-> According to a May 7th NPR story, "When it comes to walking, the easy part is understanding the benefits: Regular, brisk walks can strengthen our bones, help control blood sugar, help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and the list goes on. The hard part is finding the time to fit it in. Engineering physical activity back into Americans’ daily lives is the goal of an educational campaign launched by Kaiser Permanente, an Oakland (CA)-based health plan. There are tons of tips and resources online, with the goal of creating a culture of walking. Kaiser Permanente even seems to be walking the walk with its own employees. ‘We actually do have walking meetings at Kaiser Permanente, believe it or not,’ says executive Ray Baxter. ‘My team is pretty productive, so it must be working.’ Baxter believes walking together — as opposed to sitting down at a table — can change the dynamics of interactions for the better (think consensus building and brainstorming)…"
Source: https://n.pr/JKzzno
Traffic Fatalities: How Manslaughter Became "Accidents"
From Planetizen
Sarah Goodyear chronicles the transition of streets in America from public space to the exclusive domain of autos. Professor Peter Norton, author of “Fighting Traffic: Dawn of the Motor Age” explains the ingenuous strategy of the auto industry.
Before Goodyear wrote about how Amsterdam and Copenhagen became so bicycle-friendly, she provided a short history of how the car, more precisely, the auto industry, did take over American streets. One of the more fascinating episodes took place in 1923 in Cincinnati when residents, outraged at all the children killed by autos, placed a ballot measure that “would have required all vehicles in the city to be fitted with speed governors limiting them to 25 miles per hour.”
“Peter Norton, an assistant professor at the University of Virginia and the author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City, has done extensive research into how our view of streets was systematically and deliberately shifted by the automobile industry, as was the law itself.”
Historically, “the principles of common law applied to crashes. In the case of a collision, the larger, heavier vehicle was deemed to be at fault. The responsibility for crashes always lay with the driver. Public opinion was on the side of the pedestrian. “There was a lot of anger in the early years,” says Norton. “A lot of resentment against cars for endangering streets.”
To respond to the Cincinnati referendum, the auto industry went into overdrive, sending letters to motorists, enlisting dealers and local auto clubs, and most of all, organizing the Detroit auto companies themselves. And they didn’t stop after defeating the referendum.
“The industry lobbied to change the law, promoting the adoption of traffic statutes to supplant common law. The statutes were designed to restrict pedestrian use of the street and give primacy to cars. The idea of “jaywalking” – a concept that had not really existed prior to 1920 – was enshrined in law.”
Source:
The Atlantic Cities, April 24, 2012
The Atlantic Cities, April 24, 2012
Continue reading “Traffic Fatalities: How Manslaughter Became "Accidents"”
The Cabot Tour route is coming to MD
On June 13th Cabot Community Tour riders are coming to MD on June 12th. Here are the routes and days they will be riding.
June 12th Washington DC to Annapolis
June 13th Annapolis to Towson
June 14th Towson to Havre de Grace
June 15th Havre de Grace to Newark DE
It would be great to populate the ride with local riders. The riders will need to determine how to get back to their point of origin, etc. There will be two sag vehicles, one will have a mechanic. The rides should all be starting at the hotels that the riders will be staying at. Typically the rides will start at 9:00. Please feel free to post on list serves/send to email lists, etc.
Here is the URL for the tour. https://www.cabotcommunitytour.com/
Thank you all, and glad to have the route now buttoned down to be able to send to you.
Andrew Hamilton, RLA, ASLA, APBP
Mid-Atlantic Trail Coordinator
East Coast Greenway Alliance
Laps around the Lake
5-8p, at Lake Montebello and held each Tuesday through the end of August. Family-oriented program for leisurely rides or bike lessons for all ages. Adult and children’s bikes and helmets are available. You must have photo ID to borrow equipment. Rides are free, but a $5 donation is suggested.
Continue reading “Laps around the Lake”
Tim Johnson’s Ride on Washington [video]
[B’ Spokes: A couple of videos from Tim Johnson’s Ride on Washington. The first one is a good intro intro for the ride and the second one highlights our friends at Proteus Bicycles in College Park.]
Maryland driver guilty in crash that killed bicyclist
[B’ Spokes: Another victory for cycling advocates " I thought I hit a deer" is not a valid excuse for a hit-and-run, take note Maryland drivers.]
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By Matt Zapotosky, Washington Post
A driver who fatally struck a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate who was out riding her bike was convicted Thursday of failing to remain at the scene of an accident involving death and other counts.
Christy Littleford, 43, of Upper Marlboro faces up to 10 years in prison for the September 2010 crash that killed Natasha Pettigrew, 30, a third-year law student at the University of Miami who had taken a break from school to run for office.
…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/maryland-driver-guilty-in-crash-that-killed-bicyclist/2012/05/24/gJQAKGfMoU_story.html
County Plans Bike ‘Beltway’ Around Central Towson
[B’ Spokes: Not to be critical of initial efforts (as we all need to start somewhere) but I would be a lot happier if the initial offering stressed the beginnings of network looking more like tick-tack-toe then a loop. We need north/south streets, we need east/west streets that intersect, we need routes that bring people in and out of the downtown area.]
