[In the spirit of the world wide web I’ll start by providing a little excerpt from Wash Cycle quoting NPR, follow the links for more information.]
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"This change going on on the streets is happening on the fly," [Noah Budnic of the North American Alliance for Biking and Walking] says. "They’re learning how to behave differently and drive and bike on streets that are still designed for cars. So there’s a lot of tension because people are just making it up as they go along."
Road rage expert David Weisenthal, a psychologist at Toronto’s York University, says it’s that sense of unpredictability, combined with a desire for revenge, that leads to conflicts.
"We know we will never see the other drivers again who are in front of us, in back of us, alongside of us," Weisenthal says. "We also have a sense of anonymity so that we feel freer to act in what may very often be a nasty manner."
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Continue reading “Toronto Bike-Car Incident Serves as Catalyst”
Extra caution on or near E. Monument Street or E. Madison Street
From John Hopkins Corporate Security’s Communications
It has been reported to Corporate Security that staff members have been assaulted off campus while riding their bicycles on E. Monument and E. Madison Streets between the East Baltimore medical campus and downtown. Groups of juveniles have attacked the staff members and, in one case, attempted to rob the victim. The Baltimore City Police Department has been notified.
Staff members are advised to avoid these areas altogether as much as possible, and are further advised to be extra cautious if they choose to ride their bicycles on or near E. Monument Street or E. Madison Street.
Schools going green big-time
St. Mary’s claims lead in environmental design race
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In a nod to the state’s Smart Growth policies, the school was built in one of the county’s designated growth areas, a planned community called Wildewood carved out of the woods north of Lexington Park and the booming Patuxent Naval Air Station. But in a planning breakdown that’s all too typical in sitting new schools in the suburbs, there’s no sidewalk along the parkway that connects the school to the neighboring houses – though there are marked bicycle lanes.
That’s about the only glitch in the green-ness of Evergreen, but it doesn’t seem to faze the students, faculty or staff.
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Continue reading “Schools going green big-time”
Baltimore County Council to vote on speed cameras in school zone
The Council is scheduled to vote on the measure on September 8.
A Message from Chief Jim Johnson:
The speed camera program has one goal – public safety. It is meant to protect our school children and other residents from drivers who violate the law. By their comments at community meetings, in their e-mail messages, and through their contact with members of the Police Department, members of the public are demanding safe streets in Baltimore County. This automated enforcement will help the Police Department accomplish that goal.
Continue reading “Baltimore County Council to vote on speed cameras in school zone”
About Baltimore County Speed Cameras
Speed Cameras
From 2005 through 2007 there were 1,794 speed-related traffic accidents within a half-mile radius of public and non-public schools in Baltimore County, excluding major highways. The purpose and the goal of the speed camera program in Baltimore County is to increase public safety by reducing the number of those crashes. We want to make sure our children can make it to their schools and home again safely.
Reducing Crashes and Saving Lives
Studies have shown that speed cameras can make a difference by reducing crashes. Evaluating a program in British Columbia that involved 30 cameras, researchers found a seven percent decline in crashes, a 10 percent decline in daytime crash injuries, and up to 20 percent fewer deaths during the first year cameras were used.*
Continue reading “About Baltimore County Speed Cameras”
New Bike Routes Anyone?
From Nate:
I’m planning some new bike routes for the Bolton Hill, Reservoir Hill & Lake Avenue area. Essentially, these routes will be signed with distance and destination markers with limited pavement markings along (relatively) low volume, low speed roads connecting gaps in the Baltimore’s bike network.
Eutaw route will follow Eutaw Pl northbound from State Center/MLK to Druid Hill Park. The southbound route will be Madison/Swan from the Jones Falls Trail to Bloom where it dog-legs left back to Eutaw.
The Lake Avenue route will begin where the bike lanes end on Kelly Ave just west of Mt. Washington and direct bike traffic east to Falls, dog-leg left onto Bellemore to Roland, dog-leg left again onto Lake all the way to Chinquapin with a spur to Belvedere Square off Linton via the footbridge over Northern Pkwy.
The development of these routes is based on their identity in the bike master plan, current use by cyclists and areas where bikes and cars can conceivably “share the road”. While Eutaw may not be for the faint of heart, there’s Park which is quieter. Some prefer Lake Ave over Bellemore when climbing out of the valley, which is all good. Bellemore doesn’t necessarily have the road width, but it has far less traffic. Some avoid Lake altogether, but it does have a wider shoulder toward the west and traffic calming in the east.
If biking in Baltimore is to be normalized, we need to decrease “riding in the shadows” and OBEY TRAFFIC LAWS. Any feedback is encouraged and appreciated! And thanks to everyone who came to the Harford Rd meeting!!!!
