Category: Biking in Baltimore

See: https://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BikeBaltimore/~3/RevOXFInXVs/

https://www.baltimorewalks.org/Pledge.aspx

by cdelise – AAA

One of the best ways to explore Baltimore is from the seat of a bicycle whether you’re a first time visitor or a native of the city. And explorers can have that opportunity by participating in Bike Maryland’s Tour du Port on Sunday, October 9.
…
AAA Mid-Atlantic is a sponsor of the Tour du Port and will be at the event with giveaways and bike safety information so be sure to stop by.

https://community.midatlantic.aaa.com/t5/Travel-Blog/Biking-Through-Baltimore/ba-p/12919

If you know of pavement issues, mark it on the map here: https://map.project.kittelson.com/baltimorecity_pavement

If you know of hazardous storm grate, mark it on the map here: https://map.project.kittelson.com/maps/baltimorecity_grates

This is only for Baltimore City.
Continue reading “MBAC Inventory Street Hazards for Bikes”

Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 7:00 AM

The Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee wants to collect data on "alligator" storm drains in Baltimore’s streets. What’s an "alligator" storm drain? It’s a drain with the slots running in line with the road, such that if your wheel drops in the slot, it will "eat" your wheel. Please send me an email (RBruckdorfer"at"gmail.com) noting the street and location of the drain. Example: My street, west bound in the 600 block or note the address closest to the drain or between such and such streets.

https://www.meetup.com/Biking-in-Bmore/events/35990672/?a=ea1.2_lnm&rv=ea1.2

Alexandra Lopez de Haro, Baltimore Culture & Events Examiner

Baltimore’s Premier Bicycle Tour kicks off on Columbus Day( 9th of October). This initiative led by a group of enthusiasts such as Caroll Silldorf (Executive Director of Bike Maryland. www.bikemd.org) is set out to encourage Baltimore citizens to use their bike as their main source of transportation in the city and make other people aware of the importance of non automobile individuals on the road.

Caroll Silldorf, originally from Illinois was only 3 months when she first was on a bicycle. "I think it was the fresh air that I took in while my parents would ride the bike, that made me love this activity." She has been a rider for more than 30 years and she has been working with BikeMaryland for the last 13. She started as CEO three years ago. Perhaps this power rider has found the job of her life. She has a Masters from the University of Delaware in Public Administration and Management of Environmental studies. "This job is almost personal".

Her fortitude is evident in her hand shake, arms and her stern yet friendly approach to the cause. When the Examiner asked her what was the main goal of Bike Maryland, she responded "to encourage everyone to use the bicycle and to make this activity a legitimate transport system".
…

Read the rest here: https://www.examiner.com/culture-events-in-baltimore/baltimore-bicycle-tour

Sun’s article about the cancellation: https://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/2011/09/cyclovia_in_roland_parks_cance.html

The following comment bares repeating in this blog (as she says "I just don’t get it" much more tactfully then I ever could.)

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The $5,000, according to those who have worked the event in years past, is charged by the city in order to pay the many police officers that patrol the road during the closure. We went last year and have never seen such a strong police presence for such a low key event. We observed approximately 6 or 7 officers at one end of Roland Ave. riding in circles together on their motorcycles. Cyclovia is a lot of fun. It will be missed.

Posted by: Magan
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That’s Baltimore for ya, lose money and trees for a Grand Prix for other people, but tries to make money off something for the citizens of Baltimore or they just can’t have it. Baltimore enjoy being the smoggiest in East, there is a reason for that and it’s something having another Grand Prix will NOT fix. (Ref: https://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=2011092216245193 )

Here is Baltimore’s data compared to the top 70 largest cities averages. Even though we slipped a bit in 2010, still an awesome job considering where we came from.

BFC Status	Geography	2010 Estimated Population	2010 Rank by Bike	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2000	2000 to 2010	2005 to 2010	2009 to 2010
	70 city average	n/a	n/a	1.02%	1.02%	0.93%	0.79%	0.72%	0.75%	0.63%	63%	36%	1%
Bronze	Baltimore, MD	620,583	35	0.7%	1.0%	0.6%	0.3%	0.2%	0.4%	0.3%	111%	74%	-30%

Data from the League of American Bicyclists
Continue reading “2010 Bike Commuting Data released”

If you are interested in learning a bit more about who Larry was and what he has inspired then click the link:
https://news.yahoo.com/video/baltimorewjz13-15750602/cycling-event-raises-awareness-about-bicycle-safety-26678207.html

If you still haven’t registered yet: https://bikemd.org/page.php?id=409

EXPLANATION: Underlining indicates matter added by amendment.

Strike out indicates matter stricken by amendment.

