From Towson Times
The Baltimore County Office of Planning is hosting a series of citizen workshops this month to seek input for a plan to construct pedestrian and bicycle features in the urban sections of western Baltimore County.
The local workshop on the Western County Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Plan is being held Wednesday, April 21, from 7 to 9 p.m., at *censored*eysville Middle School, 10401 Greenside Drive, Cockeysville.
The workshops will give county residents a chance to discuss their experiences walking and bicycling in the county and to suggest ways to improve sidewalks and crossings, on-street bicycle facilities and off-road trails.
Attendees will be asked to identify priorities for the five most important upgrades in their council district.
"The goal is to help make Baltimore County a better and safer place for walking and bicycling," County Executive Jim Smith said in a release on the workshops.
"As many as 50 percent of household trips are 3 miles or less, and most of them are made by car," Smith said.
In the Towson area, the Northern Central Railroad-Jones Falls Connector is being eyed as a potential commuting route for bicyclists between Hunt Valley and Towson. Options for extending the NCR Trail to the Warren Road light rail station are under study.
Also, plans for the Robert E. Lee Park, located in the county but owned by Baltimore City, include hiker-biker trails.
In addition to the April 21 meeting, officials conducting the study will hold a walk-around road audit at Cockeysville Middle School on April 24, with parents who are interested in improving the walking environment to the school and the recreation center there.
Continue reading “Cockeysville meeting to focus on hiker, biker trails”
Show support for Regional Trail through Cromwell Valley
Greetings: this is an important corridor (Minebank Run (or Ma Pa RR)/Gunpowder Falls Trail) recognized within the Eastern BCBP as well as the Missing Links/Maryland Trails: A Greener Way To Go Plan https://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Planning/Trails/index.html . We encourage you to spread the word, encouraging folks to join this effort to link the inaccessible, vast natural/recreational resources-so close to Towson -by way of a regional hike/bike trail. Be sure to contact Richard Layman and Jim Smith about this corridor and join us by replying and/or joining our Facebook group: Cromwell Valley Trail Intiative.
Thanks,
Terry Maxwell
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Show support for regional trail through Cromwell Valley
Letters to the Editor
Posted 4/14/10
A public meeting concerning the Western Baltimore County Bike and Pedestrian Plan, will be held April 21 at *censored*eysville Middle School, to obtain feedback concerning potential locations for both on-road bike facilities and off-road shared-use paths that, together, would comprise a bike facility network providing access to parks, schools, neighborhoods, etc.
Over the past several years, I’ve been contacted by countless residents within the Towson area concerning a growing interest in the development of a hiker/biker trail along Cromwell Valley to the vast, yet inaccessible recreational resources within close proximity to Towson .
Such a trail could start as a bike lane along Cromwell Bridge Road, starting at Providence Road heading north to Loch Raven High School at Cowpens, then an off-road bike/ped facility (shared-use path) from the high school to connect to an "un-tapped" region of wonderful recreational destinations for hiking and biking — including Cromwell Valley Park (hiking only), Loch Raven Reservoir and Gunpowder Falls State Park, which winds all the way to Belair Road and beyond.
These recreational resources are within close proximity to Towson and are, presently, disconnected and inaccessible because of the hazardous condition of Cromwell Bridge Road .
Also there is no place to park a car at the latter two destinations. Loch Raven High School provides ample parking for evening and weekend hikers and bikers that simply need a connection to the nearby parks.
Our community, as well as many others in the Towson area, are going through a transition with many young families moving in. A trail like this would have an extremely positive impact on the quality of life for our neighborhoods by providing a recreational connection to recreational resources so close to our neighborhoods.
As a result, we are encouraging families in the area join us at the April 21 meeting to express support for the development of this trail corridor, by moving forward with the implementation of a county resolution to conduct trail study for this area, which was approved and then tabled in 2007.
A study would be the first step toward developing this wonderful recreational opportunity for the Towson region.
For more information, or to join the distribution list for updates concerning this effort, e-mail cromwellvalleytrail@gmail.com, or visit us on Facebook.
Terry Maxwell, member, Cromwell Valley Trail Initiative
Towson
Pics from the Ride on Annapolis
Cyclists Rally For "3-Foot Rule" In Wake Of Death [video]
[My 2 cents… its just a shame as a culture we have replaced after school outdoor time with rush hour so everyone who is not driving stay in side and lock your doors as it is a higher priority to service those who are driving that "need" to get home and watch TV.]
