Category: Biking in the Metro Area

Bike riders are paying customers when they can park securely.

It’s not even two miles to go to the local grocery store. But I don’t do it on my bike. I like my bike, I like riding it. It is a low end road bike that I put a rack on, and have both a trunk bag and a large pannier (side bag). So I should be able to use it for shopping.

But I don’t because I don’t want it damaged or stolen. Maybe I got away cheap spending under $1,000 for a road bike, but I don’t like leaving it unattended.

I thought that maybe Trader Joe’s (Owings Mills) would be more progressive, and asked the "Captain" about bringing the bike in. He said no, (and has had several requests) so I asked about getting a bike rack out front. I was told that the landlord was against the idea, and was told that I could call First Washington Realty at 703 442-4323. Ginny Brown is who I was told to ask for.

If you have a retail business, why not install a bike rack and have it in a visible and safe location? If you really want a good image, have a water cooler inside like Race Pace in Owings Mills does. Free ice water was the foundation for Wall Drug in South Dakota. They offer it now as they did in the ’30s and are a huge business, especially by the standards of Wall, South Dakota.
Continue reading “Going to the store”

[From Craig’s list:]

My handi-capped son had his adult Trike stolen from him. The bike was a Miami brand 24" trike, beige in color with a basket on the back. It had Mountain bike tires on it and no fenders.It was a single speed trike and it worked well for him with his handi-capped issues. He was physically thrown off the bike and the kid rode away on it. The boy had blond hair and was about 15 years old. It happened around Sussex School. The police have never found the bike and my sone is heart broken. If you have any information as to the where abouts of this bike please email me and it will be kept in strict confidence. I really just want to get the bike back for my son.
Continue reading “Essex Trike Stolen”

We are having a one-day Instructional session at Meadowood Regional Park (on west side of Falls road near Greenspring Station) on Sunday, August 24 starting at 9:30 a.m. https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/recreation/countyparks/regionalparks/meadowood.html .

This will cover safety, communication while riding and basic bicycling skills. Then we will go on a short ride to practice these skills. This session is designed to encourage you to ride, and will serve as an introduction to our full Instructional Series that will take place in the Spring of 2009.

Please reply to us if you are planning to attend the August 24 ride, so that we may plan accordingly.

Howard, Gordon and Gary
Continue reading “Instructional Ride”

Hello All,

As some of you may know, She Got Bike is scheduled for September 14th and we would love to have some of you as volunteers.

We need people for a variety of positions and Deb Taylor is coordinating all volunteers this year so she will be your contact person.

AND (here’s where the begging comes in) …. We have run into an unusual situation: Many of our volunteers from last year are going to be away during She Got Bike – so, if you’ve helped out before and you ARE in town – we really need you! AND if you’ve never volunteered and would like to help out – we really need you too!

All you need to do right away is respond to this post and let me know if you’re available on September 14 and if you are willing to help us out.

Then we’ll get back to you with all the details.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Susan O. & Deb Taylor
Continue reading “WONDERFUL People Needed for She Got Bike”

[Note: The metro area has some nice plans for bikes but little to no funding to implement them, this has to change! We need to get this stuff off paper and on the ground!]

July 30, 2008 (Baltimore, MD) – When the Maryland General Assembly passed a revenue enhancement package during the recent special session, it left the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) with a problem we’d all like to have – what to do with extra money. Now the BRTB is looking to the region’s citizens for advice.

The revenue enhancement package is expected to produce nearly $340 million more over the next 20 years than the BRTB budgeted in Transportation Outlook 2035, the region’s long-range transportation plan. In response to public input and amid concerns about escalating costs, the BRTB has determined that additional funds for capital expansion should be directed toward a combination of short- and long-term transit projects.

