RideWise Annual Report FY22

RideWise connects people and businesses to safe and sustainable travel options that enhance the quality of life and create a vibrant economy.

Somerset County will have a seamless network of efficient transportation choices available to everyone.

We educate the community on safe and efficient ways to travel.

We advocate for transportation options and enhancements that improve mobility and help the environment.

We collaborate with the business community to help employee mobility and connect people to jobs.

We engage with local government and communities to increase safe biking and walking opportunities.

On behalf of the team at RideWise, I invite you to review our annual report for the July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 fiscal year.

It was a year where we saw a return of in-person programming at our partner schools, nonprofit organizations and in communities throughout Somerset County. In this report, you’ll see how our programs, especially TransitConnect, BikeConnect and Safe Routes to School benefit local residents.

It was also a bittersweet year as we said goodbye to Patrick Delaney who concluded his term as our Chairman. Patrick joined the board in 2015 and served as the Chairman from 2018 to 2022. Throughout the pandemic, Patrick was grace under pressure and the team and I will miss his thoughtful, steady guidance and leadership.

As always, RideWise remains here to connect you to the information you need to navigate Somerset County.

Let’s go!

Donna Allison Executive Director

DONNA ALLISON, PATRICK DELANEY AND INCOMING CHAIRMAN, TONY TUFARO.

BY THE NUMBERS

“

Watching these young adults learn and connect with the public transportation network is a joy. It makes me hopeful for their future self-travel options.”

–LINDA RAPACKI, DIRECTOR OF MOBILITY MANAGEMENT

TransitConnect

PROGRAM IMPACT

Andrés Ortiz

Andrés Ortiz, an extraordinary young man from Bridgewater, gained a newfound sense of freedom after learning how to use Uber to travel to his volunteer position at the Bound Brook Library. Andrés learned about the TransitConnect program when he attended a job and volunteer fair at the Bridgewater branch of the Somerset County Library. Andrés lived in a neighborhood without public transit, but that did not deter him. Instead, he learned how to travel using Uber. RideWise travel trainer, Linda Rapacki, showed Andrés how to download the Uber app, create an account, find and request a ride, rate trips, and how to tip. Now, Andrés enjoys his independence by regularly taking Uber to the library, band practice, his girlfriend’s, and Nathan’s Hot Dogs.

Raegan Hoeft

Raegan Hoeft’s charming smile and joyful demeanor hide her daily challenges. Surgery for a brain tumor left Raegan with partial vision loss and cognitive deficits, making her unable to drive a vehicle. She contacted RideWise to learn how to use the local buses after

learning about the TransitConnect program. After several sessions riding the buses and trains, Raegan was soon easily traveling independently. Raegan has since joined the Somerset County Advisory Council on Disability Issues (ACODI) and the Somerset County Transportation Advisory Board, where she offers valuable feedback on using the transit system for persons with disabilities in Somerset County.

Jan Carr-Jones, Bridgewater Raritan High School

Jan Carr-Jones is a life-skills educator at Bridgewater Raritan High School, where she teaches students with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. No one understands better than Jan the importance of learning to travel independently. Jan’s students have participated in classroom presentations and bus field trips for nearly ten years. She was the first teacher to haveRideWise present travel training to her students. “Students with learning and other disabilities connect best when practicing their travel skills in the community,” says Jan. “These real-world experiences make a stronger association with how to take public transportation.”

ANDRÉS ORTIZ RAEGAN HOEFT AND LINDA RAPAKI JAN CARR-JONES WITH A GROUP OF HER STUDENTS

Comprehensive instruction that teaches individuals how to travel safely using public transportation or ride-hailing services.

Bob Hulit, Raritan Valley Community College Achievement Center

The Achievement Center at Raritan Valley Community College is a certificate-based, post-secondary program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities looking to further their education and skills for employment. Bob Hulit, the Center’s Curriculum Coordinator, refers students to RideWise for travel training. By learning independent travel skills, Bob’s students can pursue their dream of attending Raritan Valley Community College and engaging in campus activities. RideWise conducts transportation workshops in person at the Achievement Center twice a year. The workshops are so vital that they were delivered virtually to students and parents during the pandemic. Bob explains that “travel training is much more than learning to ride the bus. It enhances the student’s quality of life, teaches individual responsibility, and allows them to achieve goals and dreams.”