Written by Scott Broom -9NEWS NOW & wusa9.com
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WUSA) — The death of a cyclist on a rural road outside Baltimore last week has created emotional momentum for a new law requiring that motorists give a minimum three feet of clearance when passing bicycles on Maryland roads.
Cyclist rallied at the State House in Annapolis today, filling a mall outside the capitol with bicycles, in the hours before Maryland’s 2010 General Assembly draws to a close at midnight.
Supporters of the law predicted they would win a vote for the law in the final hours.
42-year-old Larry Bensky was killed on April 6th on a rural road in Northern Baltimore County. They cyclist was the father of two young daughters.
Bensky’s widow Tami attended the rally.
"Bikers are mothers and fathers and sons and daughters and you have to just consider them when your driving, [we as a culture just need to slow down.]" she said with tears in her eyes.
If passed, Maryland would join 20 other states with some version of a 3-foot rule. However, Virginia’s legislature recently rejected the idea.
Continue reading “Cyclists Rally For "3-Foot Rule" In Wake Of Death “
Bicyclist killed blocks from White House in downtown D.C. accident with Military truck
[I’ll note, that I have to seriously question the wisdom of using a 5 ton military vehicle over a motorcycle cop for crowd and cross street traffic control.]
By TheAthletesLawyer
On the way home from work this evening I was saddened by the news of a biker killed just blocks from the White House. Washington, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical personnel revealed that a female bicyclist was dead after being hit by a moving motor vehicle in downtown D.C. this afternoon.
WTOP News reported that the accident occurred around 6 PM at the intersection of 12th Street and New York Avenue in NorthWest Washington, D.C. This is an intersection within the restricted area for the Nuclear Security Summit. A D.C. National Guard spokesman says the vehicle that struck the woman was a five-ton military truck. The truck was pulling into the intersection to block it off for a motorcade and failed to see the woman aboard her bike.
Military vehicles have different site lines in comparison to civilian cars and trucks. Army vehicles designed for desert warfare or rough terrain may have “blind spots” that are different than those experienced in passenger cars and pick up trucks. Perhaps when National Guard vehicles are recruited to provide security in civilian settings with high pedestrian and bicycling volumes, it would be safer to realign and/or add mirrors and site lines in accordance with US city street and foreseeable road users.
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Continue reading “Bicyclist killed blocks from White House in downtown D.C. accident with Military truck”
Bike and pedestrian planning in the suburbs
By Richard Layman
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The same thing has come up in the context of the citizen workshops that we have been holding for the Western Baltimore County Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Plan that I am the project manager for, in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Now I know that the next two meetings are likely to have far more bicycling advocates in attendance, because those meetings are in places where there are some significant bicycle facilities present (the North Central Railroad Trail in northern Baltimore County in District 3, and in District 1 the various trails of the Catonsville Rails to Trails group and in the Patapsco Valley State Park, not to mention nearby trails BWI and the Baltimore & Annapolis).
Still, I am constantly taking in and interpreting and synthesizing and reformulating the information, the interactions I encounter during the process.
What I think we will end up proposing is (1) responding to people’s desires for sidewalk improvements; (2) but at the same time prioritizing the development of 1-2 off-road multi-user trails in each district; (3) as well as the development of a focused set (critical mass) of bicycle facilities improvements. Together (2) and (3) can be grown outward and can connect to other districts across the county and other jurisdictions in the region, and lay the path for the development of a more complete bicycle facilities infrastructure in Baltimore County.
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Part of the reason that the polls don’t favor bicycle facilities improvements is that the typical resident–suburban or urban–isn’t familiar with bicycling anymore and doesn’t know many people who do it. So of course they aren’t going to prioritize biking improvements as a matter of course.
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Continue reading “Bike and pedestrian planning in the suburbs”
MD SHA Revised Guidelines for Rumble Strips: Comments needed!
[Baltimore Spokes: This is just sad that I get to hear about this from Delaware cyclists. Way to go MDOT on involving MD key stakeholders, not!]
Responding to Bike Delaware concerning cyclist-unfriendly rumble strips on Rt.273 – a very popular bike route for northern Delaware and Cecil County cyclists – Maryland’s State Highway Administration presented us this “Revised Interim Draft“ (pdf). If you are disappointed with the current design, such as the spacing between the rumble strip and the white line, and how they follow the breakdown lane striping to a pinch, or provide few if any openings for cyclists to exit, PLEASE take a few moments to review this new policy.Among other excerpts from the draft:
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“Along expressways where bicycles are expressly permitted to travel and along other highways where shoulder rumble strips are desirable, the accommodation of bicyclists must be considered”.
