A very interesting blog post by Citizen Rider about resolving an accident claim, interaction with police, being required to ride in a poor quality shoulder (relevant to our attempt to remove mandatory shoulder use) and other marginalizing issues cyclists face.
Continue reading “Splitting Hairs and Cleaving Flesh”
Leading the way to a green lifestyle
By Brittany Kenworthy For the CDT
It is an early morning at Penn State, and Lydia Vandenbergh is riding her red, 15-year-old Trek mountain bike across campus.
A program coordinator for the Campus Sustainability Office at Penn State, Vandenbergh forgoes a commute by car and opts for the 15- minute bike ride, stowing her briefcase in the “functional, yet dorky” basket attached to the back. She’s determined to decrease her carbon footprint, and even this time of year, she opts to pedal rather than drive her car most days of the week.
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Described by her colleagues as innovative and resolute, Vandenbergh developed and is implementing a program called “Green Teams” that uses teams of staff and faculty to advocate to their peers to save energy by changing behaviors, such as turning off lights, shutting down computers, opening the blinds to let sunlight in and sharing appliances.
Vandenbergh said the key to conservation is that people “look at their circumstances and look at all of the implications of their actions.” It is important for people to make decisions about how to conserve energy based on their own circumstances, she said.
She admits that an action that is right for one person may not be for another. Her family hangs clothes in the attic to dry instead of using a dryer, but for a student living in small apartment this would not be practical.
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Learning to conserve is a two-stage process in the home, on campus and in society. “First an action becomes conscious and then it becomes unconscious because you just do it,” Vandenbergh said.
She believes that if people consider their circumstances and the implications of their actions, they will be able to understand the consequences of their choices. By biking to work she conserves energy and exercises at the same time. It is much faster than walking or taking the bus, and it prolongs the life of her car. She can park outside the building instead of a far parking lot.
Vandenbergh said, “When you observe the personal and societal impacts of conservation, it just makes sense.”
Continue reading “Leading the way to a green lifestyle”
The City of Hagerstown adopts a bike master plan
Congratulations to Hagerstown in their newly adopted Bike Master Plan but I’ll note that they seemed to have fallen into the same trap that other dormant bike plans have fallen into and that is the problem of funding. While we all read about the success stories across the nation and how they have successfully used Federal Aid to implement bicycling infrastructure but seriously what hope do we have in a state that ranks 45 out of 50 in spending of Federal Aid per the 2010 Benchmarking report?
Lets see if pictures can tell the story of Maryland’s funding vs oh lets say Oregon (since they have a reputation for being one of the best states that support cycling.)
On the pie charts note the Cat 1 (purple area) that’s spending on bike/ped projects and ours is notably smaller while we have a larger and more dense (by 15X) population then Oregon which should be ideal grounds for supporting cycling. On the charts on the right note the brown “Available” area,. we have $25 Million available, that’s a lot over what’s appointed and obligated. I seriously have to ask what’s the hold up on getting this money on the ground? This level of funding can’t do anything for cars but it can make a huge contribution for cycling, roughly by what Portland has done we have a potential here for 200 miles of on-road bike accommodations but the State would rather give the money back to the Feds then spend it on us, this is not right.
Note that per State Law: § 2-602. Public policy. The General Assembly finds that it is in the public interest for the State to include enhanced transportation facilities for pedestrians and bicycle riders as an essential component of the State’s transportation system…
So I have to ask how can MDOT deny funding to something that is essential per state law? We have an adopted State Bike Master plan with the stated goal of making Maryland the best State for cycling yet $25 billion in available funds is essentially denied by outrageous policies that make no sense after decades of neglect and totally inappropriate for cycling as transportation. Basically overall Maryland’s Bicycle Level Of Comfort scores for roads have not changed in 10 years because as the number of roads improve there is a near equal number of roads that become hostile for cycling. This trend of falling to make progress has to stop!
I’ll personally challenge MDOT to get its bike/ped spending up to at least the average spending per capita. Maryland being constantly noted as being in the bottom dregs of things related to cycling and walking has to end!
Continue reading “The City of Hagerstown adopts a bike master plan”
Some look to make Maryland a bicycle tourism destination
By Ron Cassie
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Alex Obriecht, the featured speaker at the 13th annual get-together in mid-February, didn’t bother bogging down the event with statistics or studies.
The owner of Race Pace bike stores in Westminster, where he lives, Ellicott City, Columbia and Owings Mills, Obriecht focused on the joyful, wind-in-the-face recreation of traveling by bike. He also touted the immediate opportunity for Maryland to become a bicycle tourism destination, akin to Colorado, Vermont and northern California.
Holding up a copy of a mid-Atlantic bicycling magazine, Obreicht tallied the states with advertisements priming the pump of bicycle tourism. His thesis centered on the natural geography of the Old Line state and the economic benefits of bicycle tourism.
"Vermont, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York," Obreicht called out, reading the magazine ads. "What about Maryland? People leave Maryland to go to Central Florida and ride bikes? That’s ridiculous."
The early October Sea Gull Century in Salisbury drew 8,300 bicyclists in 2009, producing $3.25 million in overall economic activity, Obriecht said. There are other annual events, such as the One Less Car-sponsored Tour du Port in Baltimore, but Maryland is barely scratching the surface of its potential as a bicycle tourism destination, Obriecht said.
The bicycle industry, including some 70 to 75 bike shops in the state, generates $38 million to $42 million in gross revenue, Obriecht said. Given Maryland’s location in the southern end of the Northeast corridor, with terrain that extends from the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore to rolling hills and mountains in the west, the state is ideally suited for bicycling — a reputation usually reserved for states such as Vermont and Colorado, and certain regions such as Napa Valley in California.
