Watchung Reservation MTB Access - This Is It!!

never got a straight answer on that... perils of rules not being authorized by law u can look up and made in a backroom.

Ask some folk who got it in the recent ticket blitz this past year they might know.

Of course, if the gov't decides all of a sudden some ordinance means something it didn't before that might change at any moment... just like it did in 95

Remember may 18 vote didn't "ban" mt biking just cancelled the trails for it. It's status is no different than whatever it was or wasn't before -- and gawd alone knows what that is.

I mean, on one hand in my original OPRA response the county said the freeholders didn't act to ban it -- meaning no legislation and therefore no legal penalty -- but on the other they instituted a policy excluding it in 95. On the other hand this was based on an ordinance from 83 which was never changed in 95. Then they claimed the old ordinance was enforced from its inception in 83 to 93, and then arbitrarily stopped, then "resumed" in 95. But then at the Oct. trailside meeting, parks officials not only claimed there was an ordinance against it, they also said they could not arbitrarily allow or disallow it -- what they actually alleged they did do in 93-95. But wait... was the ordinance enforced prior to 93? Because in the 95 mt biking white paper, county said mt biking was going on for way before 90 and had "dramatically increased" since then -- it was actually the opening sentence! -- so whatever the ordinance meant it was obviously not being enforced against mt biking until 95. ... And then we all know they have a policy against it, but if you read the ordinance it is about "roads, paths, sidewalks, not blocking cars"... but the county has repeatedly misquoted it over the last 20 years explicitly saying it says "trails" when the word trail is not in it... all in all I think it depends on what day it is or who you talk to, lol.
 
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The tickets and fines received in October 2016 were $30. The regulations are posted on the ucnj.org site under PARKS and include reference to confiscation under certain circumstances. We can talk if u ride with me.

There were four (!) UC Police cars posted in the playground circle this weekend. I wonder what that cost the county? I was in the Res-er-va-tion for 4 hours Sunday, but didn't see or hear the ATV. I did see eight ISIS terrorists in downtown Plainfield, doe...

#freeWatchung
 
Good info. I was there couple days ago and was the only soul there. Just an hour in and out

It's impossible that you were the only one there. The place is over utilized. Too many trails, too many people, too much use, it's all going to wear away and there will be nothing left soon. Oh no!
 
BTW, saw this this weekend.

First time I seen one, must have just printed them up. In color (BW scan sorry). Wonder how much that cost taxpayers?

BTW you notice it mentions the old "roads, sidewalks, paths" ordinance -- but took out the part about blocking cars probably because that would make them look even more absurd.

(No idea what authorizes the confiscation (excuse me, impoundment) threat unless it's that old deadwood from the bike boom era of requiring "registration" from your town, which is a separate ordinance number I think and no town enforces anymore anyway, for good reason. Plus if I remember they actually have to have reason to believe it's stolen separate from just not being registered -- which all the bikes going thru anywhere nowadays probably are,m unless it was done on a voluntary basis such as some website offer, to deter thieves.)
 

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anyone know when the FH comments will be posted?
I know that Jamie and others are still working on this as we speak, I'm not ready to concede to the mtb haters
 
BTW, saw this this weekend.

First time I seen one, must have just printed them up. In color (BW scan sorry). Wonder how much that cost taxpayers?

BTW you notice it mentions the old "roads, sidewalks, paths" ordinance -- but took out the part about blocking cars probably because that would make them look even more absurd.

(No idea what authorizes the confiscation (excuse me, impoundment) threat unless it's that old deadwood from the bike boom era of requiring "registration" from your town, which is a separate ordinance number I think and no town enforces anymore anyway, for good reason. Plus if I remember they actually have to have reason to believe it's stolen separate from just not being registered -- which all the bikes going thru anywhere nowadays probably are,m unless it was done on a voluntary basis such as some website offer, to deter thieves.)

Where did you see these? Trailside center?
 
anyone know when the FH comments will be posted?
I know that Jamie and others are still working on this as we speak, I'm not ready to concede to the mtb haters

Usually takes a couple weeks for everything to get posted.

There's no reason anyone should feel like it's time to concede. With the way everything has unfolded, it just fuels the fire even more.
 
Btw,
In my own town of Berkeley Hts., NJ, there is a fellow running for town council who has supported the idea of mountain bike access. This past two days, following the vote on Mountain biking at Watchung, I noticed several of his campaign signs torn out of local lawns. Reports are that a green van might be driven by whomever is responsible. I do not know if the apparent vandalism is motivated by anger at the candidate's position on the mountain biking issue or something else, but what I do know is that in America, you should be free to display a sign on your lawn and not fear damage or retribution from hooligans. This is the sort of thing that makes me glad I have taken a stand on this issue. As I have often said, this is bigger than just mountain biking. In this case, it may also be about whether or not people can be intimidated by those who think they can physically impinge on what you say or post on your own property.
 
Btw,
In my own town of Berkeley Hts., NJ, there is a fellow running for town council who has supported the idea of mountain bike access. This past two days, following the vote on Mountain biking at Watchung, I noticed several of his campaign signs torn out of local lawns. Reports are that a green van might be driven by whomever is responsible. I do not know if the apparent vandalism is motivated by anger at the candidate's position on the mountain biking issue or something else, but what I do know is that in America, you should be free to display a sign on your lawn and not fear damage or retribution from hooligans. This is the sort of thing that makes me glad I have taken a stand on this issue. As I have often said, this is bigger than just mountain biking. In this case, it may also be about whether or not people can be intimidated by those who think they can physically impinge on what you say or post on your own property.

Tell him to put up a web cam trap.
 
So -Union County has FOUR marked units and an ATV in the Watchung Res-er-va-tion this weekend.

Sunday a child on his bike was struck by a car on Springfield Ave between Nomahegan and Dreyer's Farm three miles away in Cranford. On Monday, ISIS killed over 22 people in Manchester England.

Please tell me that the Freeholders can reconsider their allocation of resources.

Please tell me that they value our children and lives more than a bunch of NIMBY nut jobs.MTB Prohibited 20170522_110056.jpg Strictly Enforced 20170522_110105.jpg Violators 20170522_110113.jpg
 
ATV's BUT NO MOUNTAIN BIKING???? no comprende

They weren't too successful, either. I heard the ATV, which is pretty loud, and they were chasing one MTB Saturday, but finished DFL.

They had a car at the Playground pavilion Monday, while ISIS was killing people in Manchester. But you have to get your priorities right?
 
Saw the lighted sign on way to work. Saw yesterday they had printed up full color fliers and posted them at park.
Don't think they could have designed, approved, printed and distributed those fliers all on Friday after the vote.
Which means .... if they started working on em before Thursday's vote....
 
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