Category: Biking in Maryland

By Richard Barrington – CFA, personal finance expert for MoneyRates.com
Economic factors: Cost of living is 126 percent of the national average, unemployment is at 7.1 percent, and the average state and local tax burden is 10.8 percent.
Climate: Average monthly temperatures range from 32.24 degrees in January to 75.44 degrees in July.
Crime rate: 9th in the nation in violent crime, and 21st in property crime.
Life expectancy: 76.3 years.
Reason for low rank:Between the cost of living and the tax burden, Maryland is expensive, and the high rate of violent crime is also troubling.
Continue reading “The 10 Worst States for Retirement – No. 5: Maryland”

From the GJEL Blog

As voters went to the polls yesterday, candidates, propositions, and the direction of the country were no doubt on their minds. Oddly enough, some Maryland voters were also likely thinking about bicycle safety, since one of the state’s candidates for US Senate was struck and killed by an SUV while on her bike earlier this year. The death of Green Party candidate Natasha Pettigrew once again emphasizes the need for stricter regulations enforcing bicycle safety and laws coaxing drivers to be more careful near cyclists.

Pettigrew’s mother is now leading the charge in Maryland to enforce stricter car-bike accident laws. Mother Jones Magazine points out that in Maryland, a driver must be “impaired, grossly negligent, or show intent to cause harm in order to be charged with a crime.” Currently, only nine states carry criminal penalties for bike-car accidents: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, and Utah.

Noticeably absent is California, which had 131 bike fatalities in 2008 alone. A Bicycle Times report earlier this year said this is partially because when bicycle use boomed in the 1970s, the state’s highway system was insufficient to support a bike-to-work population. “Until then, motor vehicle offenses were criminal,” David Hiller of Washington State’s Cascade Bicycle Club told Bicycle Times. But the sheer number of bicycle accident lawsuits overwhelmed the system, so “in exchange for waiving the right to due process, and to unclog the courts, the trade off was those cases would be handled in civil court.”

Fortunately, California lawmakers have announced their intention to boost bicycle safety laws over the next couple years. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called for a statewide helmet law for all ages at an August “bike summit.” And LA City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl has suggested implementing a three foot passing law.

An investigation into the driver who struck Pettigrew is still pending. Ideally, her death and other tragic bicycle deaths will eventually lead to safety laws to benefit future cyclists.

Continue reading “Election Emphasizes Lax Bicycle Accident Laws”

[B’ Spokes: This is copied here in hopes of facilitating a reunion of a cyclist and his bike.]
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Early last week, I was in the midst of doing my daily routine, and I heard an ambulance stop outside my house. I normally pay no attention to these sirens, since our fire station is located very close, and the passing of ambulances is a normal sound.
I glanced up from what I was doing and noticed two paramedics rushing through my front yard and toward my front door. I immediately opened the door to find a terribly injured middle aged man sitting at the bottom of my front porch steps. A paramedic quickly explained to me that this man was in a bicycle accident that occurred directly outside my house, and that they had received a 911 call for help. I was shocked, horrified and definitely taken back by the course of events that was unfolding in front of me. The paramedics were quickly bandaging, taping and asking the man a million and one questions.
I asked the man if I could call someone for him or do anything to help, and his only request to me was that I keep his bicycle safe so he might retrieve it at a later time. The slurring of his words and slow speech pattern clearly resonated that he was in shock. He was then quickly whisked him off in an ambulance.
I had the chance to question the paramedic as to the course of events that had happened. He told me that the biker had hit the curb and was propelled over his handlebars. He fell, straddling the street and the curb, and landed on the side of his head. Of his visible injuries, they included two broken wrists, a dislocated shoulder, and a large head contusion.
As the ambulance pulled away and I was processing everything, I then noticed the blood trail that led from the street pavement up to the rocking chair that sat on my front porch, and also two tooth fragments. I am still trying to grasp the fact that he never rang the doorbell or knocked for help, and instead chose to dial 911 himself. But I also grapple with the realization of whether I COULD have done anything differently for him had he reached out to me?
The biker has yet to show up to claim his bike. He seemed so worried about me keeping it in a safe place for him so he could pick it up later. This has left me with the overarching fear that he didn’t survive his injuries. And I also wonder what I should do with the bicycle that was left behind?
Continue reading “Life Is One Of Those Precious Fleeting Gifts, And Everything Can Change in A Heartbeat.”

