Tomorrow’s gathering of the who’s who in cycling and pedestrian advocacy in New Jersey will host as its plenary speaker the executive vice president of SRAM.
F.K. Day who is also the co-founder of World Bicycle Relief will be the opening speaker at the annual summit, followed by Jeff Miller, President and CEO of the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Miller will present the 2014 Benchmarking Report on Biking & Walking in the United States at the event February 8.
The summit is put on by the NJ Bike and Walk Coalition which is headed by Cyndi Steiner. The organization has grown in size, recognition and importance since it was first created by Jim Nicholson and a small group of like-minded bicycle advocates several years ago.
Needless to say, the group’s task, to make roads safer and more accessible for vulnerable users, is a tough one in New Jersey where more highways and bike 
unfriendly roads exist, possibly in greater numbers than any other state.
The old infrastructure, and endemic, car-centric thinking also create barriers for progress. But growing acceptance of the concepts and logic behind the group’s message are starting to have their effect on more and more towns in New Jersey, some of whom have come to show the great results of their traffic calming and street design work at the summit in past years.
Among the other speakers this year are Bruce Woods, President of the National Brotherhood of Cyclists, a presentation on NJTPA’s Street Smart Pedestrian Campaign, aimed at reducing pedestrian fatalities in New Jersey, remarks by Marty Epstein about the New Jersey Gran Fondo and how to organize fundraising events, and a discussion by Saris bicycles about how to create a commuter culture within an organization.
The Transportation Management Association will also make a presentation about creating a safe school travel program.
On-site registrations are still available, well worth the price of $65.00. The location is at Rutger’s University in New Brunswick, NJ, about 1 hour from New York City, reachable by car or NJ Transit. Breakfast starts at 8 AM, and the sessions open at 9 AM. Rutgers, 33 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ.
