[B’ Spokes: I’ll take this as an opportunity to announce the Kinetic Art Sculpture Race. Look at as a way to promote one of the local teams.]
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Proteus Bicycles Events
Saturday May 5th
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Is the three-foot bicycle passing law working in Baltimore, Maryland?
Abstract
Maryland (MD) recently became one of fourteen states in the United States to enact a traffic law requiring motor vehicles to pass bicyclists at a distance of greater than three feet. To our knowledge, motorist compliance with the law has never been assessed. This study measured the distance between overtaking motor vehicles and cyclists [e.g. vehicle passing distance (VPD)], to develop baseline metrics for tracking implementation of the three-foot passing law in Baltimore, MD and to assess risk factors for dangerous passes. During September and October 2011, cyclists (n = 5) measured VPD using a previously published video technique (Parkin and Meyers, 2010). Cyclists logged a total of 10.8 h of video footage and 586 vehicle passes on 34 bicycle commuting trips. The average trip lasted 19.5 ± 4.9 min and cyclists were passed on average 17.2 ± 11.8 times per trip. VPDs of three feet or less were common when cycling in standard lanes (17%; 78 of 451 passes) and lanes with a shared lane marking (e.g. sharrows) (23%; 11 of 47 passes). No passes of three feet or less occurred in bicycle lanes (0 of 88 passes). A multiple linear regression model was created, which explained 26% of the variability in VPD. Significant model variables were lane width, bicycle infrastructure, cyclist identity, and street identity. Interventions, such as driver education, signage, enforcement, and bicycle infrastructure changes are needed to influence driving behavior in Baltimore to increase motorist compliance with the three-foot law.
Highlights
► The three-foot bicycle passing law is not being observed by many motorists. ► 17% of motor vehicle passes of cyclists were three-feet or less. ► Streets with bike lanes were safer for cyclists. ► Interventions are needed to influence motorist to comply with the law.
Continue reading “Is the three-foot bicycle passing law working in Baltimore, Maryland?”
America’s Top Bicycle Cities – we are number 95 out of 96
per capita bikes per sale in each city
[B’ Spokes: Maybe we need more bike shops or maybe we need to actually make it comfortable for more people to bike in this city.]
Gallery walls: Cities embrace street art as a ticket to success
[B’ Spokes: Something to bike to.]
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By Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, Grist
Street artists from around the world are descending on Baltimore this spring to take part in an ambitious — and totally legal — exhibition, producing murals for an event designed to bring new life to a transitional neighborhood.
Launched this month and running through the end of May, Open Walls Baltimore is the city’s first officially sanctioned street art exhibition. Twenty walls throughout the Station North Arts and Entertainment District will serve as backdrops for murals that will be created over the course of several weeks. The walls to be painted are a mix of both private homes and commercial buildings, and represent both occupied and vacant structures. “It’s a museum for street art,” says the artist Gaia, who is curating the event.
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Continue reading “Gallery walls: Cities embrace street art as a ticket to success”
Yuba Mundo Cargo Bicycle in Baltimore Night Ride [video]
Bike Safety PSA by the Baltimore Police Department
Just to note our Bike PSA made it to Treehugger. Kudos to all who made this PSA happen.
https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/bike-safety-psa-baltimore-police-department-video.html
How to Engage More Women in Bicycling
[B’ Spokes: Just to highlight someone who lives in Baltimore at the National Bike Summit.]
Marla Streb, a former World Mountain Bike Champion who now works with the pro Team Luna Chix, discussed overcoming the challenges of being a female pro in a strongly male-dominated sport and how she’s become a mom of three who only drives once a month (hint: cargo bike!).
https://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/03/how-to-engage-more-women-in-bicycling-nbs12/
Photograph contest of City parks:
Safe Streets Will Expand to City’s 7th District
BY ANDREW ZALESKI, Urbanite
The Greater Mondawmin and Greater Rosemont communities, located in West Baltimore’s 7th District, have been selected as the third site in Baltimore City to receive a Safe Streets grant from the city health department. Other Safe Streets programs currently serve the McElderry Park area in East Baltimore and the Cherry Hill neighborhood in South Baltimore.
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Continue reading “Safe Streets Will Expand to City’s 7th District”
2012 Baltimore Bicycle Master Plan Update Survey
Over the next several months, the Department of Transportation will be updating the 2006 Bicycle Master Plan.
Baltimore has made great strides in becoming a bicycle-friendly city in the past 5 years. With many goals already reached in the original Bike Plan, the new plan will highlight areas of the city for improvements. This survey will assist the Department of Transportation in focusing improvements and strategize on how to enable more residents, commuters and tourists to bike.
Thanks for your time in completing this brief survey…