Neighbors of Proposed Bike Trail List Concerns

PETERSBURG – A group of Upper Township residents quietly presented their concerns, May 8, to the governing body regarding a proposed bike trail connection project that might result in more bike, foot, and vehicular traffic traveling past their homes.
In April, Upper Township hosted a presentation related to South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization’s (SJTPO) plans to connect a bike trail that, once finished, will run 105 miles from Philadelphia to Cape May. 
The meeting, held April 19, focused on plans to fill in the last gap of the Cape May County portion of the trail between Dennis Township and Beesley’s Point in Upper Township.
Resident Al Paulson, who described himself as a cyclist, presented a list to the Upper Township Committee of over 20 concerns held by neighbors in the area of Thicket Street, Spruce Court, and Meghan Lane. 
Township Engineer Paul Dietrich said the April 19 presentation was intended to advise residents of the plans for the bike trail and to elicit their responses and concerns. In April, he invited members of the public to visit his office and see the map or the proposed trail and voice their concerns.
“I’ve had a couple people come in and talk to me and the response has been split half and half, with half saying they like it and half saying they have concerns,” Dietrich said.
Dietrich told the committee, “This is the time for public input.”
Paulson delivered some input from his neighbors, who suggested there would be illegal parking on easements and lawns by people who transport their bikes to the trail, taking up the available street parking in proximity to the trail, or obstructing delivery vehicles, including mail or package deliveries. 
The residents listed nuisance concerns, including people using golf carts on the bike trail and going through neighborhoods, “adolescent mischief, drunk and disorderly booze cruising, lawn damage and noise.” 
The neighbors did not want to encourage all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and dirt bike travel using the bike path to connect to trails. 
Concern was expressed regarding “package theft from residents’ porches, vehicle break-ins, and garage theft,” which apparently had happened recently.
Concern was also expressed that the homeless would congregate in the area of the bike path, bringing with them crimes such as theft, “conflict,” and drug use, apparently backed up by Open Public Records Act requests from Middle Township. 
Middle Township Police Lt. Tracey Super said there is nothing to show a relationship between the bike path and crime related to homelessness. The homeless congregate in the Rio Grande section of Middle Township because there are services there that provide them assistance, not because there is a bike trail.
“The Middle Township Police Department has not seen an increase of crime along the bike path since its creation in 2006,” Super said.
Super said most of the incidents in any proximity to the bike trail in Middle Township are at the southern portion of the trail, which is Rio Grande, adding the bike trail didn’t change the numbers very much.
“The north end is not that bad,” he said.
He added that ATV or motorcycle access on the bike path has been something of an issue.
“The police department does receive complaints of dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles on and along the bike path. While handling these violations can be difficult due to state legislation, the Middle Township Police Department has developed a plan to limit the amount of these types of vehicles and the violations along the bike path,” Super said.
Upper Township residents also expressed concerns over privacy, problems related to walking dogs, the safety of neighborhood children, bike path users potentially accessing neighborhood pools, which is a drowning hazard, vandalism, and “harassment by adolescents and the intoxicated/summer/campground residents.”
The list of concerns concludes with a call to look at alternate routes.
Dietrich said most of the concerns people have can be addressed as the project moves through its next phases.
“Obviously, people have concerns, especially where the path goes through their property and they have improvements on both sides. We will try to move the trail around these areas,” he said.
Dietrich said efforts have already been made to be sensitive to residents’ concerns, as well as balancing environmental restrictions and individual property rights. He said a lot of people’s concerns would be addressed in the design phase of the project.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at 609-886-8600, ext. 128 or email csouth@cmcherald.com.