This Community Biking Event in Montclair Will Raise Awareness for Traffic Safety
With summer slowly peeking its head, there's no better way to enjoy the outdoors than riding bikes across town with your fellow neighbors, especially if it's for a good cause. Local organization Montclair Bike Bus is planning a town-wide biking event to raise awareness about traffic violence happening in the community. "Kidical Mass" will take place on the morning of May 4th, 2025. Attendees will begin riding in Upper Montclair and finish at Essex Park at 41 Chestnut Street, where there will be a family-friendly celebration. Read on to learn more about Kidical Mass happening in Montclair, New Jersey, and the organization behind it all.
About Kidical Mass
According to New Jersey's Department of Law + Public Safety, the state has reported 148 fatal vehicle crashes since January. Like many bustling towns in the Garden State, Montclair is not exempt from issues surrounding traffic safety. Since March 2025, there have been a total of 20 crashes that have happened in our local community, as per a crash report created by the organization Montclair Bike Bus.
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To raise awareness about traffic violence in the community, Montclair Bike Bus, whose goal is to make biking to school safe for all Montclair children, will host its biggest biking event yet on May 4th. "The idea is to get as many kids and adults riding their bikes as we can so we can send a message to our elected leaders about safe streets," the organization told The Montclair Girl. "We deserve safer streets, including traffic calming, bike lanes, and pedestrian improvements, so our kids can ride to school — or wherever they want."
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Taking place from 10AM to 1PM, Kidical Mass, a six-mile bike ride, will start in Upper Montclair, continue through the South End neighborhood, and finish at Essex Park, located at 41 Chestnut Street. The whole ride is estimated to take around an hour. See the full map here.
Participants looking for shorter rides can join at different checkpoints, including Watchung Plaza for a 4.5-mile or 45-minute ride, Church Street Circle for a three-mile or 30-minute ride, and the northeast corner of Nishuane Park for a two-mile or 20-minute ride.
Finishing at Essex Park, riders can look forward to music, games, doughnuts, snacks, merch, and bike repair services.
Those looking to participate in Kidical Mass can RSVP at this link.
About Montclair Bike Bus
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Led by local parents and community supporters, Montclair Bike Bus is an organization on a mission to make biking for local students "joyful, fun, and safe," as per its website.
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Every Friday morning, the organization hosts a bike bus for Montclair students. This is an adult-led, scheduled bike ride that follows a set route, taking children safely to their schools. There are roots available for Bradford Elementary School, Charles H Bullock School, Buzz Aldrin Middle School, Edgemont Elementary School, Glenfield Middle School, Hillside Elementary School, Nishuane Elementary School, Northeast Elementary School, Renaissance Middle School, and Watchung School. See the routes at this link.
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