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Bike Hunterdon
Hunterdon County, NJ is a premier destination for cyclists of all ages and skill levels. That is the message that HART wishes to convey through a newly developed webpage. 
"Bike Hunterdon.org" provides the public with the information they may need to choose Hunterdon for their next bicycle adventure.
The site features maps of popular local bicycle routes including the Delaware & Raritan Town Path, Last Covered Bridge, and Round Valley Roundabout.
Visitors to the site can click on a route and find full color photos of what they may see along the ride. A Google map feature allows potential riders to view amenities along the routes including restaurants, points of interest and bed and breakfast and other lodging.
A full list of all local bicycle shops as well as where to rent a bicycle is included. There is even a section to allow cyclists to leave feedback of their experience bicycling in Hunterdon.
Visit www.bikehunterdon.org today!
Commuting in the Age of $4 Gas: Time to Consider Your Options!
There are a few things we know for sure when it comes to commuting right now. Gas prices are at historic highs, hovering just under $4/gallon. Most motorists are regularly shelling out at least $50 for each fill up, if they are lucky. And, choosing to leave your car at home a few days a week can and will save you money!
Now is the time to consider alternative ways to get to work! HART Commuter Information Services offers the following suggestions:
Start or Join a Carpool
Carpooling just two days per week can save you up to 50% on your weekly commute costs. Considering gas prices as well as wear and tear on your car, the savings add up quickly. Not sure who to share a ride with? HART’s online Google mapping tool can help you quickly identify existing carpools and vanpools that are traveling to area worksites. You can also complete a quick online form and request that the organization run a “match” with other commuters in their database. Within one business day, HART can provide you with the name and contact information of other commuters who are ready to make a change and share a ride.
Concerned that you may need to leave work early or stay late unexpectedly on a day that you carpool? No worries! HART’s Emergency Ride Home Program allows you to take an Enterprise Rent A Car vehicle, free of charge, up to four times per year. More information, www.harttma.com
Tips for a successful carpool:
1. Get acquainted. If your potential carpool partners are not neighbors or co-workers, plan a face-to-face meeting with them prior to committing to rideshare to determine if you are a good match. Meeting for coffee or lunch is always a great idea.
2. Determine your route and schedule. Establish the morning pickup point(s) and designate a place(s) to meet for the trip home.
3 Draw up a schedule for driving responsibilities. If all members of your carpool alternate driving, decide among yourselves if you want to alternate on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
4. Share the costs. If all members of your carpool do not share the driving equally, come to an understanding of how the costs will be shared and agree on payment dates.
5. Be punctual. Decide how long the driver is expected to wait. When home pickups are utilized, do not disturb everyone in the neighborhood by honking if a rider is running a few minutes late.
6. Establish policies. Smoking or nonsmoking; music and volume; food and drinks. Your carpool will have a better chance of success if possible irritants are discussed initially.
7. Be specific about the purpose of the carpool. If it is for commuting to and from work, do not let it become a shopping or errand service.
8. Establish a chain of communication. If a driver is ill, or will not be going to work one day, an alternate driver should be notified to ensure that other members of the carpool will have a ride. If a member is ill or will not be working, the driver must be contacted as soon as possible.
9. Drive carefully and keep the vehicle in good repair. This includes keeping the vehicle clean and safe. There are others involved. There should be no excuse for excessive speed, use of alcohol, or reckless maneuvers.
10. Respect your fellow carpooler's wishes. Especially in the morning, when some people like a time of quiet, be considerate.
Look at Public Transit Options
If you work in Newark, New York, or many areas of northern New Jersey, bus or rail may be a viable option to get to work. The Raritan Valley Rail Line offers weekday service from High Bridge, Annandale, Lebanon, and Whitehouse. TransBridge Bus provides daily service from Clinton, Union Township, and Flemington. To view schedules for the bus or train, www.harttma.com
Consider Bicycling
If your regular commute is within 5 miles of home, even a beginner rider may find that cycling to work is a realistic option. A few tips for getting started:
1. Be sure that you and your bicycle are in good shape. Consult a physician before riding if you have any health issues. Go over your bicycle to be sure that the tires are fully inflated, the chain and cassette move freely, brakes are in working order and the wheels spin freely. If you have not ridden your bicycle in some time, it may be valuable to take it to a bike shop for a tune up.
