Bloustein Students Map Bicycle Hazards in New Brunswick

Bicycle riding conditions in New Brunswick may soon improve, due to the work of a team of students at Rutgers.

The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy undergrads have created an online map of bicycle riding hazards throughout New Brunswick.

On March 2, the team of students mapped the hazards themselves. Taking to their bikes and armed with their smartphones, they rode around 10 zones in New Brunswick, marking off hazards or things that would complicate riding.

"Obstructions on the road, lack of signage, areas where the road was very narrow, areas where there is a right turn lane, basically any areas that presented any potential hazards to a cyclist," said Lisa MacCarrigan, 22, a senior at the Bloustein School, as to what they were searching for.

The results of the project on an interactive map, along with other data, such as information on New Brunswick's Master Plan and the group's goals can be found on rubike.org.

According to MacCarrigan, a resident of New Brunswick and a regular cyclist, the project was touched off by an ordinance passed by the city council in February that

The ultimate goal of the project is to get signage installed in the city to make motorists aware of cyclists and traffic rules to create safer driving conditions, she said.

"If we have to be in the street biking, then we deserve signs and we deserve attention," she said.

Bike lanes do not currently exist in New Brunswick, earlier this month to begin the process of adding bicycle lanes on College Avenue, parts of George Street, Albany Street, Nielsen Street and Bishop Place.