Tour du 12th Review

[B’ Spokes: I would like to encourage more of you to get the connection between politics and bicycling.]
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from Bike Baltimore by Patrick McMahon

This past Saturday, I had a glimpse into a new role for bicycling in Baltimore. I was part of a 9-mile bike ride led by Odette Ramos, a candidate for City Council, through the 12th District. The ride showed how effective a casual bike ride is for getting around the City and connecting with its residents. Along the way we had several stops to talk about Odette’s experience, various community issues, and the existence of or need for bicycling facilities. …

https://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BikeBaltimore/~3/p_gw6YbJFZ8/

Young farmers in Baltimore, Sep 15

Hi Baltimore Spokes folks
 – here are details for our young farmers urban farm tour, lectures, film screening…
i think Bikers in the city will be interested in coming out.
https://thegreenhorns.net/baltimore
Please share widely with your networks, facebook, twitter, calendar, etc…
Thanks. Hope to see you there!
Patrick Kiley, greenhorns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 
MEDIA ADVISORY for SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Contact:
 
Patrick Kiley, Greenhorns
cell: 
517-242-5684 
·
 land: 845-889-3132 
·
 
farmer@thegreenhorns.net

 

Schedule at 
thegreenhorns.net/baltimore



Urban Farmers to Assemble in Baltimore for Workshops and Farm Tours

 
All-day Event Will Advance Next-level Thinking in Urban Agriculture and Brownfields Uses


BALTIMORE, MD – A fast-growing and enterprising community of young and aspiring urban farmers will join researchers, environmental professionals, and city and federal health officials for a day of hands-on workshops, lectures and farm tours on September 15 in Baltimore. Introductory training in the wide field of urban agriculture and community food issues will form the core of the day’s programming. An additional focus will be the potential to use agriculture to revitalize thousands of acres of brownfields (former industrial sites) in the city. This event is being organized by 
The Greenhorns
.
 
The day will kick off at Five Seeds Farm in the Belair-Edison neighborhood at 10am, then move to Real Food Farm in Clifton Park in Northeast Baltimore. Participants will be encouraged to bike between urban farms and other sites. A full schedule is available at www.thegreenhorns.net/baltimore
 
Baltimore has seen a rise in the number of urban farms in recent years. The city’s Office of Sustainability now hopes to turn 10 acres of city-owned vacant lots into farmland though competitive grant giving. Baltimore is an EPA-certified “Brownfields Showcase Community” with at least 1,000 brownfields that total 2,500 acres. Because the city has lost more than half of its manufacturing jobs in the last 20 years and has a poverty rate of 23 percent and unemployment rate of more than 10 percent, the state’s goal is to create 100,000 green jobs here by 2015. The Greenhorns has organized the day to empower residents and officials to make community agriculture part of that future. This event is FREE and
open to everyone.

 
Partners include the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, The Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, MICA, the Baltimore Free School, Five Seeds Farm, Real Food Farm, Civic Works, Boone St. Farm and Community Garden, Seed & Cycle, the Baltimore Office of Sustainability, and the EPA Office of Brownfields & Land Revitalization.
 
Scott Kellogg, author of The Toolbox for Sustainable City Living and founder of the Rhizome Collective and the Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, will lead a presentation about ecological tools and technologies that can be used to regenerate urban environments.
 
The second half of the day will begin at the Baltimore Free school with the “Greenhorns 101” class, led by Greenhorns founder and director Severine von Tscharner Fleming, on planning for a first season of farming.  
Concluding the day is a panel discussion followed by a free screening of “The Greenhorns” documentary about the struggle and valor of young farmers in America, at MICA (1300 Mt. Royal Ave, Room M110).

