Category: Biking in Baltimore

I support the police officer who ticketed the bicyclist for going through a red light on University Pkwy. Bicyclists have both the rights and DUTIES of a motor vehicle driver. If motorists and bicyclists choose which laws to obey and which ones to disobey; travelling by bike, foot, or car becomes more dangerous.

I disagree with the cyclist who compares cycling to jogging and feels that by keeping far right cyclists earn special proviledges, like being allowed to run red lights. Cyclists are vehicles , though pedestrians should also wait for the green light to cross. In addition, one should only ride as far right as safe and reasonable. Riding too far right can increase the chance of a right turning motorist cutting you off, as was the case in the fatal accident of John Yates, who was killed by a right turning truck on Md Ave at Lafayette. His riding next to the curb on SB Md Ave left him no room for escape.

Finally, if you are wrong then you should admit it and listen to the officer’s constructive criticism. The officer is just doing his job. The police take a lot of abuse and deserve respect. If the officer is wrong (e.g. – ordering you to ride in a right turn only lane when going straight), then you have a right to politely stand up for your rights, even if it means a ticket. In this case, the officer was correct.. Now, if the officer will follow through by stopping motorists who pass cyclists too closely or fail to yield, then the police will be helping to make cycling safer.

I was ticketed earlier in this afternoon for running a red light on my bike in Charles Village.

Continue reading “ticketed while riding”

Baltimore city, Maryland
S0801. Commuting Characteristics by Sex
Data Set: 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
Survey: American Community Survey

Subject	Total	Margin of Error	Male	Margin of Error	Female	Margin of Error
Workers 16 years and over	280224	+/-6,158	128690	+/-4,654	151534	+/-3,957
MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK
Car, truck, or van	69.70%	+/-1.5	69.20%	+/-2.3	70.10%	+/-1.8
Drove alone	57.90%	+/-1.6	56.50%	+/-2.6	59.20%	+/-2.0
Carpooled	11.80%	+/-1.3	12.70%	+/-1.8	11.00%	+/-1.5
In 2-person carpool	9.60%	+/-1.1	9.90%	+/-1.5	9.30%	+/-1.4
In 3-person carpool	1.60%	+/-0.5	2.10%	+/-1.0	1.00%	+/-0.4
In 4-or-more person carpool	0.60%	+/-0.3	0.70%	+/-0.5	0.60%	+/-0.3
Workers per car, truck, or van	1.58	+/-0.04	1.61	+/-0.06	1.56	+/-0.04
Public transportation (excluding taxicab)	19.50%	+/-1.3	19.40%	+/-2.0	19.60%	+/-1.5
Walked	6.00%	+/-0.8	5.70%	+/-1.1	6.30%	+/-1.0
Bicycle	0.60%	+/-0.2	0.90%	+/-0.4	0.30%	+/-0.2
Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means	1.40%	+/-0.4	1.40%	+/-0.6	1.40%	+/-0.5
Worked at home	2.80%	+/-0.6	3.40%	+/-1.0	2.40%	+/-0.7

Continue reading “2008 Modal share data released – Cyclists in Baltimore have doubled!”

Biking in Baltimore got a little less anarchic in the past two years. Sure, we’re still dodging death-trap storm grates, getting pelted with Styrofoam cups and insults, being paranoid about chronic assholes, and all the rest, but at least we have this small promise from the city that it cares: Nate Evans, official bike czar. Look forward to more bike lanes/sharrows, even more bike racks, designated bike routes, and outreach and education, but, most importantly, cyclists have someone at City Hall with his ears open.
Continue reading “City Paper: Best Use of Taxpayer Funds”

FYI:
Two cyclists were assaulted with rocks underneath the Edmonson Avenue overpass on the Gwynns Falls trail yesterday (9/13) around 16:45. There were two boys about 8 years old on the overpass dropping them on unsuspecting riders below. They missed one cyclists but the other was hit in the shoulder by a plum-sized rock that left her bleeding.

Mark your calendar for the 14th annual Baltimore Book Festival on September 25-27, 2009. This year’s authors include Buzz Aldrin, Gwen Ifill, Ralph Nader, Chris Gardner, Amiri Baraka, Ingrid Hoffmann, Farai Chideya, Maureen McCormick, Dale DeGroff, Lourdes Castro, Adam Ried, Mordicai Gerstein and James Warhola.

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Ride your bike and park in our new bike parking zone – 600 block of Charles Street, east side of the street.
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NEW FOR 09! If you live or work downtown – the festival is opening at noon on Friday. Spend your lunch hour with us: browsing for books, enjoying author presentations and sampling the menus of our tasty food vendors. JUST ANNOUNCED for lunchtime Friday – GMA’s workplace guru Tory Johnson will be sharing invaluable career advice from her new book, Fired to Hired.
Continue reading “Baltimore Book Festival”

From John Hopkins Corporate Security’s Communications

It has been reported to Corporate Security that staff members have been assaulted off campus while riding their bicycles on E. Monument and E. Madison Streets between the East Baltimore medical campus and downtown. Groups of juveniles have attacked the staff members and, in one case, attempted to rob the victim. The Baltimore City Police Department has been notified.

Staff members are advised to avoid these areas altogether as much as possible, and are further advised to be extra cautious if they choose to ride their bicycles on or near E. Monument Street or E. Madison Street.

From Nate:

I’m planning some new bike routes for the Bolton Hill, Reservoir Hill & Lake Avenue area. Essentially, these routes will be signed with distance and destination markers with limited pavement markings along (relatively) low volume, low speed roads connecting gaps in the Baltimore’s bike network.

Eutaw route will follow Eutaw Pl northbound from State Center/MLK to Druid Hill Park. The southbound route will be Madison/Swan from the Jones Falls Trail to Bloom where it dog-legs left back to Eutaw.

The Lake Avenue route will begin where the bike lanes end on Kelly Ave just west of Mt. Washington and direct bike traffic east to Falls, dog-leg left onto Bellemore to Roland, dog-leg left again onto Lake all the way to Chinquapin with a spur to Belvedere Square off Linton via the footbridge over Northern Pkwy.

The development of these routes is based on their identity in the bike master plan, current use by cyclists and areas where bikes and cars can conceivably “share the road”. While Eutaw may not be for the faint of heart, there’s Park which is quieter. Some prefer Lake Ave over Bellemore when climbing out of the valley, which is all good. Bellemore doesn’t necessarily have the road width, but it has far less traffic. Some avoid Lake altogether, but it does have a wider shoulder toward the west and traffic calming in the east.

If biking in Baltimore is to be normalized, we need to decrease “riding in the shadows” and OBEY TRAFFIC LAWS. Any feedback is encouraged and appreciated! And thanks to everyone who came to the Harford Rd meeting!!!!
Continue reading “New Bike Routes Anyone?”

Action on the ongoing erosion directly across from 2003 Kelly would be much more likely to happen if the Department of Public Works was flooded with complaints/reports of the issue. Construction could start sooner than later!

So, PLEASE flood 311 with calls about this, and emails or letters to the Dept of Public Works (David Scott, Director) would be even better! Otherwise we may have no throughway on Kelly by next summer! The streambank is quickly caving in with each storm.

Here’s his contact info:

davide.scott [at] baltimorecity.gov
David Scott, Director of Public Works
Department of Public Works
600 Abel Wolman Municipal Building
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(410) 545-6541

Or simply call 311, again and again and again. For those of you who use the grassy area on Kelly, this is for you! I just hope neither human or pet falls over the eroding streambank.

Since there is some interest here about this, here’s a look at what Portland is doing:

Continue reading “First look at Portland’s inaugural cycle track”