WESTWOOD, N.J.—Toby Kalman found two bicycles blocking a downtown restaurant entrance one Friday while out with friends. She moved them out of the way and spoke to the kids who had left them there.
The riders needed somewhere to park, she explained. Without a designated place to leave their bicycles, they weren’t entirely to blame.
That problem became a Girl Scout project. On a humid Sept. 13 afternoon, after a rain shower slightly delayed the proceedings, Toby and her fellow members of Troop 98178 gathered at the Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek Post Office Building to celebrate their solution: a new silver-colored, tubular grid-style bike rack, paid for with troop funds raised primarily through cookie sales.
They brought bikes, too, and a small army of supporters.
The dedication at Westwood and Fairview avenues came nearly nine months after the Scouts stood before the mayor and council—then rocking Christmas sweaters they’d invited the girls to judge—to ask for more bicycle parking downtown. On Sunday, they received their Bronze Awards and marked their move from Juniors to Cadettes in a bridging ceremony.
Co-leader Jeanine Farfalla said the Scouts had noticed that existing racks were too far from the center of Westwood to serve the places they wanted to visit.
At the Dec. 16, 2025, council meeting, the girls—then fifth graders—took turns making their case.
“We love riding our bikes to school, parks, and local stores,” they told officials. “Bikes help us stay healthy, have fun, and feel more independent. But when we get to places around town, we often don’t know where to put our bikes because there aren’t enough bike racks.”
They described bicycles leaned against buildings, left in doorways or parked along sidewalks, creating obstacles particularly for people using wheelchairs, walkers or strollers. More racks, they argued, could encourage people to ride instead of drive, reduce traffic, improve air quality and bring customers to local businesses.
“We know that most people don’t want to cause a problem—they just don’t have another place to park their bike,” they said.
Each got in valuable public-speaking time and showed their command of the project’s nuts and bolts. They suggested locations and fundraising ideas. Council members encouraged them to develop the proposal with borough staff, using a zoning map to identify suitable sites.
Then came the work of finding a spot.
Co-leader Jamie Hogan said she and Farfalla worked with Borough Administrator Durene Ayer, who supplied the map so the girls could evaluate locations without creating new obstacles for pedestrians.
The troop submitted eight possibilities, eventually narrowed to two. After coordination with the appropriate stakeholders, Postmaster Gabriel Ali approved the post office site.
The troop obtained a quote from a vendor recommended by the borough and fully funded the purchase. Ali helped with the location and, when the rack arrived, assembled it himself and set the amenity off in colorful plantings.
“We also want to recognize Postmaster Ali, who went above and beyond,” Farfalla said at the dedication.
Green and gold balloons marked the celebration. The troop’s leaders said green reflected the Scouts’ Junior sashes and Girl Scouting’s signature color; gold was the closest available match to bronze.
Receiving their Bronze Awards were Isabella DeFabrizio, Hayden Hogan, Victoria Horton, Lainey Joy Johnson, Toby Kalman, Seraphina Katz, Harper McCormack, Rebecca Rodriguez, and Siena Tricario.
The girls gathered with their bicycles for photographs beside the rack, their December request now something they and their neighbors could use.
Farfalla thanked Mayor Ray Arroyo and the council for supporting the proposal, recognizing Arroyo, Council Member Cheryl Hodges and Council President Lauren Letizia at the gathering. She also thanked Ayer and Council Member Erin Collins, who could not attend, for their help throughout the process.
“Thank you for treating these young women like the capable leaders they are,” Farfalla said.
Letizia congratulated the Scouts on following through. She recalled being impressed by their council presentation and praised the location they had secured.
The project also fits Westwood’s “Walk Your Wheels” message, publicized in a July 21 borough notice. The downtown dismount zone prohibits riding bicycles and other covered devices on sidewalks and specified public-access areas along seven streets, including Westwood and Fairview avenues. Riders must walk their bikes through those areas; the new rack gives them somewhere to park when they arrive.
Troop 98178’s work follows an earlier downtown safety effort by a different group of Westwood Girl Scouts. In 2018, Troop 4730’s Mia Heid, Jenna Visich, Mia Marinkovic and Alexa Kenny worked with the Department of Public Works on a crosswalk flag system for their Silver Award project, supported by Westwood for All Ages and local businesses.
Those Scouts proposed placing flags at several downtown crossings, including Fairview and Westwood avenues, so pedestrians could carry a flag across the street and leave it in a container on the other side. The flags remain in use downtown.
For Troop 98178, Sunday’s dedication also marked a milestone in the girls’ years together. Farfalla and Hogan have led the troop for the past three years. Some members have been together since its start in 2020.
“This bike rack will serve our neighbors for years to come—a small, permanent reminder of what happens when young women are given the chance to lead,” Farfalla said. She emphasized that the project was an enthusiastic collaboration of all the girls.
Asked how it felt to see the project become reality, Toby gave a brief verdict.
“It’s good,” she said.
