Chet Kane Collins (above, middle), Amira Brown (far right) and Emily Dos Reis have started a petition to protest what they say is a lack of safety for bikers and walkers in Cinnaminson.
Three teens decry Cinnaminson’s dearth of sidewalks, bike lanes
The township has too few sidewalks.
That’s the opinion of recent Cinnaminson High School graduates Chet Kane Collins and Amira Brown and rising senior Emily Dos Reis. They want to change that, so they started a petition called Implementation of Bike Lanes and Pedestrian Infrastructure that urges more bike lanes and sidewalks to enhance safety in the community.
So far, the petition has garnered 355 signatures; the goal is 500. And while Collins and Brown are relatively new to Cinnaminson – they relocated for their senior year of high school – they believed it’s important to do something.
“When I moved here, I just realized there was no pedestrian infrastructure, barely any sidewalks, and public transportation was insufficient,” recalled Collins, a native of Washington, D.C.
Brown, who hails from a military family, has lived in different places, but she describes Cinnaminson – with its lack of sidewalks – “by far the worst.” Her personal activism usually focuses on mental-health and race-related causes, but her interest in urbanism began when she met Collins.
Since moving to Cinnaminson, Reis has noticed a limited amount of sidewalks, a situation that forces people to walk on the street or the grass.
“It’s an inconvenience for everyone including drivers,” she remarked.
Ultimately, the goal for Collins, Brown and Reis is implementation of bike lanes and pedestrian infrastructure. They hope their petition will raise awareness among the community and its government leaders. Another goal for the trio is to enhance community visibility and cohesion.
Feedback from the petition has been mostly positive.
“A lot of people agree with it and think it’s an awesome idea,” Reis said, adding that there are some detractors who believe the petition is unnecessary. But the teens will stay on course with the petition.
For more information, visit https://www.change.org/p/implementation-of-bike-lanes-and-pedestrian-infrastructure-in-cinnaminson-new-jersey.