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“Where the outside shoulder is less than five feet in width: The installation of rumble strips is to be coordinated with the Bicycle Coordinator within the Office of Planning and Preliminary Engineering, who will provide the needed coordination with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee”.
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“Although safety is maximized by continuous rumble strips, for highways where the posted speed limit is less than 55 mph, gaps for bicyclists shall be installed”.
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“Transverse rumble strips should not be placed on roadways used by bicyclists unless a minimum clear path of 4 feet is provided at each edge of the roadway or each paved shoulder as described in AASHTO’s “Guide to the Development of Bicycle Facilities”.
This new draft, when accepted, will be used when implementing along other MD highways in the future. So if you enjoy riding in Maryland, please review and email your comments to cschreiber@sha.state.md.us
Continue reading “MD SHA Revised Guidelines for Rumble Strips: Comments needed!”
Some Ride on Annapolis coverage [video]
By By CHRIS GORDON – NBC
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On the last day of the legislative session, a large group of cyclists rode into Annapolis in a show of support for a safety bill one week after fellow cyclist Larry Bensky was killed on the road. His wife Tamara went to tell lawmakers his story.
"Last Tuesday when he was riding his bike on an open road on a beautiful afternoon, with no oncoming traffic, someone hit him from behind at a rate of speed at which killed him instantly," she said.
For five years, cyclists have been trying to get a law passed requiring motorists to give them 3 feet of passing distance.
"You know if that law was in place and that driver knew that that law was in place and followed it, my husband would be here," Bensky said.
Continue reading “Some Ride on Annapolis coverage “
New Legislation May Make More Room For Cyclists
Reporting Alex DeMetrick
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) ―
It was a coincidence no one wanted, but the death last week of a bicyclist in Baltimore County is giving new emphasis to legislation that would make more room for cyclists.
Alex DeMetrick reports a police escort was brought in to make room for dozens [X 4] of cyclists traveling from Baltimore to Annapolis. It was a journey with two purposes. First, it was a memorial ride for one of their own, but it was also last minute lobbying for a bill that might help keep other riders safe.
"Larry Bensky was killed on Butler Road last Tuesday at 4:30 in the afternoon," said bicyclist John Kelly. "It’s a sad occasion and we want to remember that but we also want to take the opportunity to promote safer riding."
The legislation would make it illegal for cars to come any closer than three feet when passing a cyclist.
For roads not wide enough to allow three feet between passing cars and bikes, the existing rule still applies: a car may pass only when it is safe to do so.
Continue reading “New Legislation May Make More Room For Cyclists”
Short One Less Car Legislative Update
Today was the final day of the 2010 Maryland legislative session. Over 85 bicyclists rode to Annapolis today in memory and honor of Lawrence Bensky, 43, of Owings Mills, who died on April 6 while riding his bicycle on Butler Road in Baltimore County. This is a rural road that I and many of the attendees bike on frequently. Many supportive Delegates joined me in addressing the crowd of cyclists.
On a different note – it is time to celebrate! I returned from Annapolis a few hours ago where FOUR significant Bike/Ped/Transportation bills passed! The following bills are on the way to the Governor’s Office for his signature:
· SB624 – Shoulder Rule bill
· SB51 – 3 Foot bill
· HB 1155 – Transportation Transparency bill
· HB 282 – Funding for Bike/Ped Access bill
I will produce a list of those Delegates and Senators (Cardin, Carr, Lafferty, Raskin, McIntosh, Malone, Pena-Melnyk and more) we will want to thank for their support of these important bike safety and bike/ped funding bills. A call or email from a constituent is a BIG deal to them – a few minutes of your time can make a big difference. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed testimony, contacted a Delegate, advocated for this cause and helped to make this happen.
We must remember Larry and work together during the 2011 General Assembly session to make Maryland a safer place to live, work and play.
In the next few months I will develop the One Less Car legislative agenda for the 2011 General Assembly session. A few items of interest are:
• Strengthening the new 3 foot rule
• Strong focus on the manslaughter by vehicle bill
• Introducing a bill to increase tax credits for bicyclists
• Reintroduce the accident vs. crash bill
• There will be more to add to this list and your legislative assistance is appreciatively accepted.
To learn more about One Less Car events, volunteer opportunities and our legislative agenda please visit www.onelesscar.org and go to the contact header.
Thank you all and please spread the word!
Carol Silldorff
Executive Director
One Less Car