CITY OF BALTIMORE

RESOLUTION

Council Bill 09-0433

Introduced by: Councilmembers Clarke, Henry, Middleton, Branch, Kraft, Young, Conaway,

Holton, Reisinger, Cole, Welch, Curran

Introduced and read first time: December 10, 2009

Assigned to: Community Development Subcommittee

Committee Report: Favorable with amendments

Council action: Adopted

Read second time: November 8, 2010

A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL CONCERNING

1 Street and Transportation Projects – Complete Streets

2 FOR the purpose of directing the Departments of Transportation and Planning to apply

3 “Complete Streets” principals principles to the planning, design, and construction of all new

4 City transportation improvement projects; providing certain exceptions; requiring annual

5 reports on the implementation of “Complete Streets” principals principles; and generally

6 relating to transportation improvement projects.

7 Recitals

8 Baltimore’s streets provide the critical framework for current and future development while

9 playing a major role in establishing the image and identity of the City. Recognizing this, City

10 planners and transportation officials have made consistent efforts to improve the streetscape and

11 make the City’s transportation network responsive to the changing needs of our citizens. These

12 efforts have included an expanded focus on measures to make streets more accessible to

13 bicyclists and pedestrians.

14 While these efforts have borne fruit, allowing Baltimore to rank above many southern and

15 western cities in pedestrian safety, a recent study showed that Baltimore was still more

16 dangerous for pedestrians than many peer cities in the Northeast and Midwest. Maryland as a

17 whole also ranks near the bottom in spending on street accommodations for cyclists and

18 pedestrians.

19 In recognition of the fact that any effort to create more liveable neighborhoods in Baltimore

20 must include further improvements to the streets that are such a critical component of public

21 space, a more systematic approach to inviting all people to make use of the streets must be

22 adopted. “Complete Streets” principals principles require that the needs of pedestrians,

23 bicyclists, transit riders, and people of all abilities, as well as freight and motor vehicle users, be

24 taken into account when designing and implementing changes to transportation networks. The

25 systematic application of these principals to all transportation projects would create a

26 comprehensive framework to open up all streets to the full range of diverse users present in

27 Baltimore, by encouraging walking, bicycling, and transit use while promoting safety safe and

28 contiguous routes for all street users.

1 Adoption of a “Complete Streets” philosophy for transportation projects is especially

2 advantageous in an urban area such as Baltimore where many people do not have regular access

3 to a car. Ensuring that the needs of all citizens are met by applying “Complete Streets”

4 principals principles across the board will improve access to communities throughout Baltimore,

5 make the City more liveable, encourage healthy behaviors, and reduce negative environmental

6 impacts city-wide.

7 SECTION 1. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the

8 Department of Transportation and the Department of Planning are directed to plan for, design,

9 and construct all new City transportation improvement projects to provide appropriate

10 accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, motorists, and persons of all abilities,

11 while promoting safe operation for all users. This can be accomplished through the

12 incorporation of construction elements such as special bus lanes, transit stops, improved

13 pedestrian street crossings, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions,

14 sidewalks, ADA compliant ramps, and bike lanes.

15 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Department of Transportation is

16 directed to incorporate Complete Streets principals principles, as applicable and subject to State

17 and federal laws and regulations, into all Department plans, manuals, rules, regulations, and

18 programs.

19 SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the application of Complete Streets

20 principals principles may be waived for a specific project if the Director of Transportation issues

21 a documented exception concluding that application of Complete Streets principals principles

22 would be contrary to public safety.

23 SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Complete Streets may be achieved

24 through single projects or incrementally through a series of smaller improvements over time. It

25 is the Mayor and City Council’s intent that all sources of transportation funding be drawn on to

26 implement Complete Streets.

27 SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Department of Transportation is

28 directed to report to the Mayor and City Council annually, on the anniversary of the effective

29 date of this Resolution, on the Department’s progress towards implementing Complete Streets

30 throughout Baltimore. These reports must incorporate performance measures established to

31 gauge how well streets are serving all users and include information such as crash data, uses of

32 new projects by mode, complaints, the linear feet of sidewalk built, the number of ADA

33 compliant ramps built, how many miles of bike lanes have been created, the number of

34 exemptions from the application of Complete Streets principles that have been granted, and the

35 number of, and yearly change in, overall paved lane miles.

36 SECTION 6. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this Resolution takes effect on the 30th

37 day after the date it is enacted.

Certified as duly passed this _____ day of ________, 20___

_____________________________________

President, Baltimore City Council

Certified as duly delivered to Her Honor, the Mayor,

this _____ day of ________, 20___

_____________________________________

Chief Clerk

Approved this _____ day of ________, 20___

_____________________________________

Mayor, Baltimore City