The author of this article argues that pedestrians have lost the battle of the streets over the years.

The sidewalks and the roadbed — sidewalks were not pedestrian cattle pens, but off-limits zones for vehicles. But that changed over time with the advent of trolleys, bicycles and then cars…

The Lenape Park section of the East Coast Greenway in Cranford has been opened. Big Walk walkers will remember that after Nomehegan Park came Kenilworth Boulevard and street walking for a mile or so. Now, we will cross the street and head into the park on a brand new…

It’s a good thing that we are biologically programmed to forget painful experiences. But what about exhausting or uncomfortable ones? You conveniently forget how much work goes into a tough walk. Or, at least that was my thought as the three of us finally finished out LENAPE34 walk, fully exhausted, at North Broad Street Station in Newark after 10:00 p.m. – 15 hours of nearly non-stop walking. Five other walkers had already made the entire…

I woke to the alarm at 4:45 wondering about the weather. I’m sure I heard rain but I knew, based upon conditions the whole week, that there was no easy way to call this day.  Rain was in the forecast, but it looked more like off and on showers. So, there was no good reason for cancelling. There were about 40+ walkers confirmed, although I knew that was not going to be our final count on a day like today.…

This 5+-mile segment is actually the same beginning trail for the L34 and represents an immediate challenge as you ascend South Mountain for a couple hundred feet right from the start. At a little after 9:00 a.m. on Sep 25th the trail was quiet for most of the way. Between Risa Olinsky, Nadeem Firoz and myself we had enough collective experienced to remember the route, although the trail blaze markers looked like they were in good shape from last…

Say it aint so. But then again if you've spent some time walking in NYC you know that there's danger lurking by some on 2 wheels. As an avid cyclist AND pedestrian I guess I'm really split on this one. Anyway, here's an interesting article that points out there are significant pedestrian risks posed by some careless…

Credit those dedicated Harsimus Embankment volunteers, who have provided FreeWalkers with refreshing breaks for us on our two 50-mile Big Walks, and the Rails-to-Trails organization. The Embankment, the Jersey City version of the…

Chicago's new pedestrian planning effort is part of a general shift in how in cities think about getting around. The city will generally favor pedestrian and biking forms of transportation. Chicago claims to be a city is in tune with what's happening nationally.

See full article from 8/12/11 The Achitects…

According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, New York street planning will now factor in a variety of street users including pedestrians and cyclists - not  just motorized vehicles.

"Governor Andrew M. Cuomo…

It was a major victory for cyclists and pedestrians as a judge dismissed an effort by Brooklyn residents to remove a hotly contested bicycle lane installed by the city on Prospect Park West, One of the first and major bike lanes slows traffic in a wealthy area. This particular spot has been the battlefront…

The New York Times posted this front page article on the dangers of pedestrian foot traffic in Florida. Over recent years as highways and strip malls have been built, little attention has been paid to people who need to navigate across them, such as to get to a bus stop on the other side. Four Florida metropolitan areas are ranked as the most dangerous places to…

Here's an interesting article from the Atlantic on the classic surfer movie,…

I've had an idea brewing for a few months about a new walk in a different part of New Jersey. Its not that there's a shortage of ideas for walks, but as the weather warmed I started thinking about the New Jersey shore. My family usually spends a week at the beach and there's always plenty of good memories of those times. Usually, we find ourselves heading further south to Long Beach Island, but I've got plenty of fond memories of "the Shore" closer to home too.…

To my friends and colleagues on this site -- 

I know many of you are also active in other sports as well - so this may apply. 

Please share freely - Thank you, risa

http://maplewood.patch.com/blog_posts/heads-up-for-helmuts