2. Safety first! Make sure your helmet is fit properly and wear high visibility clothing. Ideally, plan to wear a “safety green” shirt, jacket or vest with reflective striping. Make sure that you have a light on the front and rear of your bicycle. 
3. Look at a map. The route you normally take by car may not be the best route by bicycle. Take a few minutes to look at a map to find alternative route. Or, contact HART for free routing assistance.
4. Look for obvious shortcuts. Finding a shortcut or two in your bike route to work may help you get in a extra few minutes of free time. For most routes, there is always a shortcut or two just sitting there. A simple ride through a park can save you a few minutes because you won't have to go around it. Likewise, cutting through parking lots and open business lots can save you a good amount of time. Saving time is the key to having more time to yourself.
5. Use a route that includes passing by a convenience store. Making sure that you ride by a convenience store somewhere along your route guarantees that you can get something quick to eat or drink if you didn't have enough time to do so before you left the house. Plus, you can grab some medicine or something if you happen to be working sick. A convenience store is definitely convenient for bicyclists going to or from work all the time.
6. Find a route that has a lot of nice scenery. This won't really save you time or make your ride easier, but it will make things more enjoyable. Choose a bike route that has some nice scenery so that you won't be bored or stuck looking at unpleasant factories or something like that. For starters, good scenery while riding can help you be at least a little excited for your bike route each day. It's definitely more interesting than staring at nothing along your trip.
~Adapted from http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ycn-8361411
Talk with Your Employer About Teleworking
Many jobs, particularly administrative, or positions that require quite of bit of time on the phone or on the computer positions are suited for a work from home arrangement, even if it is only a day or two per week. Approach it with your superiors at work, emphasizing the benefit to the company. Many studies have shown that productivity can increase by as much as 40%. This is due in part to teleworkers being able to avoid travel time and the interruptions of an office environment.
Just Bike Event Update: as of May 18, 2011
Close to 100 cyclists registered to participate in this month long event. The majority indicate that they plan to ride to work. Two individuals will cycle to train stations (Annandale, High Bridge), bring their bikes onto the train, and then continue their commute by bicycling from the destination station to their worksite.
Of those registered, 83% indicate that their usual commute is driving alone, 11% usually carpool, and 20% usually cycle to work.
As of May 18, 2011, 51 cyclists have already tracked rides through the online tracking system. The weather is impacting some cyclists, but there are still two more weeks to ride!
John Zengel leaves ExxonMobil
after a day of work.
Karin Parker & Megan Slutter arrive to work
at the Readington Township Municipal Bldg.
Registrations will be accepted online through May 23, 2011 at www.harttma.com
HART thanks the following event co-sponsors for their support:
AAA Mid-Atlantic
Bike King, Clinton
Clinton Bicycle Shop, LLC, Clinton
Cycle Corner of Frenchtown, Frenchtown
HealthQuest, Flemington
J.A.R. Engineering, Flemington
Pete's Bike & Fitness Shoppe, Flemington
Pure Energy Cycling & Java House, Lambertville
Congratulations on your municipality’s decision to pursue certification under the “Sustainable Jersey” program.
Through HART’s “Sustainable HunterdonSM” initiative, we can assist your community, free of charge, as you work to implement the required “Action Items” and accumulate the required 150 points for certification.
HART has identified the following action items that we may be able to assist you to implement.
In some cases, such as Safe Routes to School, we may already be working with your community. You may already be eligible for 10 points for that action!
Action Items (Points)
Local Economies
Green Business Recognition Program (10)
Community Partnership & Outreach
Community Education and Outreach (10)
Green Challenges and Community Programs (10)
Green Fairs (10)
Health and Wellness
Anti-Idling Education & Enforcement (10)
Safe Routes to School (10)
Sustainability Planning
Community Visioning (10)
Sustainable Community Plan (10)
Greenhouse Gas
Municipal Carbon Footprint (10)
Community Carbon Footprint (10)
Climate Action Plan (10)
Land Use & Transportation
Sustainable Land Use Pledge (10)
Complete Streets Program ( 20)
Municipal Planning & Zoning Self Assessment (10)
Sustainability Master Plan Revision (20)
HART is pleased to provide free assistance as your community endeavors to become more sustainable. Please feel free to reach out if we can be of assistance to you. Call at 908-788-5553, extension 13, or email to tara@harttma.com