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Baltimore County, a national leader in Complete Streets, still lags far behind Strasbourg

by Jeff La Noue, Greater Greater Washington

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Many US cities have adopted complete street ordinances and individual streets have been retrofitted. Locally, Baltimore County has been recognized as a national leader for Complete Streets, ranking 6th among 83 communities in the US with Complete Streets programs.

Despite this recognition, the county’s on-road bike network is minimal; members of the Baltimore County Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee have been frustrated by the lack of commitment to projects; the county has missed the mark on its pedestrian safety campaign; and now its county executive struggles to find a $50 million contribution for the $2.4 billion Red Line his administration says it supports.

In Baltimore City, Council Bill 09-0433 was adopted in 2010 directing the Departments of Transportation and Planning to apply "Complete Streets" principles to the planning, design, and construction of all new city transportation improvement projects.

Despite the accolades and the policies, "complete streets" in Baltimore County and Baltimore City still feel foreign. Too many incidences of tragic pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle crashes get blamed on user error than engineering design.
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https://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/23613/america-can-learn-from-this-french-citys-complete-streets/

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the world’s largest urban art park beneath the JFX?

By Sarah Meehan, Baltimore Business Journal

The graffiti-canvassed concrete under Baltimore’s Jones Falls Expressway probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of taking a stroll to the park.

But a local group has a vision to transform three acres beneath the highway into a destination urban park for street artists, skateboarders, pedestrians and performers.
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https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2014/08/07/a-nonprofit-wants-to-build-the-worlds-largest.html?page=all&r=full

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Baltimore 6th worst drivers

By Jim Gorzelany, Forbs

… according to Allstate’s 2014 Best Driver’s Report:
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And here’s the rogues gallery of the 10 cities having the worst drivers in the nation:
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3. Washington, DC: 5.1 years between accidents, 97.3% more likely to get in an accident.
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6. Baltimore, MD: 5.4 years between accidents, 84.9% more likely to get in an accident.
[National average is 10 years between accidents.]
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2014/08/27/u-s-cities-with-the-best-and-worst-drivers/

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The automobile = Less time with the family

-> "U.S. history shows that any time you make driving easier, there seems to be this inexhaustible desire to live further from things. The pattern we’ve seen for a century is people turn more speed into more travel, rather than maybe saying ‘I’m going to use my reduced travel time by spending more time with my family.’"
— Ken Laberteaux, Toyota, at the Automated Vehicles Symposium, 2014
https://bit.ly/XSWMC1
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

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Eastpoint Mall highlighted for the nation’s highest pedestrian fatality rate

[B’ Spokes: I have commented before about the poorly marked crosswalks and the abundance of freeway like ramps for motorists "convenience" at the peril of pedestrians at this location. Congratulations State Highways for your continued ignoring the pedestrian problem in this state, you got some national attention for being #1. :/]
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Neighborhoods with the Highest Pedestrian Death Rates
View maps of a few of the nation’s deadliest places for pedestrians.

BY MIKE MACIAG, Governing

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Baltimore County, Maryland, Census Tract #452400

Of all tracts with at least 3,000 residents, this tract in Baltimore County recorded the highest death rate. Nine pedestrians lost their lives, with most occurring in the area surrounding the Eastpoint Mall west of downtown Baltimore.

The large shopping center is flanked by an eight-lane highway to the south (where four deaths occurred) and a six-lane roadway to the north.
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https://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-deadly-neighborhoods-pedestrian-deaths-maps.html

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Drivers cited for not yielding to officer in traffic cone costume

[B’ Spokes: How they do pedestrian safety in California but not here.]
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More than a dozen motorists were cited for allegedly failing to see an undercover officer dressed as a giant traffic cone during a pedestrian crossing sting. (Riverside County Sheriff’s Department)

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-deputy-traffic-cone-costume-sting-20140814-story.html

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Just living close to Walmart makes you fat

"According to the report, broad, multi-laned streets, characteristic of suburban sprawl, are linked with higher levels of obesity and diabetes. Same goes for “big box” stores, which are associated with 24.9 percent higher rates of diabetes and 13.7 higher rates of obesity. The reason? Both factors indicate that the neighborhood is less friendly to pedestrians."
https://grist.org/news/just-living-close-to-walmart-makes-you-fat/

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Columbia BikeAbout Returns on September 13

BIKEABOUT2 

Mark your calendars and join Columbia Association’s (CA) Columbia Archives for the fun and informative annual Columbia BikeAbout, which will be held on Saturday, September 13.

This year’s free, family-friendly ride will begin at 9:30 a.m. at a new location — Wilde Lake Park. Riders will be able to start up until 10 a.m. and are expected to complete the ride by 1 p.m. They will embark on a 10-mile route that winds through the villages of Wilde Lake, Harper’s Choice and Hickory Ridge. The route takes them into the neighborhood that James Rouse, Columbia’s founder, called home, and then brings them along the stream that feeds Wilde Lake, and then into the Middle Patuxent Valley.

Columbia BikeAbout highlights the history of Columbia, as well as the extensive pathway system and open space that contribute to Columbia’s high quality of life. This year’s features during the ride include fun facts about Rouse, a look at some of CA’s newest improvement projects, and a closer look at the future of Symphony Woods.

The end of the ride will bring a special treat: an old-fashioned picnic hosted at Wilde Lake Park by the Wilde Lake Community Association and CA. Riders will be able to purchase refreshments from a variety of food trucks and enjoy free entertainment.

Pre-registration for the BikeAbout is encouraged. Registration can be done online at BikeAbout.EventBrite.com. For more information, email Columbia.Archives@ColumbiaAssociation.org or call 410-715-6781.

Via https://www.columbiaassociation.com/Home/Components/News/News/506/17?backlist=%2f