Thanks to a generous grant from the New Jersey Health Initiative (NJHI), the state-wide grant making wing of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,  EZ Ride was able to help form the Alliance for a Healthier Asbury Park. The vision of the Alliance is to improve the health and well-being of all Asbury Park residents through prevention, health education, active programs, policy, and environmental change. Its mission is to prevent and reduce chronic disease by lowering the barriers and conditions that prevent healthy living and thinking.

The Open Streets movement is a global phenomenon about getting communities active and changing the way people view their streets and neighborhoods. The Alliance decided that closing certain roads in town and making the “Open Streets” available for healthy activities such as walking, biking, yoga, and rock climbing could increase awareness about the importance of good health, and provide an excellent opportunity to promote healthy lifestyles and active living in the City. In addition to the grant from NJHI, the Alliance raised more than $20,000 from the community to support the event.

The Alliance hosted the First Asbury Park Alive event for a Healthier Asbury Park on Saturday, May 4, 2019, from 1 pm – 5 pm.   The slogan of the event was “Uniting a City through Streets in Motion!” and the City closed several major streets to provide a safe space for people to walk, bike, or skate.  There were bands, DJs, and different activity stations to promote health and well-being. Many partners from the Alliance for a Healthier Asbury Park were involved, including EZ Ride.

EZ Ride provided shuttle services to transport residents from the Senior Housing buildings to the event.  EZ Ride also had two table stations to promote our Ryde4Life and bike and pedestrian programs. The grant provides funding to help Asbury Park residents sign up for the Ryde4Life program and get free transportation services using Lyft or Uber up to a maximum of $100.

EZ Ride’s Bike and Pedestrian team were out in full force promoting bicycling safety at the Bike Hub area by setting up an extensive Safe Bike Riding Skills Course at the Transit Station parking lot. The team distributed safety information, bike safety coloring books, Street Smart tip cards, bike lights, bike water bottle holders, and free helmets.

“I had the privilege to be stationed near EZ Ride’s Bike Rodeo. The team kept focused on the children’s enjoyment and safety and gave out a lot of essential items including helmets and bicycle water bottle holders. The team did face a few challenges – illegally parked vehicles and the rain. But EZ Ride’s Bike & Pedestrian Team rearranged the course several times as necessary. In spite of the rain, they kept the energy level high as they promoted bike safety and fun for the children and families who participated” said Pastor Jackie Burgess,  Volunteer Coordinator for Asbury Park Alive.

For more information contact:

Lisa Lee

(201) 939-4242 ext. 123

[email protected]