Month: July 2009

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Have bike bell or horn, then make music!

contemporarymuseum


　
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mobtown Modern Goes Guerilla for Summer Spectacle

Saturday, July 18, 2009
3:00 p.m.

The Metro Gallery

1700 North Charles Street
Station North Arts and Entertainment District, Baltimore

The Contemporary Museum’s Mobtown Modern concert series will take New Music to the streets with an interactive performance of composer Mauricio Kagel’s Eine Brise (‘A Breeze’) for 111 bicyclists, on Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 3 p.m.

Riders will begin and end their trek at The Metro Gallery in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. The posse of performers will use bells, horns, and utterances and whistling to replicate the sounds of a crisp breeze during their “round the block” performance. Eine Brise begins with jingling to announce the coming breeze, climaxing with a crescendo of a frenzied chorus of “wind sound” vocalizations from performers.

Anyone with a bicycle and a bell or horn is invited to participate in this guerilla-style music making experience. To participate, e-mail info@mobtownmodern.com. Space is limited.

For more information about the Contemporary Museum and Mobtown Modern, visit www.contemporary.org or www.mobtownmodern.com.


About the Contemporary Museum:
The Contemporary Museum promotes the art and culture of our time by producing and presenting new works, new thinking, and new practices that are immediately relevant. The Contemporary has earned international acclaim for its thought-provoking exhibitions, innovative programming, and unique collaborations with artists, curators, critics, and members of the community.

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UPDATE: Fatal Accident on Rt. 235 in The Area of Park Hall

LEXINGTON PARK – 7/11/2009
On July 11, at approximately 2:44 p.m., a blue 2008 Mazda M3I driven by Royal Kessick III, 47 of Richmond, Va., was traveling northbound on Three Notch Road, north of Park Hall Road. Hugo Gonzalez, 44 of St. Leonard, was riding a bicycle on the southbound shoulder of Three Notch Road heading towards Park Hall Road. Kessick’s vehicle crossed the southbound travel lane, onto the shoulder and into the path of Gonzalez’s bicycle. Gonzalez was struck by the vehicle and thrown into the grass adjacent to the roadway. Gonzales succumbed to his injuries. Kessick’s vehicle continued towards the wood line, struck a tree, overturned once and landing upright.
Kessick was flown by Eagle 1 to Medstar. Gonzalez was wearing a bicycle helmet. Initial investigation indicates alcohol is not believed to be a contributing factor. Members of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact DFC Timothy Reese at (301 )475-4200 ext. 9115.
Continue reading “UPDATE: Fatal Accident on Rt. 235 in The Area of Park Hall”

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Cyclist Sues for Opened Car Door

Here’s a new skirmish between bikers and motorists: A Southeast Portland cyclist is suing a woman for opening a car door directly in her path, allegedly causing a collision and permanent injuries.
According to a lawsuit filed July 8 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Kristin Ragnarsson was riding eastbound on Southeast Stark Street on July 3, 2008.
As Ragnarsson passed the intersection with Southeast 28th Avenue, the lawsuit says, Judith Latourette-Meyers of Clackamas County had her vehicle parked at the curb on the south side of Stark. According to the lawsuit, Latourette-Meyers opened her driver-side door “directly into the path” of Ragnarsson’s bike.
Ragnarsson suffered injuries to her head, back, left hip and right hand, the lawsuit says, including a cut to her right index finger and a broken metacarpal. The injury to her right hand is permanent, the lawsuit says.
The suit, filed by Vancouver lawyer Daniel Jacobs, seeks $12,765.96 for medical bills, plus up to $100,000 for pain and suffering.
Latourette-Meyers could not be reached for comment.
Continue reading “Cyclist Sues for Opened Car Door”

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Cuba Road and Shawan Road Intersection Issue:

[Note: The plan on the table is to have more turning lanes and widen the intersection part of Cuba Rd allowing more cars to go through on a shorter green light phase so Shawan Rd can have a longer green light phase. One of the problems is that a wider mouth to Cuba Rd will invite more traffic onto Cuba Rd decreasing bicycle and pedestrian comfort/safety along Cuba Rd. So if you have constructive input ]
I want to re-confirm that the Department of Public Works will hold an open meeting on proposed improvements to the Cuba Road – Shawan Road Intersection Tuesday, July 28 at Oregon Ridge Park. The meeting is scheduled from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Sequoia Room of the Park Lodge on Beaver Dam Road.
As you know, this meeting is part of a series of conversations with the community to craft a road design that will satisfy both local community goals and area transportation needs. The program, which as I said begins at 6:00, will start with an historical view of traffic problems and lay out the County’s solution based on numerous public meetings. Between 6:30 and 7:00, the public will have an opportunity to individually address the group from the podium and offer constructive input. Between 7:00 and 8:00 public works engineers and their consultants will be available to discuss specific points with individuals in a workshop setting.
Because there has been considerable interest and constructive input during the past few weeks, I am taking every step to insure that all voices are heard, whether they come from the podium, the comment cards, conversations with my staff during the workshop, or (after the fact, for those who can’t make the meeting) by email to our address: publicworks@baltimorecountymd.gov.
I am also aware of recent requests to postpone our meeting until September, but due to the level of interest and the number of substantive suggestions we’ve received I do not want to lose this opportunity to forge ahead. Our meeting on the 28th will provide a setting for these ideas to percolate, and all of the suggestions and comments will then be evaluated and posted on the County’s website.
Thanks for your interest, input and support.
Edward Adams, Director
Edward C. Adams, Jr., P.E.
Director
Department of Public Works

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A Strategy for Traffic Safety

[Baltimore Spokes: Something very similar could be written about Baltimore.]

