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Take action to Support HB 363- Help make Maryland roads safer!

Take Action! 

Drivers who kill cyclists often face little or no penalty for their actions in part due to a gap in current Maryland law. HB 363 “Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel – Criminal Negligence: provides a misdemeanor option for those who cause
fatalities by driving in a criminally negligent manner. If found guilty, motorists will be subject to imprisonment not to exceed 3 years and/or a fine not to exceed $5000.
 
Take action to support safer roads in Maryland. Urge the Maryland House Judiciary Committee to vote in favor of HB 363.

Take Action! 

[B’ Spokes: Just to note this alert came to us via League of American Bicyclists. I am seeing more bicycling advocacy groups working together rather then sticking to their specialty areas, this is really cool!]

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Baltimore Police Assist Local Cyclists

from Bike Baltimore by Nate Evans

At last night’s Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC) meeting, we were joined by Major Tony Brown of the Baltimore Police Department. This is the second meeting that local cyclists have had with the police department as Baltimore moves to promote a safer cycling environment.

Major Brown shared important information all cyclists should know:

  • Accident reports are not always taken, even with vehicular accidents.  If personal injury occurs, then an accident report will be taken.
  • The Baltimore Police Department will not tolerate aggressive driving against cyclists.  While accidents do happen, if the accident is intentional, it is classified as an “assault” and should be reported. 
  • The police department is developing a cyclist informational video to be shown at roll call and during the department’s on-going annual training.  MBAC needs to provide a script and actors for the video  (Any volunteers?)
  • All cyclists must obey the rules of the road!  As most officers’ exposure to cycling is by observing the practices of bike messengers, this has not helped encourage a positive image.  Please stop at red lights, stop signs and yield to pedestrians.
  • If you are planning a large bike ride, please contact the shift commander at the local precinct just to let them know.
  • DOT’s Parking Control should be contacted to cite cars illegally parking in bike lanes.

By the next meeting (Tuesday, March 15th), the Major would like a list of :

  • locations where cyclists are routinely harassed by motorists and
  • locations where bike theft is a common occurrence

The police department will increase patrols where the harassment occurs and set up a ‘sting’ operation where bike theft occurs.  Please post these locations below! or email me.

These are the first steps in helping promote a positive relationship and understanding between the Baltimore Police Department and area cyclists.  We thank Major Brown for his time and efforts!

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OBESITY MAY COST TEXAS BIZ $32.5B/YEAR BY 2030

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
-> According to a Feb. 7th KUT News story, "Obesity in Texas could cost businesses in the state more than $30 billion a year by the year 2030, if obesity rates and health care costs continue to increase as expected. That’s according to a report released Monday morning by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs. The report says right now obesity is costing Texas businesses $9.5 billion a year in health care, absenteeism, decreased productivity and disability. The Comptroller is urging schools, lawmakers and others to implement more initiatives to prevent and combat obesity…"
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The Cost Effectiveness of Active Transportation Investments

from Bikeleague.org Blog by Darren

Around here we love data, so as soon as I sent the latest safety in numbers data around the office, it took Andy less than an hour to try to one-up me. He passed along this graph showing Portland’s expenditures on biking and walking, transit, and motor vehicles (1995 – 2010) along side the number of new trips by those modes (1990 – 2008). There were increases in the number of commuters for all three modes. What the graph makes clear is how cost effective the biking and walking investments were. The city spent about 11 times the amount on motor vehicle infrastructure that they spent on active transportation per new commuter.

Portland Regional Expenditures and New Trips

Hopefully, you can read the graph. If not, I’m happy to email it. (Request it at darren [at] bikeleague.org.) The blue bar is the total expenditures (1995 – 2010). The red bar is the increase is daily Portland commuters.  The black line towards the bottom is the estimated cost of complete Portland’s 2030 Bicycle Master Plan.

~Darren Flusche
League Policy Analyst

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Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change

On a club ride I went on last weekend one of the cyclist picks up a handful of show and says sarcastically "I’ve got your global warming right here." But as my tag line on my email says: – Global warming, increasing obesity rates, traffic congestion, dependence on foreign oil, leading causes of premature death and the economy… if only there was a common solution.
I don’t think proving global climate change is withing the scope of this blog but solutions to major issues of the day that include promoting more bicycling are. So if you don’t believe in climate change just substitute another issue, they are all interrelated. So a quote from the linked article:
"But for the past fifty years, our economy and society have been operating on the premise that “more is more” and “bigger is better”: bigger homes, bigger yards, bigger cars with bigger engines, bigger budgets, bigger institutions, and, finally, bigger energy sources. In contrast, urbanism naturally tends toward a “small is beautiful” philosophy. This then involves trade-offs: less private space but perhaps a richer public realm; less private security but perhaps a safer community; less auto mobility but more convenient transit. Compact development does mean smaller yards, fewer cars, and less private space for some. On the other hand, it can dramatically reduce everyday costs and leave more time for family and community. The question is not which is right and which is wrong or that it must be all one way or the other—urbanism works best with blends. The question is how such trade-offs fit with our emerging demographics, our desires, our needs, our economic means—and perhaps our sense of what a good life really is."
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