Bordentown, NJ, has many things to offer like street fairs, multiple parks, shops, restaurants, downtown living, country living, and even a beach. But many are unaware of the bike paths that run from one side of Bordentown Township to the other and from Bordentown City to Trenton and beyond. The bike paths offer a great opportunity for family exercise and are an enjoyable way to get around. From the bike path, one can see Bordentown from a different perspective as it goes through parks, neighborhoods, woods, and fields. The bike scene is growing in Bordentown as well with a Bordentown Social Cycling group being founded this year and future expansion planned for the path.

Where is the Bike Path?

The bike path has multiple entrances and exits. There are two paths within the Bordentown area. One is through the township and another is in the city and leads all the way to Trenton. The township path has entrances on Groveville Road, Fern Road, Charles Bossert Drive, Wilson Avenue, Independence Drive, Highbridge Road, and in Joseph Lawrence Park. Currently, the township path is somewhat disjointed, but bicyclists can easily get from one section to the other via roadways and there are plans to connect the path all the way through. Beginning at Groveville Road, the path ends in Borden’s Crossing on Crescent Drive, but the path can be exited on Highbridge Road, which leads to Hogback Road and then the path can be picked back up in Joseph Lawrence Park behind Peter Muschal Elementary School. This allows the rider to bike through Bossert Estates and onto a path that continues at the intersection of 528 and Charles Bossert Drive, which is nicely marked with a crosswalk and signs. The portion of the path that begins at 528 goes through farm fields and allows for a scenic ride with nice views at sunset and exits or entrances on Independence Drive and Valley Forge Road. All the portions of the path are currently paved, which allows for bicyclists of all levels to enjoy them. The second path within Bordentown is in the city by the Bordentown Yacht Club. The entrance goes alongside the Riverline bridge and leads up to the scenic overlook on 295. From there it can be taken all the way to Waterfront Park in Trenton, and just a short ride from Waterfront Park the Delaware Raritan Canal trail runs for 70+ miles north through many towns.

The Future of the Bike Path

As mentioned above, the current layout of the township bike path is somewhat disjointed, but there are plans for the future of the path to make it continuous and more clearly marked. According to Bordentown Township Mayor Jill Popko, the biggest change to come to the bike path will be a connection from Borden’s Crossing to Bordentown Regional High School. Regarding this, Mayor Popko says, “One of the most pressing issues facing the bike path is the route between Borden’s Crossing development and Bordentown Regional High School. The NJDEP has designated a portion of that area wetlands, prohibiting the hardscaping (asphalt) directly on the site. The Township Engineer has put together a plan to build a bridge over the site, so as to do as little disruption to the natural habitat as possible.” This plan has been in the works for some time, but similar to many things, the funding has been holding up the project as it is not currently in the budget. However, the mayor is very hopeful that a benefactor will help to get the project to completion, as attempts for grant money have not been successful yet.

Bordentown Social Cycling Group

The paths are not the only thing helping the Bordentown, NJ, bike scene grow, there is also a recently founded social cycling group. Courtney Vanarsdale, a Spanish teacher at Northern Burlington Regional High School, founded the group after she was inspired by a similar group she saw on a trip to Austin, Texas. The group is based on Facebook where members post a ride and others can meet up at the set time and all ride together. There are bicyclists who are interested in short rides and those who are interested in all the way up to 75 mile rides — so it includes bikers at all levels. The rides can also end with drinks or food at one of Bordentown’s eateries. Courtney is “excited to keep it alive and find more trails/destinations for the group.” Interested riders can join here and help to grow the movement.

Feel free to reach out to the author (who regularly enjoys using the path) with any questions about the path or where to find the entrances. Happy riding!

Image Source: StockSnap.io

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