Despite acres of new pedestrian space and a 1,800-mile bicycle network in
development, in 2007 there were still 79,510 car crashes in our city, including
11,035 incidents of a motor vehicle hitting a pedestrian. In 2007, 273 people
were killed in car crashes and the majority of them were pedestrians. Being
struck by a car while walking remains the number two cause of injury-related
death for New York City adults over 45, second only to an accidental fall, and
it is the number one injury-related cause of death for New York City children
under 14. It is increasingly evident that the fatal consequences of New York
City streets are reliant on more than infrastructure. What good is a crosswalk
with a car blocking it? What use are red lights when 1.23 million vehicles
speed through them every day? This everyday behavior terrifies New Yorkers.
The lack of action to counter this behavior is a problem. As the number of
pedestrians, cyclists and drivers killed in New York City car crashes remains
unchanged, the number of summons issued for the most dangerous traffic
violations is actually declining. Transportation Alternatives’ Executive Order:
A Mayoral Strategy for Traffic Safety outlines the breadth of the problem,
and on the basis of our expertise, offers extensive recommendations towards
a solution. Mayor Bloomberg, we strongly urge you to recognize the problem
of traffic safety; please read, consider and act on the recommendations
outlined herein.

In the month of October 2008, there were 16 reported instances in which a
vehicle crashed into a person. Between October 1 and October 24 alone,
seven people were struck by cars and were fortunate enough to survive. In
those same 24 days, motor vehicle drivers killed 11 pedestrians and 2 cyclists:
five of the drivers hit and ran; one drove on a suspended license; none of the
drivers were charged with a crime. Had the moving violations that caused
these deaths, the speeding, red light running and failure to yield not resulted
in a crash, it is extremely unlikely that any of the drivers’ illegal actions
would have been caught. However these fatalities are not the only disastrous
effect of the failure to enforce moving violations. For every fatality, there are
hundreds of crashes that cause debilitating injury, for every injury there are
thousands of terrifying crashes, and for every crash there are millions of New
Yorkers whose quality of life suffers under the toll of dangerous traffic in their
community.

Continue reading “A Strategy for Traffic Safety”

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Weekend in Lancaster September 25, 26 & 27, 2009

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• Three days of cycling the scenic, rolling roads of the Amish heartland, with rides ranging from 16 to 61 miles.

• Lodging on Friday and Saturday nights at the Mill Stream Country Inn. All rooms have two queen beds and cable TV. An indoor storage room for bikes is provided.

• Wine, cheese and dessert parties in the Mill Stream’s hospitality room on Friday and Saturday evenings.

• Deluxe continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday at the Mill Stream Country Inn.

• Buffet dinner on Saturday at the Bird-in-Hand Restaurant. (Friday dinner is on your own.)

• Complimentary rooms for showering on Sunday

• All taxes and gratuities are included.
Continue reading “Weekend in Lancaster September 25, 26 & 27, 2009”

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LLS’s Team In Training

[Baltimore Spokes: It’s cool to see people who not only in their day jobs support bicycling but outside of work as well:]
On October 10, 2009, I’ll be riding in the Sea Gull Century on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For the next several months, I’ll be training as a member of LLS’s Team In Training.
All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers, but particularly two young boys in our neighborhood who are fighting the disease. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line – a cure!
Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS’s mission.
I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!
Charles Kines
Continue reading “LLS’s Team In Training”

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Join Baltimore Bicycle Works for a Hand Built Bike Show

During Artscape BBW Will Host a Hand Built Bike Exhibit & Demonstration
July 18th and 19th
Saturday from 12-7pm and Sunday from 12-5pm

Come meet some of Baltimore’s premiere frame builders. Chris Bishop, John Hollands, Tommy Nash, and Tom Palermo will be at Baltimore Bicycle Works to display their artisan hand-crafted frames and will be holding a brazing demonstration at 3pm on Saturday.

Stop by and check out the incredible craftsmanship that is going on right here in Baltimore!

P.S. Artscape will be offering bike parking and special gift packs to all those who ride to the festival. Hope to see you there!

Continue reading “Join Baltimore Bicycle Works for a Hand Built Bike Show”

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The Alliance Needs Your Help to Earn $42K

imageThe
Alliance is thrilled to announce an exciting challenge from 42BELOW Vodka. If
100,000 people sign up to follow
their 42Ride across the U.S. this summer on Twitter, 42BELOW will make a
$42K donation to the Alliance for Biking & Walking. I wanted to write to
each of you with a reminder of the details, or you can also find them at
www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/42below.

 

The
42Ride began in Mid-June, by sending 42 cyclists from New York, south to
Philadelphia, and then they split in to two groups of 21 riders heading
westwards, one touring the north and one touring the south. Participants will
pedal an impressive total of 4,017 miles across the country from New York City
to Los Angeles, witnessing some of the most beautiful scenery the country has
to offer.

·        
Download
a copy of the route map. (PDF)

·        
Follow the
northern route riders

·        
Follow
the southern route riders.

The
Alliance is asking all our members, supporters, and biking enthusiasts to
support biking and walking by signing up to follow the 42Ride on twitter at https://twitter.com/WeLikeBike42.
In addition, local Alliance groups are encourage to work with the 42 Ride
administrators to take part in events that are coming to your neighborhood.

·        
Download
the list of upcoming welcome parties

·        
The attachment above lists all
contact information for your organization to get involved with local events.

If the
challenge is met, the Alliance will use the $42K donation to further its work
strengthening and uniting grassroots biking and walking advocacy organizations
across North America.

 

Sign
up on Twitter to follow the ride and support grassroots biking and walking
advocacy!

Continue reading “The Alliance Needs Your Help to Earn $42K”