Woodbridge Councilman: Large Groups Of Teens On Bikes A Concern

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — At the Woodbridge town Council meeting Tuesday night, Councilman-at-large Kyle Anderson said packs of teenagers riding bikes aggressively is "a concern" in Woodbridge and he wants the community to be aware of it before a teenager gets hurt.

This comes the same week a large group of teens were stopped by police in Perth Amboy on Sunday afternoon, and a few of the teens had their bikes confiscated.

"I encountered a very scary situation recently near Woodbridge High School," said Anderson, speaking after the council meeting by phone to Patch. "I guess it was on Samuel Lupo Drive. These teens on bikes were riding very aggressively into oncoming traffic and they were coming right at my car. They curved it at the very last second."

"I'm actually impressed with how much control they had," he continued. "But if I had accelerated or something, I would have hit one of them."

Anderson estimated it was about 8-9 teen boys.

"It's seems like it's kind of a fad, these kids are learning how to pop wheelies. I've seen kids ride a wheelie for a full block," he said. "It's nice to see kids outside. But they need to exercise caution. There are a few kids in the group that push the issue and challenge motorists."

In the Perth Amboy incident, which happened Sunday, the police faced heavy online criticism for overreacting, including from the head of the NJ ACLU, Amol Sinha. Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said she was even reviewing the incident.

Perth Amboy police said the teens, which appeared to be entirely boys, were biking aggressively, biking against traffic and taking over entire streets.

"We want you guys to have fun ... but when you roll like 40 or 30 deep and you guys are in the middle of the street, forcing cars to move over for you guys, you know we're going to come here and talk to you," said an unnamed Perth Amboy police officer in this full-length video of the Perth Amboy incident. "I just want to give you guys fair warning: If you guys continue to drive crazy on the streets, the police are going to take your bikes."

One teen replied that there just happens to be a lot of them, and the officer replied:

"No, no you know what I'm saying. Like, in a whole pack and cutting people off and being dangerous to people," said the officer.

Then a female Perth Amboy police officer arrives and confiscates several of the teens' bikes.

Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said he's seen large groups of teens biking away from the bike park on Rahway Avenue, but he would not describe it as "a problem." Woodbridge Police did not answer when Patch asked if there have been any complaints of large groups of teens on bikes.

But Councilman Anderson said he's concerned.

"When the group swells beyond 10 kids, they start to show off; they are swerving in and out of traffic; they are popping wheelies; they are in the road," he said. "The kids are about to get out of school; the bike shops cannot keep these bikes in stock. I just want them to be respectful. I don't want to lose any kids this summer."

Related: Prosecutor Reviewing Arrest Of Perth Amboy Teen On Bike

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