baltimorespokes

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.

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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.”

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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”