"Our transportation network is a crucial element in our region’s quality of life," said Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, the BRTB Chair. "Our citizens feel the pinch at the gas pump, and suffer the consequences of increasing traffic congestion. There is growing concern about dependence on fossil fuels and the emissions that contribute to air pollution. It only makes sense to give citizens an opportunity to share not only their concerns, but their suggestions for improving our transportation network, at the beginning of the process."
Continue reading “Baltimore Regional Transportation Board Seeks Input on Amendments to Long-Range Transportation Plan”

Hi Everyone,

Wow, what a great turnout for the ’08 Bike to Work Day on
May 16! Despite the torrential rains, nearly 85 of the
record number of 171 registrants participated. I am happy
to announce that Harford County has kept its “title” as the
second largest rally in the Baltimore region. For the past
two years we have more than doubled the number of
registrants and are confident, with your support, that this
trend will continue. In this edition, you will find highlights of
the rally and some really great photographs from the
soggy morning event.

There are other growing trends in the cycling world as
well. Since the price of gas has topped the $4 a gallon
mark, many folks are rethinking the use of their bicycles to
commute to work. This is a good news/bad news kind of
situation. It’s great that more people are taking their bikes
out, riding them, getting their exercise, reducing pollution
and traffic congestion, and saving the environment. But
more bikes mean more accidents. For many it has been a
long time since they have ridden a bike and they really
could benefit from a “bike mentor” to help them brush up
on their safety skills.

If you want to learn more about bike safety, or want to
sharpen your cycling skills, check out the Harford County
Commuter Assistance Website at
www.harfordcountymd.gov/commuter/ to contact a
mentor. You might even want to sign up to become a
mentor. Contact us. We welcome all the help we can get.

Pat Fielder
Harford County Commuter Assistance Program
Continue reading “Harford Keeping Pace Newsletter”

[From the BBC List Serve]
This time they got us good. I woke up this morning for work and walked down to the kitchen only to notice that the light in the garage was flashing. My heart sank when I walked out to the garage and found its door open. A trash can was lying on its side causing the doors sensor to flash. Missing amongst the 3 bikes was Margaret’s new Lemond Versailles. To make a long story short I called the Baltimore Co. police. They came out within 15 minutes and took a report, lifted fingerprints, etc. Then the officers noticed Margaret’s unlocked car door. Apparently the thief(s) found the garage door remote on the visor after stealing change and Marg’s Camelback water bottle. Just click, open and steal a bike. If anybody sees within the next month a Craiglist or Ebay listing in the Baltimore or Washington area please let us know. Here are the specs on Marg’s Lemond and a Lemond website pix:

Continue reading “Bicycle thief in Catonsville..again”

Coalition presses education, legislation as planners foresee network of lanes

By Shayna Meliker | Sun reporter

Rick Wilson’s father taught him how to ride a bike.

The pair, who lived on the Carroll County side of Mount Airy, used to travel into Howard County on the weekends to ride the paths.

But one summer day in August 1979, Wilson’s father did not come home. As he was cycling along Route 27, when it used to be a rural road, he was hit by a truck and killed.

Wilson, now an Ellicott City resident, did not pick up a bike for 17 years, but he started riding again 12 years ago for health reasons. He was principal of Glenwood Middle School for five years and will start the next school year as principal of Folly Quarter Middle.

But Wilson has taken on more than his school duties. He heads cyclist education and safety for the Bicycling Advocates of Howard County, a coalition formed in February to address bike safety issues through education and being an advocate for legislation. The organization has nearly 200 members and 13 who serve on its executive board.

"There’s no doubt that Howard County is becoming more populated, and the roads are getting tighter with more vehicles," Wilson said. "It’s not as safe as any of us, bikers or drivers, would like for it to be."

And that calls for action, Wilson said, adding that he believes road safety is the dual responsibility of cyclists and drivers.

"It’s too easy for bikers to point fingers at the drivers, and conversely, for the drivers to blame bikers for road issues," Wilson said. "There needs to be an understanding that bikers have the right to be on the road, but that they also have a responsibility to be smart about it."

Wilson has a particular concern for Howard County students who want to bike to school. Wilson said riding to school is a great way to instill a healthy lifestyle in students, but safety issues concern him. He is the Howard County schools liaison for BAHC.

Jack Guarneri, chairman of BAHC, estimated that there are more than 1,000 cyclists in Howard County. Of those, he said 90 percent are recreational and sport cyclists, meaning they ride primarily in the spring, summer and fall. The other 10 percent are people who commute daily to work or to public transportation hubs, even in winter.

