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Symposium Thank You

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The 12th Annual Maryland Bicycle Symposium

The 12th Annual Bike Symposium in Annapolis on February 4th was a huge success!  Although the weather caused school closings in many counties approximately 400 to 500 people attended.  Additionally, there were twenty exhibitors displaying projects and engaging the audience.   The high attendance indicates that people care deeply about promoting bicycling as a means of alternative transportation.  As our population grows it is critical that a safe infrastructure, along with laws protecting bicyclists, are intact.

John Porcari, Maryland Secretary of Transportation, gave an upbeat report on MDOT’s work on Bike Projects in Maryland and Delegate Jon Cardin Chair of the Legislative Bike Caucus gave an overview of the many Bike Bills being considered this session in Annapolis. Jim Swift, Chairman of the Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (MBPAC), gave a presentation on MBPAC. Presenters Charlie Denney of Alta Planning + Design, Stephanie Yanovitz of VHB, and Bill Schultheiss of Toole Design kept all the audience in their seats before lunch by educating the attendees on bicycle safety and answering questions.

Senator Jim Rosapepe presented Senator Brian Frosh with an outstanding Bike Accomplishment award from OLC and Jim and Jane Hudnall received a special OLC Award for all their many years of making these Symposia successful. Bill Kelly was presented a Senate Proclamation by Senator Rosapepe for his many years of Bike Service to the Maryland. The symposium takes place because of the many hours of volunteer service Bill and Jim dedicate to the coordination of the event.  The awards were followed by interesting and informative talks from Eric Gilliland of WABA, Sergeant Chris Davala of the Maryland State Police and the International Police Mountain Bike Association, and Caron Whitaker of America Bikes.

The symposium was taped by John Wetmore and the recording will be linked to the OLC website.  OLC’s new website will be up by month’s end with exciting opportunities for interacting with you through a blog, action alerts and more!

OLC is a non-profit organization that really needs your help during this tough period to continue to advocate and produce events like the Symposium that are free to the public.  To make a donation by check please make the check payable to OLC and mail to:  One Less Car, 1209 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.  To donate via credit card visit  https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/onelesscar/donation.jsp.

Save the date of October 4th 2009 for this year’s Tour du Port – Baltimore’s Premier Bicycling Event!  There will be rides from 14 to 40 miles and we are working to develop a 63-mile metric century as well.  All proceeds go to OLC to promote bicycle use and safety.  On the day after Tour Du Port, (Monday Oct, 5, 2009) the Fall Bike Forum will take place at John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, MD from 6 to 9 p.m.

Thank you all!

Carol Silldorff, M.P.A.
Executive Director

One Less Car
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Baltimore County Projects “Shovel Ready” but no bike projects :(

Smith Outlines $140 Million Infrastructure Request NONE of which are bike ped related. While its 2005 bicycle access plan gathers dust and while 22% of the County’s traffic fatalities involve a pedestrian or bicyclists (national avg 13%) alleyways get attention while we don’t. (48% of Baltimore County’s bike crashes and 23% of pedestrian crashes involve kids 5-15 (kids represent 12.3% of the County population.)
Continue reading “Baltimore County Projects “Shovel Ready” but no bike projects :(“

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Bike trail for ICC may go unfinished

Adam Tuss, WTOP Radio
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"Here’s what people like myself struggle with — how can this be the environmental tipping point given what we are doing and the protections that are necessary?" A frustrated Councilmember Roger Berliner says. "And how can the costs be that much greater to add 15 feet on a six lane highway, in which we pledged to the community that we are going to make this piece connected?"
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Continue reading “Bike trail for ICC may go unfinished”

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Right on Red Enforcement Support Letter

To: Alfred H. Foxx, Director Department of Transportation

I am writing on behalf of the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC) to express our support for the city’s efforts to enforce current laws that govern vehicles when turning right on a red signal light at key intersections, particularly where there is significant bicycle traffic. We believe that aggressively enforcing “No Right on Red” prohibitions and the requirement for a full stop before making an authorized right turn on red is essential to protecting the safety of cyclists and pedestrians and to enhancing the livability of the City of Baltimore . The use of photo enforcement strikes us as important as it is not practical for police officers and Special Traffic Enforcement Officers to be present at all times and all locations.

