Bike-Walk Metuchen

10/08/2026

METUCHEN!!

09/26/2026

🎧 Metuchen, take some time to listen to this episode!

The War on Cars has been a great voice for people working to make our communities safer and better for walking and biking, taking on everything from street design and transportation policy to the way we think about cars in our communities.

Their episode “Fine, We’re Doing a Helmet Episode” does an excellent job breaking down the helmet debate and putting it in the larger context of street safety.

The takeaway: helmets can help, but engineering safer streets is what really protects lives.

Give it a listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🚲

New: "Fine, We're Doing a Helmet Episode."

Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

After New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a social media video showing him listening to concerned citizens and deciding to wear a bicycle helmet, social media exploded. Some people praised the mayor for modeling good behavior while others wished he had kept the focus on larger safety solutions, like protected bike lanes. Needless to say, the conversation was not all that nuanced. So what's the truth about bicycle helmets? What are they designed to do in the event of a crash and what kind of crash are they designed to help you survive? Who sets the standards that ensure that bike helmets meet a minimum level of safety? What does science say about mandatory helmet laws? And, to ask a much larger and more philosophical question, what is it about the mere mention of bicycle helmets that causes the conversation about bike safety to go off the rails, even among people who are normally rather informed about other issues related to public health? What are we talking about—or not talking about—when we're talking about helmets?

EDIT: We highly recommend listening to the episode, even just the first 15 - 20 minutes, before rushing to the comments.

https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/fine-were-doing-a-helmet-episode/id1437755068?i=1000788446973

09/26/2026

🎉 Great news for Metuchen!

Congratulations to all of the leaders and community members who helped make The Kempson possible. This transformational project brought new open space and better connections for walking and biking, leaving a lasting impact on our community.

It’s wonderful to see The Kempson recognized by the 2026 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Awards. Good luck to everyone involved! 🏆

🎟️ There’s still time to get tickets:

https://newjerseyfuture.regfox.com/2026-smart-growth-awards

09/24/2026

Bike Walk Metuchen will be there! All Metuchen residents are welcome to join!

Getting safe streets on a local level takes teamwork.

Join us for a FREE SAFE Network webinar on Implementing Safe Streets at the Local Level.
Our panel of elected officials will share their perspectives on how to move initiatives forward, navigate decision making and manage pushback. Learn how to best support your local community:

🗓️When: Wed. Sept. 30th @ 1-2 PM
👉Where: njbwc.org/safe/

08/20/2026

Advocates across NJ are working with leaders to fix this law!

Summer is supposed ot be a busy time for bike shops, but New Jersey's new e-bike law has devastated sales and rents, shop owners said

08/07/2026

YUP! Street Smart NJ is dominating lately!

Do you know about New Jersey's Safe Passing Law? When driving and approaching a road user who isn't a motor vehicle, pass with at least 4 feet from the person, or slow down to 25 mph, and be prepared to stop.

08/07/2026

YUP!

Did you know that every intersection has a crosswalk, even if it's not marked? Drivers must stop for people in marked crosswalks and at intersections — it's the law in NJ.

07/18/2026

This is a big win for the Borough of Metuchen! Metuchen Police Department is the best around. Great to hear Chief Flaherty advocating for safer streets for pedestrians and bikers! Reach out to SGT Bauer and his team with any issues!

07/18/2026

We can all agree that clean, breathable air is important.

While the last few days of poor air quality have been driven by wildfire smoke from Canada, scientists expect events like these to become more common as the impacts of climate change continue to grow. That means we also need to take action locally to make the air healthier for everyone.

🚶 Walk and bike more, drive less. Safe walking and biking improve health while reducing transportation-related air pollution.
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/transportation/php/about/index.html

🚌 Invest in better public transit. Public transit reduces vehicle miles traveled, cuts emissions, and encourages walking and biking as part of daily trips.
CDC: https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/policy/hi5/publictransportation/index.html

🌳 Plant more trees. Trees help improve air quality, reduce urban heat, store carbon, and make our streets more comfortable for walking and biking.
Arbor Day Foundation: https://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm

Small local actions can make a big difference, for our air, our health, and our community.

06/24/2026

Bike Walk Metuchen was excited to tune into Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 presentation.

The data was eye-opening! While many countries continue to make walking safer, the United States still experiences far too many pedestrian deaths on roads we already know how to improve. The report highlighted proven solutions including safer street design, lower vehicle speeds, better crossings, and stronger political leadership.

These findings reinforce what we've been advocating for here in Metuchen: safer streets benefit everyone, whether you're walking, biking, rolling, or driving.

Thanks to Smart Growth America for an informative and inspiring discussion.