baltimorespokes

"If the sociologist wrinkles his brow over the why of this new interest in pushing the pedal instead of the accelerator, his furrows are as nothing compared to those of park and safety commissioners.
In Europe, where bicycles are economically important as a means of transportation, special cycle lanes have long been in use. In the Victorian heyday of the American bike, the "high-wheeler" or "safety" could turn down any lane at no greater risk than frightening a horse and arousing the blasphemy of its driver.
But America’s billion-dollar highways, many of them barely wide enough to accommodate two lanes of two-ton machines hurtling at 40 to 60 mph in either direction, are death traps to the cyclists. Pedestrians don’t want bicycles on the sidewalks; they are barred in many parks.
Where then, ask 4 or 5 million young Americans, can we ride? Build cycle paths of gravel or rolled-grass on the shoulders of highways, say the growing number of adult cyclists. We bought our children bicycles, say parents, because riding is a healthful sport. But approximately 700 cyclists were killed by automobiles in 1937, 300 of them between the ages of 5 and 14. More than 35,000 riders were injured in 1937. Construct bicycle paths in public parks!
Continue reading “Look how far we have come in 72 years”

December 15, 2009 we begin the “Million Car Challenge Campaign”.
Campaign Stickers will be available to order at that time.

Continue reading “"Million Car Challenge Campaign"”

Non-cyclists are forever saying that bike riders should be held to the same standards as motorists. Agreed, but turnabout is fair play. Motorists should have to abide by the same behavior expected of cyclists. For instance:
* When drivers arrive at a stop sign or red light, they must open the door and put one foot on the ground to prove they have made a full stop.
* Cyclists who momentarily leave the bike lane to avoid an obstacle always suffer the wrath of motorists. Similarly, cars should not be permitted to change lanes in order to avoid mattresses, ladders, pedestrians and the like.
* Group rides get hassled. So should large groups of motor vehicles. Find yourself driving in a long line of cars on the highway? You’re disrupting traffic for everyone behind. The cops should be able to pull you over and even confiscate your vehicle. (Might be hard to get your car in the back seat of the cruiser, but that’s a detail to be worked out later.)
* Who always gets blamed in a car-bike crash? You got it. Similarly, if a larger vehicle like a dump truck collides with a car, it must be the car’s fault. Because they’re operating a smaller class of vehicle, car drivers de facto don’t know what they’re doing and must be punished.
* Cyclists are constantly being told they don’t belong on the road because they don’t "pay taxes" by buying gas, paying tolls, etc., even though many riders also drive — just not at this moment. Likewise, motorists shouldn’t have access to public services like police protection on the road unless they are actually paying their taxes while driving.
Which, unfortunately, many drivers probably do.
Continue reading “Drive Me Crazy”

At the Biking Rules PSA Film Festival, Daniel Leeb premiered a video of T.A.’s Executive Director Paul Steely White talking about what it takes to make New York City better for biking, walking and public transit. We thought you might enjoy watching it