By Stephanie Mlot Frederick News-Post Staff
Every day, Roger Rinker indulges his passion for helping people, be it on a bicycle or in a church pew.
Since childhood, Rinker has been interested in bikes and has created a family business and career out of it, working part time at his son and daughter-in-law’s Frederick shop, The Bicycle Escape.
"(I do) just about anything that needs to be done," he said of his managerial position at the store.
Repairing bikes, doing inventory or selling equipment, Rinker particularly enjoys watching customers’ transformations from cycling novice to excited rider.
The store began as a joint effort between Rinker and his son, Tom, who often discussed shop plans on bike rides together.
When The Bicycle Escape opened almost five years ago, Rinker initially volunteered his time to help support his son. As time progressed, he settled into his current position as a part-time employee.
The shop workers often receive gifts from satisfied clients — baked goods, coffee and other treats.
"That kind of gratitude, that’s pretty cool," Rinker said. "We’re not just selling things, we’re meeting needs."
As the founding chairman of the Frederick Bicycle Coalition, Rinker is helping to meet the needs of the city and county, too.
Almost a year old, the nonprofit group was formed when the father-and-son duo were frustrated by the need for Frederick to have a more organized approach to improve cycling.
"We began to pursue something that would last," Rinker said.
Continuing to progress and grow, the coalition has been active in seeking League of American Bicyclists’ bicycle friendly community and encouraging the mayor’s Bicycle Ad Hoc Committee, of which Rinker is a member.
"Everybody was waiting for someone to do something," Rinker said about the FBC’s creation. "Now it has a life of its own."
Proud of the group, Rinker said he is glad it’s not a Bicycle Escape entity, but rather belongs to the community as a whole.
The 56-year-old wants to bring more cycling to his second job as a part-time ordained Lutheran pastor at the Light of Christ church in New Market.
"I like being a pastor with hands-on experience in the real world," Rinker said. "I go to church with dirty hands, because I work."
Balancing his time at the church and the store is tough, but Rinker stays flexible.
"Either job could be way more than full time," he said. "That just wouldn’t work out."
Rinker keeps a tight focus on his passions for bicycling, helping people and his church, which he said work well together.
Continue reading “Local pastor, cyclist combines passions to help other people”

from Getting There by Michael Dresser

One of Washington’s fiercest (and best) bloggers has ripped a Washington Post writer over a column that all but condoned arson when directed against speed cameras.

David Alpert of  Greater Greater Washington does a pithy job of taking apart the Post’s Petula Dvorak for her obsession with the sheer injustice of being caught breaking the law by one of those “horrid contraptions” in a column today. Instead, Alpert refocuses the debate where it belongs: the threat to human lives from speeding drivers.

…

By the way, I’m not sure a “speed tax” is such a bad idea. Speeders are by definition bad drivers and bad drivers impose more costs on the public than responsible ones. Why shouldn’t they pay an additional “tax.”

…
Continue reading “Blogger slams columnist on speed cameras”

Two good articles by Richard Layman:
Safe bicycling and the right kind of infrastructure
"So this leads into the second problem with the laws being written to treat bicycles as co-equal traffic–the fact is that street infrastructure is optimized for motor vehicles, not bicyclists, and by its very nature, road design focused on motor vehicles tends to fail to provide adequately for bicyclists.
So bicyclists are expected to behave as motor vehicles, when both the laws and the infrastructure privileges motor vehicle traffic at the expense of the bicyclist."
https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2010/11/safe-bicycling-and-right-kind-of.html
Shared use paths (trails) and safety and marketing
"This is something that bugs me to no end about DC’s new Metropolitan Branch Trail. No rules are posted,…"
https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2010/11/shared-use-paths-trails-and-safety-and.html

[B’ Spokes: Just to give you a heads up this is what your Bicycle Advocacy groups have been up to. If there are any updates, I’ll post them here.]

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Statement of Purpose
The Maryland Driver’s Handbook should clarify how automobile drivers interact with bicycles. Goal 4 of Maryland’s Twenty Year Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Master Plan states. “Develop education and encouragement programs that will increase levels of bicycling and walking and foster a pro-bicycle and pro-pedestrian ethic in individuals, private sector organizations, and all levels of government.” We strongly urge adopting the following language to clarify how drivers of automobiles should safely anticipate and interact with bicyclists.

The general public, including drivers, bicyclists, and police officers, use the Maryland Drivers’ Handbook as the basis for learning how to use our roadways. However, experience over the past decades has shown the Handbook to be out of date. For example, bicyclists have been told to ride as far right as practical, but that has given motorists the mistaken impression that they can then easily pass a bicyclist within the same lane which has resulted in an astounding two-thirds of all bicyclist fatalities happening in non-intersection areas. We believe that we must bring the Drivers’ Handbook up to date to clarify everyone’s expectations, educate all parties, and foster a more positive cycling and driving experience. Simply put, we must get all rightful roadway users on the same page.