North Plainfield High School Students Learn How to Navigate Public Transit

Students in North Plainfield High School’s Special Education classes learned how to navigate the County’s public transportation network by participating in a group field trip on the bus. The students traveled from North Plainfield to downtown Somerville. Along the way, they learned their route, how to differentiate the Somerset County public bus from the NJ TRANSIT bus, how to pay the fare, determine where to exit the bus, and other essential travel guidelines. Travel training teaches how to navigate public transportation, and students also learn valuable life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and independence. “Watching these young adults learn and connect with the public transportation network is a joy to watch. It makes me hopeful for their future self-travel options,” Linda Rapacki, Mobility Manager.

“Travel training is much more than learning to ride the bus. It enhances the student’s quality of life, teaches individual responsibility, and allows them to achieve goals and dreams.” –BOB HULIT

BOB HULIT NORTH PLAINFIELD HIGH SCHOOL GROUP

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

Making it safer to walk and bicycle through educational programming and events.

BY THE NUMBERS

5 5 6

SAFETY EVENTS

9

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

337

ATTENDEES

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Middle Earth

Tour of Somerville

South Bound Brook Borough

Bridgewater YMCA

Somerville YMCA

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Bedwell Elementary School

Bernardsville

Lafayette Elementary School

Bound Brook

Smalley Elementary School

Bound Brook

West End Elementary School

Bound Brook

Roosevelt Elementary School

Manville

JFK Primary School

Raritan

PROGRAM IMPACT

Manville’s Roosevelt School Springs into Safety with Walking School Bus

Every month for the past six years, Roosevelt School’s physical education teacher, George Putvinski, has led around 80 students to school with the help of Principal Alicia Mathewson and other staff members. “During our walking school bus events, we talk to students about pedestrian and bike safety, in addition to safely crossing at the train tracks in town,” said Principal Alicia Mathewson.

Students gather at one of three starting locations throughout town, then walk a mile to school in groups led by Putvinski, Mathewson, and several teachers. Some of the students even bike, scooter, or skateboard. The students who participate receive a ticket to exchange for a RideWise sling bag that includes stickers, bracelets, and reflectors. Once students arrive, they can join Roosevelt School’s free breakfast program.

Walking school bus days aren’t just about teaching students pedestrian safety—they’re also a fun way to start the day before school. “Our monthly walking school bus is tied to a theme day, where students and staff celebrate being part of the community while dressing up to fit the day’s theme,” Mathewson said. As the walking school bus strolls its way through

town, the smiling faces of students reflect the benefits of walking to school. Students arrive at school happy, healthy, and eager to learn.

The JFK School Bike Train is Still Going Strong

It’s been five years since Joe and Colleen Kempe introduced Somerset County’s first bike train at JFK Primary School in Raritan Borough, and it keeps growing in popularity. The Kempe’s started the bike train in September 2016 with two students. “My wife and I established a route, and we started to invite students we knew who lived along the way,” Joe said. In a bike train, students and parents bike along a pre-determined route between home and school, often picking up other students at various “stops” along the route. The very first bike train ride consisted of one parent and two students. It has grown to 15+ regular participants and is now a part of the school’s drop-off and pick-up procedures. And it’s not only the students who are riding—parents have started joining the fun, too. Parent Erika Karp said, “My son enjoys this weekly event and counts the days to Tuesday.” The next time you see the bike train in Raritan, Joe says, “roll down your window and say hey, or just throw a thumbs up. Our biggest goal is to make the day a little brighter for the students at JFK.”

“During our walking school bus events, we talk to students about pedestrian and bike safety.” –PRINCIPAL ALICIA MATHEWSON

MANVILLE’S ROOSEVELT SCHOOL WALKING SCHOOL BUS JFK SCHOOL BIKE TRAIN

Community Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety

Children learn the importance of physical activity, how to bicycle and walk safely, and, more importantly, how they don’t always need a car to travel. The agency’s community partners help RideWise keep children safe by inviting team members to offer interactive safety activities and education.

In August 2021, RideWise and the South Bound Brook Police taught a bicycle rodeo, an on-bike obstacle course, as part of National Night Out. The Somerville YMCA partnered with RideWise in October 2021 to offer members a free youth bike skills clinic. In April and June of 2022, more than 40 student members of

the YMCA learned how to get to and from school safely by participating in safe walking events conducted by RideWise.

Honorable mention goes to Officers Vito Spadea and Nicole DiBiasse of the Somerville Borough Police, who rewarded kids for using crosswalks and riding their bikes with helmets in June 2022. The program, SummerVilleSafe, incentivized children who demonstrated good sense and safety while walking or biking. Children received coupons for food, snacks, or desserts from participating businesses in Somerville.

