Point Beach Mayor Looks To Step Up Cyclist, Pedestrian Safety

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ – In the wake of a teen cyclist getting struck on Route 35 Sunday afternoon, the mayor of Point Pleasant Beach will ramp up efforts to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety in the borough, especially at the intersection of Arnold Avenue and Route 35.

In a post on his Facebook page, Paul Kanitra spoke about what the borough has already done to help combat this issue.

“Proactively protecting against distracted driving is a major challenge these days,” Kanitra’s post said.

“We've devoted countless hours to the effort on the local town-owned roads we control. New signage, better visibility, road paintings, etc., have all been deployed. We recently applied for a major grant to help fund even further improvements.”

Kanitra said he plans to discuss the topic at Tuesday night’s council meeting and speak with county and state officials about making it safer for bike riders along Route 35 in the borough.

“With Route 35 being a state road and Arnold Ave being a county road, the situation there has remained out of our jurisdiction,” Kanitra said.

“I will be adding this as a discussion topic for Tuesday night's council meeting, and I will be asking for a group of County and State stakeholders to be convened to find a major solution to this clearly dangerous area. One that takes into account the large number of out-of-town motorists that are unfamiliar with the area and traffic patterns.”