were for utilitarian transportation
• Utilitarian bicycle use correlated strongly with urban density  (90% of bicycle trips in Central Business Districts, 61% in suburban areas and 12% in rural areas)
• Utilitarian bicycle trips averaged between 2.4 to 5.7 miles depending on purpose and represented 64% of all trips; riding for recreation and exercise averaged 12.6 miles and represented 35% of trips
• Among utilitarian bicycle trips, commuting represented 29% of all trips and averaged 5.5 miles
• Six percent of trips were made by people as part of their jobs (police and security personnel, food delivery and messengers) and represented 15% of all trips in the CBDs
• Twelve percent of trips involved carrying the bicycle aboard a train or bus for part of the journey, the same percentage as for trips that involve carrying the bicycle in a private car
• 60% of adult bicyclists were observed riding without helmets
• Bicyclists as a group were older, better educated, more affluent and owned fewer cars than the general population

• Men outnumbered women bicyclists by more than two to one
• Bicycle lanes were favored by bicyclists over any other facility type or any other action used to encourage cycling

 

To view the complete report, go to the following link:

http://www.dvrpc.org/asp/pubs/reports/

07050.pdf

 

The New NJ Driver Manual –

No Longer Just for Drivers

 

In January 2008, the state Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) published a new version of the New Jersey Driver Manual that features important revisions, including more detailed information on pedestrian safety and the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists.

 

An important resource for both current drivers and those preparing to become licensed drivers, the new manual offers an online version that is one of the first of its kind in the nation. Enhanced information on pedestrian and bicycle safety is among the important new features included in the manual.

 

“Given that Governor Corzine made a strong commitment to pedestrian safety, we worked with the NJ Department of Transportation’s pedestrian safety folks to put together a page of information that goes into greater detail about the topic,” said Mike Horan, MVC director