CAPE MAY — City Manager Paul Dietrich said Cape May is removing the bike lane on Beach Avenue near the Rusty Nail to gain back 11 parking spaces.
During the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BAPAC) meeting April 9, Dietrich said the bike lane, installed by Cape May County, will now become a shared lane. The removal has been coordinated with the county.
“That re-striping will probably be happening over the next month,” Dietrich said.
Chairman Jeff Vecere noted the overarching issue in the Victorian city was likely not traffic deaths but parking problems.
“Unfortunately, it’s a balance we have here in the city and that’s always going to be the balance,” Dietrich said. “The only way you can make true bike lanes is removing parking, and we don’t really have other alternatives to provide.”
City Councilman Steve Bodnar, liaison to the committee, said there will be delineated markings for drivers and bicyclists, and Dietrich added that there will be “shared road” signs in the area.
Shuttle service use
Bodnar said the city urges its visitors to use the shuttle service to help ease the need for parking. The service is free and there is a phone app to locate stops.
“The city has expanded the shuttle service deeper into the season and it runs regularly,” he said. “Use has increased over the past couple of years and provides a good opportunity for people coming into the city to go straight down Lafayette Street.”
Bodnar said there has been positive feedback on shuttle use, which saves people from driving around town while looking for parking.
“We need to encourage people to use the shuttle service as much as possible,” Bodnar said.
He added the city has tried to do what it can to maximize space and add parking spaces.
“The municipal lot is now user-friendly for visitors that are going to the mall on weekends and hours when employees aren’t working at City Hall,” Bodnar said. “There’s some construction going on right now on Franklin Street that’s going to add eight additional parking spots.”
Opportunities to add parking also are on the horizon at Lafayette Street Park. Bodnar said maximizing locations for parking is a prime focus.
Bodnar said limited parking in the business district along the Washington Street Mall is another reason why encouraging the shuttle service is important.
Committee member Hilary Pritchard said she is a huge proponent of the shuttle service, adding that there needs to be more signage than just the one sign at Cape May City Elementary School.
Bodnar agreed, noting that the city could do more to promote the service and encourage its use. He added that businesses have an opportunity to talk with visitors to their shops about it.
The shuttle service hours also came into question, particularly if there are mall employees who work into the late hours of the morning.
Pritchard said she would be happy to work with Bodnar to devise a better schedule that would work for mall employees.
First Avenue
pedestrian bridge
Creating a safe way to ride bicycles from West Cape May to the beach is an ongoing collaborative effort between Cape May and West Cape May.
Dietrich said the city is looking at the Leaming Avenue/Elmira Avenue corridor to Bank Street, Decatur Street and down Lafayette Street to Jackson Street.
“That general route is identified in the bike plan,” Dietrich said. “That could potentially be a low-hanging fruit project the city might get another bike expert to help me wrangle some stuff through, maybe in-house.”
Bodnar explained the issues are twofold: one is cost and the other is getting the right resources to discuss the topic. Paul Mickiewicz from the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition has spoken before council in the past and members discussed contacting him.
“I was thinking we connect the city with that individual,” Bodnar said. “If we’re considering our different options, we could pass along his information so it’s another tool in our toolbox.”
Vecere said he reached out recently to Mickiewicz by email to discuss the matter.
Secretary Terry Diubaldi said one concern to keep in mind is the corner of Bank Street.
Pritchard asked if the city was coordinating with West Cape May on grants for the First Avenue pedestrian bridge project.
Dietrich said West Cape May is taking the lead, with the borough’s engineer working on the design. A draft plan is almost complete, and the borough plans to schedule a joint environmental meeting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and other permitting agencies.
“Once we have that draft, the city will co-sign the permit application up to the DEP,” Dietrich said. “We will do a joint application to the county for some grant money, which will probably be a 50-50 split.”
Dietrich said West Cape May Deputy Mayor George Dick will provide updates to the committee.
On updating the bike plan for Cape Island, Dietrich said he was disappointed in the price proposals he received for a grant application.
He added that he could not justify the proposal’s costs but has not been able to speak with the contractor about it.
“Am I spending $5 to get a $10 grant or $5 to get a $50 grant,” Dietrich said. “It’s not something I can recommend doing and I [have] to figure out plan B if that’s the case.”
Dietrich said he plans to talk with the contractor before the next committee meeting and is also trying to get a second opinion.
– By RACHEL SHUBIN/For the Cape May Star and Wave
