For years, bus bike racks have been on the wish list of cyclists and transportation reformers in New Jersey both because they offer bicyclists an alternative to cycling in bad weather and because they give riders the ability to bicycle to and from bus stops, instead of drive. Having this option is also likely to encourage more use of bus transit as a passenger could regularly travel by bus to a final destination not circumscribed by convenient walking distance or limited to the route of a connecting mass transit line. Advocates' desires - most recently discussed at winter meetings of the newly formed New Jersey Bicycle Advisory Council - seem to have been heard.

A NJ Transit official confirmed that various bike rack models are being tested for safety and maintenance problems with two different types of buses on routes in southern Jersey. NJ DOT bus inspectors want to check into whether or not racks block bus drivers' line of vision or impede the functionality of windshield wipers. As the same bike racks are now safely used by bus systems across the country, these tests should be swiftly completed and Transit riders and others widely notified of this important new option.