Middlesex Greenway

06/17/2026

The South Amboy Police Department would like to take this opportunity to educate all residents regarding the City’s new ordinance pertaining to E-Bikes and Electric Scooters, which is now effective immediately. In addition, the new State of New Jersey law will take effect on July 19, 2026.

Attached to this post is a flyer containing additional information regarding these regulations, as well as a QR Code that will direct you to South Amboy City Ordinance 2026-02 for anyone wishing to review the ordinance in its entirety.

As part of this ordinance and upcoming state law, please be aware of the following important regulations:

🚲 No person under the age of 15 is permitted to operate any electric bicycle or electric scooter.

🪪 All operators must possess a valid driver’s license, vehicle registration, and insurance.

⛑️ All operators and passengers are required to wear a properly fitted helmet at all times.

🛴 Electric scooters are limited to ONE rider only — passengers are not permitted.

📋 Operators between the ages of 15 and 16 must possess a valid moped license in order to operate these vehicles legally.

🚦 All operators must obey all traffic laws, signals, and signs just like any other motor vehicle operating on public roadways.

🚫 These vehicles are NOT permitted to be operated on sidewalks.

The South Amboy Police Department will be actively enforcing these regulations. Enforcement will be handled as follows:

⚠️ First Offense: Warning issued

💵 Second Offense: Monetary fine and possible vehicle impoundment

❌ Third Offense: Monetary fine and forfeiture/loss of the vehicle

We want to make it clear that our goal is not to take away anyone’s fun or enjoyment, but rather to ensure these vehicles are operated safely and responsibly. Our primary concern is protecting the safety of all residents, especially the children of South Amboy.

We ask all residents and parents to take a few moments to review these new regulations so we can work together to keep our community safe.

06/15/2026

Some images from our National Trails Day event on June 7, 2026. Music on the Move. A walk from the Metuchen YMCA to the Greenway and back. Then Music and Ice Cream at the Y.

06/11/2026

The Cranford Police Department, in partnership with the New Jersey Brain Injury Alliance and These Guys LLC, is proud to sponsor a "Traffic Law & People-Friendly Driving" lecture.
This informative session will provide attendees with a better understanding of how traffic laws apply to all roadway users, not just motorists. The presentation is designed for pedestrians, bicyclists, e-bike and scooter riders, and drivers alike.
With the recent changes to New Jersey laws regarding e-bikes, scooters, and both gas-powered and electric bicycles, this program will help address common questions and concerns while promoting safer roadway interactions for everyone.
The event will be held on June 18, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Cranford Community Center, located at 220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, New Jersey.
Registration is encouraged and can be completed at: https://tinyurl.com/VRUunion.
We look forward to seeing you there and working together to make our roadways safer for all users.

05/28/2026

🛑 ✋ A cyclist approaches a stop sign in Delaware, reduces speed, checks for cross traffic, and proceeds through the intersection after confirming it is clear.

A nearby driver sounds the horn and gestures disapprovingly, assuming a traffic violation has occurred.

The reality: the cyclist has operated in full compliance with Delaware state law.

Welcome to the Idaho Stop, a traffic rule that's been quietly rewriting the relationship between bicycles, stop signs, and safety for over 40 years. And the data suggests it's not just legal in a growing number of states. It's actually safer than forcing cyclists to put a foot down at every intersection.

The Idaho Stop allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs. That means at a stop sign, a rider slows, scans for traffic, yields the right of way, and if it's clear, proceeds without coming to a full stop. At a red light, they stop completely, yield to all traffic, and then go when safe.

It sounds radical. But it's grounded in physics and human behavior.

When a cyclist comes to a full stop, they lose all momentum. Restarting from zero means wobbling at low speed, spending more time in the middle of the intersection, and accelerating slowly while cars queue up behind or beside them. That's when conflicts happen. Right hooks. Left crosses. Blind spots.

Rolling through at 5 to 10 miles per hour after yielding keeps the bike stable, clears the intersection faster, and reduces the window of exposure to turning vehicles. It also costs far less energy, which means cyclists are more likely to comply with the law instead of blowing through intersections to avoid the physical penalty of repeated stops.

The numbers back this up.

After Idaho passed the law in 1982, cyclist injuries in Boise dropped 14.5 percent in the first year. Delaware saw a 23 percent reduction in bike crashes at stop sign intersections after adopting its version of the law. NHTSA reviewed the research and found no evidence that stop as yield laws increase conflicts with bikes, pedestrians, or cars.

Zero evidence of harm. Multiple datasets showing improvement.

Yet most states still require cyclists to stop fully, just like cars. The rules were written decades ago for vehicles with engines, brakes, and four wheels. They don't account for the dynamics of a 20 pound bike that relies on balance and momentum to stay upright.

This isn't about giving cyclists a free pass. It's about writing laws that match the physics of the vehicle and the reality of the road. Oregon State University put drivers and cyclists into real four way intersection scenarios under rolling stop conditions. The result? Cyclists didn't behave recklessly. Drivers approached more slowly. Interactions were smoother and no more dangerous.

The Idaho Stop is now legal in Idaho, Delaware, Washington DC, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, North Dakota, Utah, Oklahoma, Colorado, and a handful of other U.S. states.

Beyond America's borders, France legalized similar "cedez-le-passage cycliste" rules at certain intersections in 2010, Belgium allows cyclists to treat specific stop signs as yields, and parts of Switzerland and the Netherlands have adopted comparable provisions. Each jurisdiction has seen the same pattern: no increase in crashes, and in many cases, fewer injuries.

Yet it remains illegal across most of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the majority of U.S. states.

So why isn't this the law everywhere?

Outdated traffic codes. Resistance to change. The assumption that what works for cars must work for bikes. But the evidence is clear. When we write laws that help cyclists move safely and efficiently, everyone benefits.

If your state or country doesn't allow the Idaho Stop yet, it's time to advocate for it. Contact your local representatives. Share the research. Spread the word. Because safer roads aren't built on tradition. They're built on data, physics, and laws that actually make sense.

Is the Idaho Stop legal where you are?

05/24/2026

05/17/2026

05/17/2026

First stop Minnie Veal community center

05/17/2026

Bike tour about to begin!

05/17/2026

Accident on Rt 287 by Rt 27 at 7am on
May 17. Rt 27 closed from bridge st to vineyard rd. Find an alternative route to Edison municipal complex for the bike tour.