Safe Routes to School Recognition Awards

GOLD AWARD

Roosevelt Elementary School Manville

Smalley Elementary School

Bound Brook

Each year, RideWise nominates schools in Somerset County that take proactive measures to make it safe and fun for students to walk and bike to school. This year, NJDOT recognized four schools in Somerset County for Safe Routes to School programming, including walking school buses, bike trains, in-school presentations, and traffic-calming measures.

National Bike & Walk to School Month

Students in the North Plainfield School District designed posters depicting how to stay safe while walking and biking. The grand prize winner, Joshua M., won four tickets to a Somerset Patriots game and was invited to throw out the first pitch at the May 20 game.

SILVER AWARD

Lafayette Elementary School

Bound Brook

Bedwell Elementary School

Bernardsville

Providing bicycle and pedestrian safety education to school-aged children is integral to RideWise programming.

Making it safer to walk and bicycle to school through educational programming and events.

JOSHUA THROWS OUT THE FIRST PITCH AT THE SOMERSET PATRIOTS GAME.

YMCA STUDENT MEMBERS PARTICPATED IN RIDEWISE SAFE WALKING EVENTS

40+ 4

SCHOOLS AWARDED FOR SAFE ROUTES

LEFT TO RIGHT | OFFICER NICOLE DIBIASSE; CATY WHALEN TEACHES SAFETY TOWN AT THE SOMERVILLE YMCA.

BY THE NUMBERS

ONSITE EVENTS

Ingredion Safety Day

10/27/21

Somerset County Business Partnership

BizFest & Wellness Expo 10/22/21

Somerset County Library

“Get Fit Through Walking” 11/1/21

Somerset County Park System Health & Safety Fair 11/10/21

Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board Employment Disability Fair 12/12/21

NJ Department of Labor Virtual Lunch-n-Learn

3/3/22

Somerset County Business Partnership

BizFest & Wellness Expo 6/1/22

with the business community to help employee mobility and connect people to jobs.

In 2021, RideWise and Pops Bike Shop in Somerville launched a new bicycle rehabilitation program for adults needing reliable employment transportation. The program is a partnership between the two businesses, with RideWise soliciting bicycle donations from the community and paying for the repairs made by Pops.

Owner Marc Cianfrone and his team thoroughly inspect and tune up the donated bikes, which are outfitted with a bell and lights to comply with New Jersey biking law, along with a helmet and bicycle lock. Bike recipients also receive instruction in cycling safety from RideWise as part of the donation.

“I thought it was a great, worthwhile venture to work with RideWise on,” said Marc. “We are always looking for ways to help the community, and it shows how bikes can be a transportation alternative.”

Between July 2021 and June 2020, more than 30 residents donated bicycles to the program, and nonprofit agencies referred 17 adults for refurbished bikes to access jobs, interviews, medical appointments, and other essential services.

BERTA RECEIVING HER REFURBISHED BICYCLE. CATY WHALEN PRESENTS DANIEL COLL WITH A REFURBISHED BICYCLE.

ANTHONY MORMILE OF BOUND BROOK DELIVERS A BICYCLE DONATION TO RIDEWISE.

RideWise Brings Pop-Up Parklet to Somerville for Earth Day

RideWise partnered with the Downtown Somerville Alliance and the Somerville Starbucks to celebrate Earth Day 2022 by setting up a pop-up parklet to demonstrate how sidewalks can serve as miniparks for pedestrians and shoppers. Starbucks customers enjoyed drinks and snacks in the parklet during the day. The evening saw the parklet filled with people enjoying the music of harpist Patricia Turse. ”The project intended to show how quickly and easily a parklet can be built using only a small amount of space and inexpensive materials like traffic cones, planters, and benches,” said Donna Allison, Executive Director for RideWise. Parklets are bringing about a fundamental shift in how people and communities think about public spaces. This movement aims to create mini-parks and places for art, play, and activism.

Advocate for transportation options and enhancements that improve mobility and help the environment.

Parklets are bringing about a fundamental shift in how people and communities think about public spaces.

1 8

PARKLET DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

ELECTRIC VEHICLE EDUCATIONAL EVENTS

Let’s Go, Electric!

RideWise convened a diverse group of local and state stakeholders to collaborate on ways to accelerate EV adoption and help Somerset County achieve its ambitious electric vehicle goals.

