By John Burton
In Fair Haven, riding bikes is a preferred mode of travel
FAIR HAVEN – The borough is a biking town.
All the kids are doing it. Well, maybe not all the kids, but a considerably large number of the borough’s younger population who attend borough schools regularly ride their bikes there and home.
“It’s hundreds of kids,” estimated Police Corporal John Waltz, who oversees the bicycle safety program the police department sponsors in conjunction with the schools. “It’s only a handful that don’t.”
Bennett Coleman, president of the district’s PTA, estimated that about half of the nearly 700 students attending the district’s Viola L. Sickles and Knollwood schools ride their bikes to school, depending on the weather.
Coleman, who has kids in grades 1, 2 and 6, said she is comfortable letting them ride to and from school because of the role educators, police, crossing guards and fellow parents have played in keeping the children safe.
“Everyone is so supportive,” she said.
Along with that input, Coleman says, “We practice, practice, practice,” to make sure the kids are aware of what they should and shouldn’t be doing on their bikes.
Allowing their children to easily get around Fair Haven, a suburban community of approximately 6,121 residents and roughly 2 square miles, is what residents like about living in a bike-friendly town, many said.
“I’m kind of a helicopter mom,” Coleman said, but “I don’t have any reservations.”
“This is a regular part of Fair Haven,” said Jeff White, a parent of two daughters, fifth- and sixth-graders who also ride bikes to school.
“You get to the Knollwood School and look at the parking lot by the school, no lie, they must have 150 bikes there,” he said.
Like other parents, he feels very comfortable about letting his children go back and forth on bikes.
“The No. 1 reason that I think everyone is OK with it is that drivers around here are accustomed to it,” he said.
The Whites’ home is on River Road, a busy thoroughfare running east-west through the community, which is used by commercial vehicles. White acknowledged there are times when traffic is heavy and one or both of his daughters need to wait quite a while before being able to cross the street. But the key is proper and regular education on what to look out for, he said. “I always let them know, they can’t make any assumptions. When in doubt, stop.
“We have the best crossing guards. The kids love ’em and the parents love ’em,” said White, adding that the crossing guards seem to know all the kids by name.
“I have to say, it’s one thing I really don’t worry about,” said Laura Nolan, a Highland Avenue mother of four, ages 7 to 11.
“My kids bike every day, rain or shine. It’s easier than driving them there.
“I think it’s good for them. It’s a social thing,” as the children regularly go in groups of friends, Nolan said.
“My concern is the afterschool, when traffic picks up,” especially on some of the busier streets, like River, Ridge and Fair Haven roads, said Jennie Lucci, another River Road resident.
“They need to learn safety – and they’re learning it,” said Lucci, who has three children, ages 6, 9 and 13.
The school district has taken appropriate steps to address safety considerations, Coleman and Waltz each said.
Both schools conduct two days of bike safety instruction at the beginning of each school year. The extensive training shows students the proper way to wear helmets – and stresses they must always wear them – what to watch out for and when it’s safe and not to proceed, and all stay to the right, Waltz said.
The district also staggers its dismissal times, allowing students with bikes to leave first, followed by those students who walk. Students who are picked up by parents in cars leave the building last. Closing Third Street to all but local residents in the morning and afternoon on school days also helps contribute to a safe environment for those on two wheels, Waltz and others said.
There have been no serious injuries involving children on bikes here, as far as Waltz could remember. “Maybe a couple of scraped knees,” but nothing worse than that, he said.
Last Saturday, the PTA conducted its first bike rodeo in conjunction with the police and with the support of Meridian Health System, which operates Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank.
The goal of the event, held on Willow Street, across from Sickles school, “is to promote bicycle safety for families,” Coleman said.
Children were instructed about how to cross streets, be cautious of driveways and always be alert – as should drivers, Coleman said. “It’s about knowing where you’re going.”
“I try to remind them to look both ways,” said Erin Gotch of Fair Haven Road. “They’re going to want to continue to ride their bikes, so they’ll listen to the rules.”
Gotch’s children, Joseph, 9, who attends Knollwood, and Gabby, 8, a Sickles student, both said they want to continue riding.
“It makes me feel happy,” Joseph said.
“I like being outside. I like riding my bike,” Gabby added.
Joseph regularly rides with his five friends while his sister usually rides to and from school alone.
One of the best parts about it for Joseph is “You don’t have to wait for your parents to get ready,” to take you.
The most important thing about it for Gabby? “It let’s you be free,” she said.
Mayor Benjamin Lucarelli, who is a bicycling enthusiast in his own right, said, “It’s great. It keeps the kids active.”
To help encourage everyone to take bikes, instead of immediately hopping in the car, plans are in the works to establish bike lanes through some of the borough’s main streets, Lucarelli said.