 
Schedule at www.thegreenhorns.net/baltimore



The Greenhorns
 
national non-profit organization recruits, supports and promotes young farmers in America. 
Using radio, blogs, film, new media, original resources and live events, the Greenhorns build agrarian culture by connecting young farmers with land, resources and each other. We are based on a farm in the Hudson Valley of New York



+++The Greenhorns+++
an american agricultural revival

www.thegreenhorns.net | www.thegreenhorns.wordpress.com

Natasha Pettigrew Memorial Bike Ride, Saturday Sept.17th

Prince George’s County Community College, Prince Place south of Campus Way, Largo, MD, Saturday September 17 at 10am.
We invite you to join us near the site and anniversary of the collision, in rallying and riding for our neighbor, daughter, Natasha Pettigrew. Let trauma be returned to, and inspire change.
you are encouraged to join one of our feeder rides from points west and north:
Bicycle Space, 459 (Eye)ST, NW DC, gather 7:45am /depart 8:15am
College Park REI, 9801 Rhode Island Avenue (very near Greenbelt Metro Station on the green line), gather 8am /depart 8:30am
Mount Rainier Bike Coop, 3601 Bunkerhill RD, Mt Rainier, MD, gather 8:10am depart 8:40
See routes,
https://tinyurl.com/natashapettigrew2011

Ride to Columbia, MD

Saturday, September 10, 2011, 8:30 AM

By Light Street Cycles
1124 Light St, Baltimore, MD

I’m planning to ride to Virgin Festival at Merriweather Post Pavillion this Saturday. Anyone going to the concert can join me. Otherwise, just ride out to Columbia with me, have a picnic brunch, and return. The ride out should be about 21-25 miles. (still working out the route) Can pick up folks in Ellicott City on the way.

https://www.meetup.com/Biking-in-Bmore/events/32218302/?a=ea1.2_lnm&rv=ea1.2

State of the art (but not in Balto Metro area)

Montgomery planners work to find biking hot spots from Greater Greater Washington by Matt Johnson

Planners in Montgomery County are working to determine how to best accommodate bicyclists as the county continues to grow. They’ve created a tool known as a “heat map” to figure out the best places to invest in bike infrastructure.

imageRed indicates higher demand. Click for full version (PDF).

With limited funds,


[B’ Spokes: I’ll note that Maryland has $31 MILLION of unspent federal Transportation Enchantment funds so it’s not that money is tight it’s archaic 1990 state policy that makes it hard to spend this fund where and how we need it. ]
Continue reading “State of the art (but not in Balto Metro area)”

Maryland proposes R4-11 signs, minimal guidance

Highlight from TheWashCycle by Jim Titus (for those following this)
SHA plans to adopt both the R4-11 sign and a similar white sign with an orange stripe accross the top with the word "Notice". The guidance is minimal and basically tracks the federal MUTCD’s guidance for R4-11. I provided some line-by-line edits to shorten it and make it track the federal guidance even more closely, but I do not recommend that most activists do anything at this stage.
https://www.thewashcycle.com/2011/08/maryland-proposes-r4-11-signs-minimal-guidance.html

Thought for the day

Pursuing speed & efficiency, we careen around thoughtlessly colliding. W/ each collision, our shared sense of civility dies a little more. – @PlatoH on Twitter

Tips for motorists about bike lanes.


[B’ Spokes: One of the issues I’ve been pushing is to get more info out there on how motorists are supposed to turn around bicyclists in bike lanes. The current road block: the law does not spell it out crystal clear that this is “required.” Even though we have consensus this is the safe way to have motorists turn across bike lanes… hence this is posted in “News you will not see in Maryland.”]

There goes my Hero

Providing Hope & Nourishment to Leukemia Patients & Their Families

Annual Bike Tour and Family Festival

Charity Bike Tour Baltimore

Join us for our first annual Bike Tour and Family Festival!

Choose from our 60 mile, 30 mile, 15 mile, or 5 mile courses that will wind you through beautiful country road in Northern Baltimore County

Ride at your own pace or bring your competitive edge and race fellow bikers.  Not a rider, don’t worry!  Join us after the race in our There Goes My Hero VIP (tent) for libations, gourmet food and lots of fun!

When:  Sunday, September 25th, 2011

Registration 6:30 a.m. -11 a.m.

Festival 11 a.m. -3 p.m.

Where: Oregon Ridge , Hunt Valley, MD.

Continue reading “There goes my Hero”