Guiding Principles

• Clarification of Maryland’s “dueling handbooks.” We consider Safe Bicycling in Maryland to be the de facto bicyclists’ roadway handbook. Thus, when MVA’s Drivers’ Handbook sets forth a rule for cyclists, there must be a reference explaining how to obtain a more complete set rules and guidelines. Also, both the Drivers’ Handbook and Safe Bicycling in Maryland must clarify and reconcile any conflicts between them.

• Clear Identification of Bicycling Rules. The Drivers’ Handbook is generally intended for new drivers, so to the extent that the Handbook sets forth general rules specifically for cyclists, we urge MVA to clearly and separately identify those rules.

• Continued Communication. We hope to see continued involvement with the bicycling community and we very much appreciate MVA’s first draft and the respect it shows to bicyclists.

Signed:

Carol Silldorff – Bike Maryland	Shane Farthing – Washington Area Bicycle Association
Jon Morrison – Montgomery Bicycle Advocates	Jack Guarneri – Bicycling Advocates of Howard County
Barry Childress – Baltimore Spokes	Baltimore Bicycling Club

Our Recommendations: (Note the following has also been approved by MBPAC)

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Markings for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
Bicycles share most of Maryland’s streets with motor vehicles without specific traffic signs or pavement markings. Some streets, mostly in urban areas, do have shared-use lane markings (see photo). These markings alert motorists that bicyclists may be on the road, indicate to bicyclists where to ride, and discourage bicycling in the wrong direction.

(Photo for example only; permission needed to reproduce.)

Some streets have pavement markings that show lanes specifically designated for the exclusive use of bicycles. Solid or broken white lines separate these bike lanes from motor vehicle travel lanes. You may see bike lanes marked with bike lane signs or by a combination of bicycle symbols and arrows. Where parallel parking is allowed, similar lines may separate the bicycle lanes from the parking lanes.

Pedestrians also use roads in areas without specific signs or pavement markings. By Maryland law, any intersection with a sidewalk has a crosswalk–whether it is marked or not. Marked crosswalks generally have two parallel, white, solid lines that define where pedestrians should cross the street. Some marked crosswalks also have lines between (or instead of) the two parallel lines. But most crosswalks in Maryland do not have pavement markings at all. (See photo of unmarked crosswalk). Drivers must stop for pedestrians in crosswalks whether they are marked or unmarked.

Sharing the Road with Bicyclists

Right-of-Way
Bicyclists are authorized users of the roadway. Bicyclists have the same rights-of-way and the same duty to obey all traffic signals as motorists. Violating a bicyclist’s right-of-way can result in a fine of $500 and 3 points on your driving record. Bicyclists are your family, friends and neighbors, so please share the road with care and consideration. Motorists must drive carefully near bicyclists: even a slight mistake can result in serious injury or even death.

Expect Bicyclists on the Road
Expect to find a bicyclist on all types of roads (except interstate highways and toll facilities), at all intersections and roundabouts, in all types of weather, and at all times of the day and night. Bicyclists may ride out in the travel lane for their own safety due to narrow roads, or to avoid obstacles or pavement hazards. On roads without shoulders, or with cars parked along the right side, often the safest place for a bicyclist to ride is in the center of the lane. In Maryland, a bicyclist may use the full lane even while traveling substantially below the speed of traffic if the lane is too narrow for a car to safely pass a bicycle within the lane (i.e. narrower than 14-15 feet). Before opening a car door, check for bicyclists who may be approaching from behind. Do not drive on a shoulder (to the right of the white ‘fog’ line) even to pass another vehicle.

Following a Bicyclist
As you approach a bicyclist, slow down. Avoid honking your horn. Bicyclists can usually hear an approaching vehicle and loud noises can startle bicyclists, causing a crash. Bicycles do not have turn signals so bicyclists use hand and arm signals to alert you of their intentions.

Do not follow a bicycle too closely. Remember that small holes, glass, and other hazards can be particularly dangerous to bicyclists. Bicycles can stop and maneuver quickly so a bicyclist may swerve or change speed to avoid a road hazard that a motorist cannot see.

Pass with Care — Give Bikes at Least 3 Feet
Pass a bicyclist as you would any slowly moving vehicle. Be prepared to slow down, wait until oncoming traffic is clear and then allow at least 3 feet of clearance between your car and the bicyclist when passing. The same 3-foot clearance applies if you are passing a bicyclist in a bike lane, on the shoulder, or in the same lane as your car. After passing a bicyclist, check your mirror to ensure that you have completely passed the bicycle with enough room before you move back to the right.