But summertime is when cyclists have to be the most aware, said Guarneri, an Ellicott City resident who is an operations analyst at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. He is especially concerned about drivers being less patient with the increasing number of cyclists in western Howard County, where the roads and shoulders are narrower.

BAHC is taking several preventive steps in the near term, he said, including posting "Share the Road" signs, planning safe-riding seminars and creating brochures for drivers about sharing the road with cyclists.

"But we need long-term action," Guarneri said. "We have to increase the width of shoulders on the roads, and we have to be building roads that are conducive to cyclists. We need to create a bike master plan."

And county officials are listening.
Continue reading “Bicycle safety advocates step up county efforts”

Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon Road Ride
leave at 6:30PM – new time to avoid rush-hour traffic

Ride 18 miles on the bike leg of our local, popular triathlon. Meet at Princeton Sports’ Columbia, MD & change in dressing rooms, fiil-up water-bottles & be ready to leave at 6:30PM Sharp! It’s a no-pressure ride with a rider leader, sag rider, helpful store employees & volunteers from the Bicycle Advocates of Howard County to answer your questions & give tips. Cue Sheets/Maps available; Weather Permitting; Ride Waivers Required
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Columbia Triathlon Road Ride
leave at 6:00PM

A fast training ride for AA, A, & B level riders (22 mph to 16 mph average) on 25 miles of rolling hills of Howard County. Cue Sheets/Maps available; Weather Permitting; Ride Waivers Required
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Bring a friend! Call our store or e-mail lrussell"at"princetonsports.com for more info. See you here.

[Note I am placing this in the Bike Metro section as the Laural trail head is just a few miles from the B&A Trail and the Full ICC Trail will be a wonderful resource for Balto area bicyclist just as the B&A trail is.]

Please make your voices heard at the July 10th Montgomery County Planning Board hearing on the Intercounty Connector Trail! Let them know you do not want any sections of the trail to be eliminated from the county master plan! If you can\’t testify, please send letters and emails to the Planning Board and cc the County Council. See contact info at the bottom of this message.

In what would be a very short-sighted decision, the Planning Board may forever eliminate important sections of the planned trail along the Intercounty Connector highway by removing them from the county master plan. The Planning Department (led by the Board) is making the argument that the trail would cause irreparable environmental damage in natural park areas, despite the six-lane highway next door! Incredibly, this is the same Planning Board that endorsed the highway in 2005. Staff is saying the trail may be the \"straw that breaks the camel\’s back\", ignoring the tons of highway the camel will already be carrying.

The Planning Board would replace the removed sections of trail with sidepaths along busy roads, including New Hampshire Avenue, East Randolph Road, Fairland Road, Briggs Chaney Road, Bonifant Road and Notley Road. The detours are circuitous and force trail users to cross several major intersections and countless streets and driveways where cyclists must be extremely careful. That is inappropriate for a trail meant to serve inexperienced riders and families, and it undermines the promised transportation value.

Removing this trail from the master plan would be a death knell, making it extremely difficult to ever finish the trail even 20 years from now, when gas prices have hit $12 a gallon and global warming has ruined sensitive areas the size of Alaska. Even if the ICC trail isn\’t built right away, we MUST keep the entire route in the master plan. Highways attract development and employment sites that must be served by good bike routes. Just imagine if I-270 had a parallel bike path. That highway was also planned to have a path, but it too was canceled — by the state — 20 years ago.

Trails through parks and along highways were planned to be the skeleton of the county bike trail network, providing efficient mobility for cyclists by virtue of their length and location away from street crossings and traffic lights. The ICC trail was meant to be the backbone of that skeleton, linking together many north-south trails. Unfortunately the Planning Board has removed several park trails from the master plan over the years. This trend must stop.

The worst and longest detour being discussed is the one circumventing the Paint Branch Stream Valley Park. This would eliminate three miles of trail and replace it with five miles of detours. But trail impacts in that region have not even been studied. Changing a master plan should never be done without adequate study. Please insist that the Planning Board fully study the trail (how to build it, not just why we shouldn\’t) for ALL the detour sections.
Continue reading “ICC TRAIL ALERT!”