Steps to EV Alternatives and Cost Savings | July 29, 2021

EV Chargers at Places You Want to Go! | August 26, 2021

Electric Vehicle Show at Duke Farms (in person) | September 26, 2021

The EV Model Ordinance is Ready! Are You? | October 28, 2021

It Ain’t Easy Being Green! Connecting Municipalities & Businesses to Opportunities that Advance EV Adoption and Infrastructure | January 27, 2022

Q&A with NJBPU on the EV Charging Incentive for Multi-Unit Dwellings | March 3, 2022

An Introduction to Micro- and E-Mobility | March 31, 2022

EV Show & Tell at Raritan Valley Community College for Drive Electric Earth Day (in person) | April 28, 2022

The Electric School Bus Experience (in person) | June 8, 2022

RVCC ELECTRIC VEHICLE SHOW – APRIL 2022 STUDENTS TEST DRIVE AN ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 2

PROGRAM IMPACT

Bernardsville Walkability Audit

Resident concerns about fast-moving traffic on Old Army Road prompted Bernardsville officials to ask RideWise to conduct a walkability audit of the area. RideWise, together with officials from Bernardsville Borough and the Somerset County Department of Planning, Policy, and Economic Development, walked along Old Army Road and Mullens Lane to identify barriers to pedestrians and brainstorm ways to make the corridor more pedestrian-friendly. Along with the audit, RideWise surveyed Bernardsville residents on the obstacles to walking they encounter throughout the borough.

Engage with local government and the community to increase safe biking and walking opportunities.

Street Smart

Public education that raises awareness of pedestrian and motorist laws.

Franklin Township

In October 2021, RideWise was invited by the Franklin Township Police Department to conduct a Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety campaign at three locations on Hamilton Street. Overall, observed pedestrian behavior improved significantly at all target locations after the campaign, with the majority of pedestrians using the crosswalk as observed during post-campaign observations:

HAMILTON STREET & NORMA AVENUE

HAMILTON STREET & DEWALD AVENUE

12% 14%

HAMILTON STREET & HIGHLAND AVENUE

102% increase in awareness of police efforts to enforce drivers stopping for pedestrians in the crosswalk

15 summonses issued by Franklin Township Police during the campaign. Eight tickets were for failure to stop for a pedestrian, and two were for crossing outside the crosswalk.

used the crosswalk during pre-campaign observations

58% 66% 64%

of pedestrians used the crosswalk during post-campaign observations

used the crosswalk during pre-campaign observations

of pedestrians used the crosswalk during post-campaign observations

59%

West End Elementary School

of pedestrians used the crosswalk during post-campaign observations

used the crosswalk during pre-campaign observations

In May 2022, the North Plainfield Police asked RideWise to conduct a Street Smart campaign near West End Elementary School. The campaign aimed to reduce the number of parents crossing mid-block with children during school drop-off and dismissal times. In coordination with the campaign, RideWise made several presentations to students at West End Elementary on the importance of pedestrian safety.

The campaign had two target locations: Greenbrook Road and West End Avenue, and Greenbrook Road and Harrington Avenue. The North Plainfield Police Department conducted 18 hours of community education related to the campaign. At Greenbrook Rd & Harrington Ave., driver behavior improved after the campaign, with most drivers stopping for pedestrians in the crosswalk. This improved from the pre-campaign, where most drivers did not stop. Surveys also showed that most participants saw an improvement in driver and pedestrian behavior after the campaign, and 100% of respondents reported seeing some form of pedestrian safety messaging after the campaign.

$601,020 INCOME North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority

$440,666 NJ TRANSIT $69,295 New Jersey Department of Transportation

$87,510 Contributions/ Miscellaneous Income $3,549

EXPENSES

$613,613

Program Services

$365,575 Administrative Services

$248,038

Patrick Delaney RideWise Chairman Vice President of Operations, Robert Wood Johnson Somerset

Mary Ameen Executive Director, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)

Chris Edwards President & CEO, Somerset County Business Partnership

Aubrey Flanagan Manager of Corporate Training and Professional Development, Raritan Valley Community College Workforce Training Center

Frederick W. Fenner III Mobility Manager, Transportation Department, VANJHCS – Lyons Campus

David Kois Business Advocate, Hillsborough Township

Walter Lane Director, Somerset County Policy, Planning & Economic Development

Susan O’Donnell Senior Director, NJ TRANSIT

Nancy Petrillo Vice President of Human Resources, Matheny Medical & Education Center

Patrick Tendick

Senior Manager, Knowledge Management & Data Analytics, Ingredion

Anthony Tufaro Site Facilities Manager, Johnson & Johnson

Josh Weiner

Assistant Vice President, Global Sustainability & Facilities Management, MetLife

Ann Whalen Vice President of Billing Operations, DirectTV

Donna Allison Executive Director

Sara Catherine Lichon Communications & Community Outreach Manager

Leanne McGowan Director of Business Development

Linda Rapacki

Director of Mobility Management

Caty Whalen

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Manager