The majority of intersections in the city permit drivers to turn right at a red light, after coming to a complete stop. “No Right on Red” signs are only put in place when a clear danger to pedestrians, cyclists, and/or drivers has been identified. Some “No Right on Red” signs have even been put in place as a result of accidents or fatalities at the intersection. Unfortunately, some irresponsible drivers have been ignoring the prohibition. At intersections where a right turn on a red signal is authorized, some drivers have been ignoring the requirement to come to a complete stop before turning and are “rolling” through the intersection as if at a “Yield” sign.

Cyclists waiting to proceed through the intersection can easily be overlooked by drivers because they are smaller than a motor vehicle. Thus, “No Right on Red” rules at select locations and the requirement for a full stop before making an authorized right turn on red are vital in the prevention of bicycle accidents and fatalities.

Because of the clear danger posed by their violation, we hope that the city will do its utmost to enforce “Right on Red” restrictions.

Sincerely,
Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee

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Join The America Bikes Coalition

[From League of American Bicyclists and yes this is yet another alert as this moves forward.]
Take Action
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Join The America Bikes Coalition
Support Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects in the Economic Recovery Bill

Take Action!
Join The America Bikes Coalition to Protect Transportation Enhancement Funding
 

The House and the Senate have each passed their own version of the Economic Recovery Bill, aimed at creating jobs and stimulating the economy.  Both bills include billions for transportation infrastructure, but only the House bill includes funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in the Transportation Enhancements program.  

The House Bill includes approximately $1.35 billion for Transportation Enhancements of which 50-60% is traditionally spent on bicycle and pedestrian projects.  The Senate Bill does not explicitly include Transportation Enhancements, so its unclear whether this funding will be in the
final bill.

 

This week there will be a conference committee where several members of the House and several members of the Senate will work together to reconcile the two bills.  Conferees need to hear that Transportation Enhancements are important to stimulating the economy, creating green jobs, and moving us towards a sustainable future.

 

Please call your Senators and Representative and urge them to tell the Conferees to support Transportation Enhancements in the Economic Recovery bill. 

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Tired of unsafe passing, cyclist tries adding driver’s ed to shirt

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Mizereck was pretty sure many drivers weren’t aware of Florida’s law.

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“I was riding down the road, and I thought, ‘Why don’t I just put something on the back of the jersey telling people what they need to do?'”

From that thought came the 3 Feet Please jersey – a vivid yellow bicycling shirt.

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Continue reading “Tired of unsafe passing, cyclist tries adding driver’s ed to shirt”

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Action: Sustainability City Council Hearing

[Please tell your City Council member to vote for the Plan and attend in person if you can.]

The collective efforts of
the Baltimore Commission on Sustainability, working groups, community
associations, and interested citizens across the city have culminated in the
creation of Baltimore ’s
first Sustainability Plan.  The Plan has been approved by both the
Commission on Sustainability and the Baltimore Planning Commission.

 

The next step toward final adoption is an
informational hearing by
the Baltimore City Council on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 5:00 PM in the
City Council Chambers, 4th Floor of City Hall,
100 N. Holliday Street .

 

Because of your interest
in the sustainability of Baltimore ,
you may wish to attend this hearing. There will be time allowed for public
comments.

 

Please note that the security procedures at City Hall require
that you bring photo-identification with you.

 

If you have any
questions, please contact Sarah Zaleski at sarah.zaleski@baltimorecity.gov
or 410-396-4556 for further information.

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Continue reading “Action: Sustainability City Council Hearing”

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Why do tubes filled with CO2 go soft so soon?

The rate of loss
Dear Lennard,
Since a CO2 molecule is larger than either an oxygen or nitrogen molecule, why does it leak out of a bicycle tire faster?
Glenn
Dear Glenn,
Upon receiving your question, I put CO2 in a clincher tire with a Michelin butyl inner tube (latex tubes leak air quickly, as you’re probably aware). This particular tire and tube hold air pressure faithfully for weeks on one of my road bikes without needing pumping. And sure enough, within three days after inflating with CO2 to 90psi, the pressure had dropped to 45ps
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Permeation by diffusion predicts gas leakage rates proportional to the inverse of the square root of their molecular weights. Using air as a reference the predicted leakage rates for common gases are: helium 2.7, air 1.0, nitrogen 1.02, oxygen 0.95, argon 0.85, carbon dioxide 0.81.
It turns out however that the leakage rate of CO2 is huge, and the reason is that it is actually soluble in butyl rubber and is thus not constrained to normal permeation loss, it can transfer straight through the bulk rubber resulting in severe tire pressure loss on the order of a single day.
Continue reading “Why do tubes filled with CO2 go soft so soon?”