Three candidates are running for two seats in the Democratic primary (June 2) for Maplewood Township Committee: Bike Bus founder Martin Ceperley; current Mayor Vic De Luca, running for his 10th term on the Township Committee; and Planning Board and Hilton Neighborhood Association member John T. Sullivan. Read Village Green’s election guidelines here. Read our election coverage here.
I moved to Maplewood five years ago because I was drawn to the intentional, inclusive nature of this community. People here care about each other and seem genuinely committed to building something better together. That’s rare, and it’s worth protecting.
But I’ll be honest. My biggest wake-up call since moving here has been the culture I face when I’m on foot or on a bike. I’ve had more close calls cycling and walking in Maplewood than I ever did living in Jersey City or New York City, where pedestrians and cyclists coexist daily with cars, buses, and semis. I’ve been honked at while legally crossing a crosswalk on Valley Street with my toddler. And on Prospect Street, on our way to school, a car came from behind and nearly sideswiped us while my son was visibly on the back of my bike. These aren’t near-misses in the abstract. They’re moments that stay with you.
I spoke at Township Committee meetings in support of the Parker Avenue bike lanes, and I believe now what I said then: a bike lane isn’t a magic bullet, but it is a signal that Maplewood is serious about moving forward. And we need many more of these signals. We need to do the hard work of shifting a culture, not just patching a road.
Martin Ceperley understands this, and he’s been willing to say so even when it’s uncomfortable. He challenges our town to live up to the values we say we hold and to show up for each other in the ways that actually matter. He hasn’t just talked about safe streets. He’s lived it, organized around it, and shown up for it. As a fellow cyclist, a runner, and a mom who cannot wait to send my son off to the Bike Bus one day, I want someone on the Township Committee who sees street safety as the community issue it truly is: connected to who we are, what we value, and the Maplewood we’re building for the next generation.
Martin is that person. I’m proud to support him.
Suzie McCarthy
Maplewood, NJ