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Having traveled Europe, Central America and much of the U.S. by bike, some of Obriecht’s favorite roads are right outside his door in Carroll and Frederick counties.
In fact, there are world-class athletes who built their careers training in Frederick.
Former six-time, 24-hour world solo mountain bike champion Chris Eatough, who lives in Howard County, does most of his training in Gambrill State Park, even riding from Ellicott City to Frederick to hit the mountains.
Rebeccah and Laurel Wassner, Gaithersburg natives and twins, are both professional triathletes who have spent considerable time training in northern Frederick County. Rebeccah is a Mount St. Mary’s alumna.
Creating a functioning, statewide bicycle network that’s attractive to tourists goes beyond painting new bike paths on road shoulders or extending existing trails into population centers, Obreicht said. Public buses must be outfitted with bike racks and trains need to be outfitted with dedicated bike cars.
"Every train in Europe has a bike car, period," Obriecht said. "I get on a train with my bike in Genoa, Italy, and get off in Germany, and it’s no problem. Going anywhere on Amtrak with a bike, it’s a struggle."
Obriecht compared Baltimore with Portland, Ore., a similar size city with one of the largest percentages of bicycle commuters and recreational cyclists in the country. He pointed to the challenge the Charm City faces, as well as the potential.
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Reversing decades-long transportation planning that ignored bicycling is difficult. Twenty years ago, said Bill and Vicki Smith, members of the Frederick Pedalers, bicycling in Frederick was actually easier. They noted the dramatic changes and increased traffic along the Rosemont Avenue/Yellow Springs corridor, for example, that has pushed out bicyclists.
"We need to make bicycling a real part of transportation planning," Obriecht urged symposium attendees. "This is crucial for both the recreational and the commuter bicyclist. That’s why were here today as far as I’m concerned."
In many European cities, bicycling and walking account for as much as 30 percent of all transportation, he said, creating both a healthier transportation model and a healthier population.
"Every road, within reason, should have bicycle access," Obriect said. "That’s the only way things will change."
Continue reading “Some look to make Maryland a bicycle tourism destination”
Md. Senate – We want chicken $hit in the bay
I believe no industry has the right to dispose of waste as cheaply as possible especially if there is environmental damage to our natural resources. I realize that chicken farms and Perdue are big industry on the eastern shore but still there has to be some limits on what they can do. But it is outrageous that the Senate is essentially threatening University of Maryland’s environmental law clinic because of their law suit alleging that waste running off a farm near Berlin, Md is fouling the Pocomoke River.
“… but it’s still a pretty big abridgment of academic freedom,” Frosh said Friday. He said the language amounted to a threat: “If you guys are getting involved in issues that we don’t like, or you’re bothering people that we do like, we want you to shut up.”
If what’s going on is against the law then the Senate’s reaction is shameful. If it is someone we like then arbitrate to get the problem fixed and maintain good relations we should never let our law makers make laws so the privileged few can break laws.
You can read the article here.
If you want a better understanding of my anti-factory farms stance then watch the attached video. But warning once you understand the issues it may be hard to eat meat again.
The Meatrix
Baltimore’s Star-Spangled Trails
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Want to take a drive? Ride your bike? Stroll a neighborhood? Driving Biking Walking/Hiking Boating |
Bell Helmets give us a nod of support for the 3′ law
March 21, 2010: Should the state of Maryland adopt the “three-foot” rule, like other states have? Simple legislative options that go further than road markings could set Maryland (and the rest of the country) on the path toward being a place where people who want to bicycle can do it when they want; where motorists are not in conflict with bicyclists; and where energy consumption is measured more in miles pedaled than in miles per gallon. Learn more about the three-foot safe-passing distance law here: Give Cyclists Some Room (Gregory T. Simmons, BaltimoreSun.com)
Continue reading “Bell Helmets give us a nod of support for the 3′ law”
We need more room … for parked cars?
From How We Drive:
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If the percentage of parking lot area in the county (0.44%) is scaled to the area occupied by the conterminous United States, the entire states of Connecticut, and Massachusetts (12,550 + 20,305 = 32,855 km2 ) would be paved over with parking lots.
To put this another way: The American parking lot currently consumes much more space than the entire country’s population would if it were scaled to Brooklyn-style density.
Continue reading “We need more room … for parked cars?”
Feds Begin Redefining ‘Affordable Housing’ to Include Transport Costs
Cars may be convenient but at what price?
Continue reading “Feds Begin Redefining ‘Affordable Housing’ to Include Transport Costs”
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. responds
Secretary LaHood’s statement about bike and pedestrian activity is a logical extension of what we have learned about transportation in America over the last 25 years. That lesson is simply to look at the big picture, serve all users, and maximize the total transportation system.
For years, the needs of cyclists and pedestrians were virtually ignored, resulting in disproportionate numbers of injuries and the loss of life. It has left many cities with an unbalanced system that doesn’t work well for all users, like those who are disabled, unable to drive, or not old enough to get a license, such as kids going to school. While not everyone uses a car, at some point everyone is a pedestrian. Transportation systems that take everyone’s needs into consideration simply work better.
The fundamental point about cycling is that it is the least expensive way to add new capacity to our stressed transportation systems. In 14 years of biking in Washington, DC and not using a car, I have produced virtually no wear-and-tear on the roads, no air pollution, no competition for scarce parking spaces, nor added to Washington’s notorious congestion. My decision to burn calories instead of fossil fuel was good for me and the motorists who have chosen otherwise.
Continue reading “Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. responds”