Use Caution at Intersections, Bridges and Driveways
Always assume that bicyclists are traveling straight through an intersection unless they signal otherwise, and yield to bicycles just as you would to any other vehicle. Bicyclists often ride on sidewalks and trails along highways, so look both ways before crossing a sidewalk or trail when turning into a driveway. A bicycle may come from an unexpected direction.

Never make a right turn from a through lane immediately after passing a bike on a shoulder or bike lane. Doing so is as dangerous as turning right from the left lane after passing a car on your right, so stay behind the bicycle. Try to avoid any chance that a bicycle will be to your right or in your right blind spot when you turn right. Before starting a right turn, move as far to the right as practicable within the bike lane, shoulder, or right turn lane.

Yield to bicycles as to any other vehicle proceeding straight. Do not turn left immediately in front of a bicycle. Experienced bicyclists often ride very fast (as fast as 35 mph!) and may be closer than you think. If you are passing a left-turning vehicle by moving right, first look closely for bicycles. Wherever a travel way narrows for a bridge, parked cars, or other obstructions on the right, be prepared for a bicyclist riding on the shoulder to merge left into the main traffic lane.

Driving at Night
If you see a dim reflective object at night do not assume that it is outside of the roadway. It could be a bicycle in the main travel lane. Bicyclists sometimes avoid shoulders at night when cars are not present because tree branches, potholes, debris, and even the edge of the pavement are difficult to see. Your headlights may provide enough light for the bicyclist to safely move into the shoulder for you to pass, but it takes longer at night. When approaching a bicycle, use your low beam headlights.

Watch for Children
Children on bicycles are sometimes unpredictable. Expect the unexpected and remember they are small in stature and may be hard to see. Young bicyclists are especially likely to make surprising changes in direction. Be aware of bicyclists entering the roadway from driveways or near parked cars. Strictly observe speed limits in school zones and in residential areas to allow time to see, and safely share the road with, young bicyclists.
Continue reading “Recommended changes to the Drivers’ Handbook”

This line from Greater Greater Washington by David Alpert caught my attention.
"In Montgomery County’s DOT and the office of the County Executive, however, no transportation idea less than 50 years old seems welcome."
Freeway like designs only make sense when bike/peds are prohibited I will also assert that freeway like designs on local streets is a major contributing factor to why people think bikes do not belong on the road. What ever happened to our #1 policy ratting and Complete Streets?
Isn’t Montgomery County the least concern about their percentage of fatalities that are bike/ped?
Continue reading “Montgomery making Conn. Ave. more like a freeway”

— By Jen Phillips
Today is election day, but one candidate that won’t be on the ballot is Maryland candidate for Senate Natasha Pettigrew. Thirty-year-old Pettigrew, who represented the Green Party, was struck and killed by an SUV while biking on September 20. The driver of the Cadillac Escalade who hit Pettigrew said she thought she had hit a deer or a dog so she didn’t stop and continued driving for four miles until reaching her home. Upon parking the SUV, she saw Pettigrew’s bicycle lodged beneath it and called police. Pettigrew’s mother, Kenniss Henry, is running in her place but looks like Maryland is re-electing Democrat Barbara Mikulski.
The death of a promising young person is tragic, but at least charges for the driver are pending. (An eyewitness says she saw the SUV stop after striking Pettigrew, then take off with sparks and smoke trailing behind due to the bicycle stuck beneath the vehicle.) Often, charges aren’t filed in cases where bicyclists are killed by cars because it’s an accident. One could argue that’s what manslaughter charges are for, but of course traffic laws (and their execution) vary from state to state and city to city. Pettigrew’s mother has advocated stricter laws in Maryland, where if a driver hits a pedestrian or cyclist, they must be impaired, grossly negligent, or show intent to cause harm in order to be charged with a crime. Cases in other states show similar outcomes: in Florida this July, a Navy vet and executive was struck and killed by an SUV driven by a nurse, but no charges were filed because police considered it an accident. The same was true in a 2009 case involving the death of a Virginia bicyclist by an SUV. In 2008, there were 716 cyclists killed in crashes with motorized vehicles, making up 2% of all traffic fatalities.
A few weeks after Pettigrew’s death, a Maryland law was enacted that requires a 3 foot buffer zone between cars and bikes on roads, and require vehicles yield right-of-way to bicycles. But the fine for motorists who cause a crash that involves a bike is just $1000. "A loss of life is a loss of life," Henry told the Maryland Gazette. "We seriously need to look at how we balance these scales."
Continue reading “Cyclists Face Lack of Legal Protection in Crashes”

Two speed camera’s were torched intentionally in Montgomery County.
https://gaithersburg.patch.com/articles/speed-camera-torched-near-qo-high-school