Continue reading “New Bike Routes Anyone?”
ATTN: Trail supporters and Kelly Avenue advocates!
Action on the ongoing erosion directly across from 2003 Kelly would be much more likely to happen if the Department of Public Works was flooded with complaints/reports of the issue. Construction could start sooner than later!
So, PLEASE flood 311 with calls about this, and emails or letters to the Dept of Public Works (David Scott, Director) would be even better! Otherwise we may have no throughway on Kelly by next summer! The streambank is quickly caving in with each storm.
Here’s his contact info:
davide.scott [at] baltimorecity.gov
David Scott, Director of Public Works
Department of Public Works
600 Abel Wolman Municipal Building
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(410) 545-6541
Or simply call 311, again and again and again. For those of you who use the grassy area on Kelly, this is for you! I just hope neither human or pet falls over the eroding streambank.
Bicyclists taking advantage of AZ state’s first biking center
On Wednesday, Karleen Dirmantas left her central Phoenix home at 6:45 a.m. and rode her bicycle 15 miles to the state’s first full-service biking center, in Tempe. She showered, changed into her work uniform and arrived at work by 8 a.m.
The center, which opened Monday, has made it possible for Dirmantas to stop driving her car to work, save money on gasoline and help preserve the environment. Other bicyclists say their benefits include saving money on parking at Arizona State University and enjoying easier access to light rail.
The Bicycle Cellar, owned by two Valley bicycle enthusiasts, is near ASU in downtown Tempe. After hearing that the center would offer paid members secured indoor-bike parking, lockers, showers and other services, Dirmantas signed up for a one-year membership.
Continue reading “Bicyclists taking advantage of AZ state’s first biking center”
First look at Portland’s inaugural cycle track
Since there is some interest here about this, here’s a look at what Portland is doing:
Continue reading “First look at Portland’s inaugural cycle track”
WABA letter and Graham bill for bike safety
[Gee, it looks like we are not the only ones with this problem.]
Since Alice Swanson’s death, WABA has been trying to meet with MPD for a discussion of bicycle safety. Their meeting was rescheduled once, and then a second time, WashCycle reports. In response, they’ve sent a letter to the Mayor and Council asking for more action. From the letter:
Alice Swanson, a 22-year old cyclist from Washington DC, was killed while riding her bike over two months ago. … MPD has offered no new information about the tragedy. This lack of responsiveness only reinforces our concerns that the needs of those that walk and bike in Washington, DC are seen by MPD as not a concern worth addressing. …The effectiveness of [DDOT’s and WABA’s] efforts in reducing crashes will be dramatically reduced if MPD does not see the safety of the most vulnerable roadway users as a priority. If officers are not fully trained on the laws as they relate to cyclists and pedestrians, and if critical motor vehicle laws on the books are not enforced, we run the risk of more tragedies occurring. …
We request that MPD…
- [Restore] a traffic division of the police department … DC has the highest combined rate of biking, walking and transit use in the country and more dedicated resources need to be devoted to public safety.
- Improve the training of police officers in the laws related to cyclists and pedestrians …
- Target high risk locations [for enforcement] in a way that maximizes educational efforts and recognizes that behavioral change, not punishment, is the ultimate goal. These enforcement efforts should be seen as preventative, not punitive.
- Expand and improve data collection of bicycle and pedestrian crashes and report annually on high risk locations …
It is the policy of the government of the District of Columbia to promote alternative means of transportation, be it cycling, walking or transit. As more and more people choose these modes whether for health, environmental or economic reasons, the Metropolitan Police Department’s role in maintaining safe streets to walk and bike is ever more critical.
WABA is asking people to contact Councilmembers and the Mayor on this issue. WABA is also asking Phil Mendelson, Chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, to hold a hearing on this issue.
Jim Graham, for his part, is taking some action. This morning, Graham introduced a bill with four main provisions:
- Equip all DC vehicles with “blind spot mirrors, reflective blind spot warning signs, and side-underrun guards to prevent bicyclists, other vehicles, or pedestrians from sliding under rear wheels”;
- Train the drivers of these vehicles in safe operation for pedestrians and bicyclists;
- Require a three-foot passing distance when any vehicle passes a bicyclist (a standard common elsewhere, including, as discussed in this video, Wisconsin);
- Establish a $100 fine for driving in a bicycle lane or a bicycle-bus lane, such as the one on 7th Street northbound around Gallery Place (which is very commonly and illegally used by private cars). Currently, it is illegal but there is no fine.
This bill will give police two new ways to enforce laws against unsafe driving that directly endangers bicyclists. MPD will have to do its part, as WABA is asking, to then enforce these and other existing laws to make everyone feel safe on the road.
Continue reading “WABA letter and Graham bill for bike safety”