By Tyler Waldman, Patch
Call it the inner-inner loop.
A committee of local bicyclists has submitted a plan for Towson’s own “bike beltway,” to be created by adding bike lanes to some county roads in central Towson, County Councilman David Marks announced Monday.
“My goal was to make Towson as bike- and pedestrian friendly as possible and these are some really simple improvements we can make to reach that goal,” Marks said.
The 4.2-mile route would loop past county government buildings, shopping centers, schools and colleges. Potential extensions could add spurs into the Towson roundabout and extend to the Towson Family Center Y, Rodgers Forge Elementary School, Loch Raven High School and North Baltimore.
…
https://towson.patch.com/articles/county-plans-bike-beltway-around-central-towson
Shwinn’s Ride Of A Lifetime
[B’ Spokes: from our mail box:]
Hi!
Hope you’re having a great week in Baltimore. As I was going through your blog, I thought that Schwinn’s bike giveaway would be a great fit for the readers of Baltimore
Spokes.
Spokes.
In case you are not familiar with their work, Schwinn is an American iconic brand founded over a century ago building some of the best-known and best-loved bicycles
of all time. To celebrate the summer and encourage everyone to get out and ride with their friends, Schwinn is hosting a promotion on Facebook and on SchwinnBikes.com called Ride Of A Lifetime. Whether you’re enjoying the single life, pulling a toddler, or
riding with the whole family, this summer you can find your ride on a Schwinn. Every day now through June 25th, they’re giving away bikes to one person and a lucky friend. Entering the contest is easy:
of all time. To celebrate the summer and encourage everyone to get out and ride with their friends, Schwinn is hosting a promotion on Facebook and on SchwinnBikes.com called Ride Of A Lifetime. Whether you’re enjoying the single life, pulling a toddler, or
riding with the whole family, this summer you can find your ride on a Schwinn. Every day now through June 25th, they’re giving away bikes to one person and a lucky friend. Entering the contest is easy:
o Pick a friend to share the journey with
o Choose from the wide range of Schwinn products that fit any type of lifestyle for all ages
o Every time you enter a friend, Schwinn will enter you too! With daily drawings through June 25th, there are tons of chances to win!
I thought that the promotion would be a great fit for your passionate readers and help growing the cycling community in Baltimore. And if you think America is just
a nation of car drivers, think again. There are 62 million cars in the US but over 100 million bicycles, and Americans love to ride them! Anyone can enter Ride Of A Lifetime on facebook.com/rideschwinnbikes or SchwinnBikes.com/rideofalifetime.
a nation of car drivers, think again. There are 62 million cars in the US but over 100 million bicycles, and Americans love to ride them! Anyone can enter Ride Of A Lifetime on facebook.com/rideschwinnbikes or SchwinnBikes.com/rideofalifetime.
The 20-Minute Workout
[B’ Spokes: For those of you who take extra time for your exercise the following seems to be good advice. For those of you who engage in active living and exercise is just part of your daily life there is something you can get from this as well… there is a benefit in going outside your comfort zone. For example something I have been known to do, I push myself to ride a little harder going uphill on Roland Ave but I’ll stop at Starbucks in Roland Park for a "reward" and cool down period. Little things like this once and awhile can really boost your overall fitness level, at least from my unprofessional view point.]
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Gretchen Reynolds, the Phys Ed columnist, on the science of high-intensity interval training, or H.I.T., which scientists are finding can be as effective as longer endurance training.
https://video.nytimes.com/video/2012/05/10/health/100000001515630/the-20-minute-workout.html
Bmore Bike to Work Day
[B’ Spokes: It’s worth noting this is the first I’ve seen Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on a bike. And I’ll highlight a couple of new things as well.]
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BY RON CASSIE, Urbanite
The turnout for Friday morning’s Bike to Work Day in Baltimore City broke all previous turnouts, with more than five-hundred Charm City bicycle commuters registering for the day and many more stopping at one of the elevent “pit stops” around the city for coffee, bagels and camaraderie. Free T-shirts, too.
…
Even Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake got into the action, riding to the pit stop at Baltimore Bicycle Works on Falls Road—a popular commuter route in the city.
“It’s my new thing,” said Rawlings-Blake of bicycling. Decked out in black exercise clothes, a silver helmet, and sunglasses, the mayor greeted and posed for photographs with local bike commuters while also shopping for some new gear. The mayor also noted several bike events coming up in the city—the annual Bike Jam this weekend at Patterson Park, Baltimore’s first Tweed Ride & Garden Party on May 26, and the annual Tour Dem Parks, Hon! ride in early June. “Making the city more pedestrian friendly and bicycle friendly is what today is all about,” Rawlings-Blake said. “That’s what keeps a city alive.”
The mayor and Baltimore bike czar Nate Evans, who also made a stop at Baltimore Bicycle Works, each noted that Baltimore City just put out a new bike map two weeks ago.
…
Bike to Work isn’t limited to the morning commute, either. Mother’s Federal Hill Grille served as the official, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Happy Hour spot this year—one free beverage guaranteed for all Bike to Work participants.
https://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/StaffReport/archives/2012/05/18/bmore-bike-to-work-day