Deptford council has announced that it will host a public meeting for the township’s bicycle facilities master plan from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at the municipal building.
The session will address the ultimate goal of the plan to identify opportunities for bicycle paths, signs and parking, improved safety, connectivity and policies and funding opportunities.
The new paths will be the latest in a series the township has added over the past 10 years, when officials realized they needed a thought-out plan for bicyclists in Deptford. Meetings have been held periodically in the past few years.
“We’re trying to improve safety in Deptford,” Mayor Paul Medany explained. “We want to add more bike lanes, bike paths and parking. We’re trying to establish a plan for bicyclists, since bikes share the road with a lot of different cars and drivers.
“We realized we need a coordinated plan, not just have a bunch of paths that go nowhere.”
On the Facebook post announcing the meeting, there’s a map that shows proposed and existing bike routes, as well as the locations of schools, colleges, parks and commercial shopping areas.
Medany – an experienced bicyclist – reminded riders that while they’re outside a motorized vehicle, they still need to obey traffic laws to keep safe. That includes stopping at red lights.
The township expects to get funding for new bike paths from a state grant; the meeting was required as part of that process.
“The grant comes from the state, which then filters down to both the county and town level,” Medany noted. “The meeting is meant to explore different avenues for securing funds.”
Regardless of whether it gets the grant money, Deptford hopes for a good turnout at the meeting in order to get the community more involved with the plan, raise awareness of bike safety and build connectivity between the town and county.
“I think it’s important to know about this and people need to be aware (of bike safety),” Medany said. “I hope the community gets involved in regard to the topic, regardless of whether or not we secure the funds.”
