Biking Anyone …

ATLANTIC CITY — Imagine a world where residents and visitors could bike from Ventnor to Gardner’s Basin.

If all goes according to plan, this cyclist’s dream could become a reality, said Elizabeth Terenik, director of planning and development for Atlantic City.

Residents gathered in City Council chambers Wednesday evening for a public information session on the possibility of bike lanes on Atlantic Avenue. The bike lanes would be implemented as part of the Atlantic Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project, which will bring a variety of changes intended to make the street safer and more vibrant.

The improvement project is funded by grants administered by the state. Improvements would include the installation of LED lighting, bike racks, cube seating, curb bump-outs, high-visibility branded crosswalks, concrete sidewalks, curb ramps, trees and decorative granite pavers on the sidewalks, Terenik said. While many items are geared toward the 1600 and 1700 blocks, bike paths would ideally extend from The Walk to the inlet, she said.

“When you look at the top places to live, being bike and pedestrian friendly is a common trait,” Terenik said. The bike lanes could meet up with lanes that have been planned for the inlet, she said. Once the Boardwalk is completed in 2017, the bike lanes and the Boardwalk would form a loop, allowing cyclists to ride from Ventnor to Gardner’s Basin.

“We are just in the conceptual stages now,” said David Lustberg, owner of Arterial, the company in charge of the streetscape project. “We want to get the pulse and see what everyone is thinking.”

Resident Matthew Conlon, 43, while raising concerns regarding the safety of the lanes, as well as how police would monitor pedestrians and bikers alike, was in favor of the project.

“This is a great idea, but beyond aesthetics it needs to be safe,” he said.

“This kind of implementation to the city is only positive,” added resident Anthony Vraim, 67.

Lustberg presented a variety of options for how bike lanes could be implemented, with many residents coming out in favor of a two-way bike lane on one side of the street and sacrificing street parking to make room.

Terenik said the project would appeal to visitors and residents alike.

“There is a statistic that says less than 50 percent of Atlantic City residents have cars. This project would benefit residents,” said Terenik.