# Southern Jersey Roads



## Naussdollar (Feb 17, 2015)

Been visiting Cape May, NJ most of my life. Usually take my bike and ride the more popular roads around CM, Wildwood, and Stone Habor. This past visit I did some of the secondary and rural back roads. Have to say, as much as I love visiting CM, the roads in southern Jersey are total crap for riding. Rough, pot holes everywhere, and just in really bad shape. I really hope they improve before I retire there!!


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## tommybike (Dec 30, 2015)

Naussdollar said:


> Been visiting Cape May, NJ most of my life. Usually take my bike and ride the more popular roads around CM, Wildwood, and Stone Habor. This past visit I did some of the secondary and rural back roads. Have to say, as much as I love visiting CM, the roads in southern Jersey are total crap for riding. Rough, pot holes everywhere, and just in really bad shape. I really hope they improve before I retire there!!


I have not been down in a couple of years but always thought they were better than the ones in North Jersey. Then again could just be potholes are easier to deal with on flats. 

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## oldnewbie52 (Sep 28, 2011)

Naussdollar said:


> Been visiting Cape May, NJ most of my life. Usually take my bike and ride the more popular roads around CM, Wildwood, and Stone Habor. This past visit I did some of the secondary and rural back roads. Have to say, as much as I love visiting CM, the roads in southern Jersey are total crap for riding. Rough, pot holes everywhere, and just in really bad shape. I really hope they improve before I retire there!!


I know this thread is a year old but had to get my dig in re: MY roads in Bethlehem,PA. Total crap! Except for the SS area around the casino but that's because they're somewhat new. Bethlehem stencils the obligatory "bike lane" on the roads but if they really cared, they'd actually do some resurfacing. Looks like a 3rd World country around here. Hate to drive on them, let alone, bike. 
Heading to the Crest next week and looking forward to the main drag from the CM bridge to North Wildwood. Flat and pretty smooth.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

Bethlehem is an old, industrial city. Of course their roads are crap. But you don't have to venture very far to find absolutely beautiful roads. Just head a bit south into Bucks Co.


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## tommybike (Dec 30, 2015)

AlanE said:


> Bethlehem is an old, industrial city. Of course their roads are crap. But you don't have to venture very far to find absolutely beautiful roads. Just head a bit south into Bucks Co.


Or North. Some nice roads in Northern Northampton County, Monroe County and Carbon County. I love the run through Hickory Run State Park. 

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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

tommybike said:


> Or North. Some nice roads in Northern Northampton County, Monroe County and Carbon County. I love the run through Hickory Run State Park.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk


My wife is from the Allentown area and my daughter lives there now (near Trexler Park) I find lots of nice roads out there in places like Macungie, Alburtis, Mertztown. The climb out of Emmaus up South mountain has kicked my ass a few times


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## oldnewbie52 (Sep 28, 2011)

I used to run in Trexler often. Loved that place. They used to allow bikes a couple of times a week and then there were a couple of bike/pdestrian collisions and I THINK they've nixed it for good. Too many blind curves tho for any decent speed.


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## oldnewbie52 (Sep 28, 2011)

Ironically, the 'old, industrial' area of the city, South Side, has great roads (because of the casino, built on Beth Steel grounds). Whats frustrating is that other than their "tourist attraction" areas; casino, Musikfest venues, downtown Historic area, they're letting the rest go to hell, aesthetically, at least.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

oldnewbie52 said:


> Ironically, the 'old, industrial' area of the city, South Side, has great roads (because of the casino, built on Beth Steel grounds). Whats frustrating is that other than their "tourist attraction" areas; casino, Musikfest venues, downtown Historic area, they're letting the rest go to hell, aesthetically, at least.


How is that different than any other city that lost its industrial jobs base? I am not sure what "they" can do. Both Allentown and Bethlehem have benefited from the completion of I78 which brought in warehouses and distribution centers plus affluent folks from north Jersey wanting to escape their high real estate prices. However, the good paying blue collar jobs that used to be there are long gone. Its a difficult scenario to fix. That said I think the Lehigh Valley is a nice place to live and riding is much better than here in pancake flat south jersey where I am


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## tommybike (Dec 30, 2015)

DaveG said:


> How is that different than any other city that lost its industrial jobs base? I am not sure what "they" can do. Both Allentown and Bethlehem have benefited from the completion of I78 which brought in warehouses and distribution centers plus affluent folks from north Jersey wanting to escape their high real estate prices. However, the good paying blue collar jobs that used to be there are long gone. Its a difficult scenario to fix. That said I think the Lehigh Valley is a nice place to live and riding is much better than here in pancake flat south jersey where I am


Lehigh Valley has really benefited from 78 and its closeness to NY and Philly. I would love to see them extend 33 all the way down to 276 or even 76 to better connect the Easton area with Bucks and Philly. 

But it is doing much better than a lot of second tier former industrial/rust belt cities. 

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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

tommybike said:


> But it is doing much better than a lot of second tier former industrial/rust belt cities.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk


I agree. When I went to college there in the 80's, Bethlehem Steel was still operational and a major employer. The years after they shut down in the mid-90's weren't so good but things are in the right direction now. I can remember getting soot on my car back in the day


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## oldnewbie52 (Sep 28, 2011)

DaveG said:


> How is that different than any other city that lost its industrial jobs base? I am not sure what "they" can do. Both Allentown and Bethlehem have benefited from the completion of I78 which brought in warehouses and distribution centers plus affluent folks from north Jersey wanting to escape their high real estate prices. However, the good paying blue collar jobs that used to be there are long gone. Its a difficult scenario to fix. That said I think the Lehigh Valley is a nice place to live and riding is much better than here in pancake flat south jersey where I am


What "they" can do is resurface the streets now that their tax base has exponentially expanded. Trust me, our tax rates are catching up real fast to the the those that all of the Jerseyites have been escaping from since the 80's. Yeah, there is nice riding in nearby Bucks and Monroe and Lehigh counties but I would like to ride close to home without having to constantly avoid potholes, brake ripples and horrible patch jobs. 
Yup, know what you mean about pancake flat S Jersey. Great for when you wanna get out and cruise, but doesn't give you much of a workout.


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