Month: May 2010

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JHU co-sponsors this week’s Baltimore Bike to Work Day

By Gazette Contributor

On Friday, May 21, Johns Hopkins University joins the Baltimore Metropolitan Council as a co-host of the Greater Baltimore region’s annual Bike to Work Day. This free annual event celebrates bicycle commuting and all of its direct and indirect benefits.

JHU will host a rally point from 7 to 9 a.m. on the Homewood campus (on the lawn in front of the south-facing side of Mason Hall), where participants can gather, stretch and enjoy light refreshments and the company of fellow bikers. Registered participants also will receive a complimentary T-shirt and be entered to win cycling-related prizes.

University administrators say they chose to participate in the event because commuting by bike is a fun, inexpensive, clean and healthy way to get to and from work, offering wellness benefits to the individual, university and community. Arriving at work energized benefits both employer and employee, participants improve their physical and mental well-being and save time by combining their workout and commute, and bike riding reduces the strain on both the environment and traffic infrastructure. Single-occupancy vehicles produce 20 percent of ozone-emission pollution in the Baltimore area, and motor vehicles in general contribute 30 percent of the emissions that dirty the air.

Registration for the event and bicycle safety information are available online.

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Happy Hour This Thursday May 20th!

One Less > Car

New Baltimore Bicycle Alliance HAPPY HOUR THIS THURSDAY MAY 20th! Join One Less Car to kick-off the new Alliance with a celebration from 5:30-8PM at Kooper’s Tavern located at 1702 Thames Street on the waterfront in historic Fell’s Point.

Thursday morning Governor O’Malley will sign into law five important bike bills and we will celebrate this victory at Kooper’s Tavern!

With a $5 donation to One Less Car, Kooper’s will offer $1 off drafts, $2.50 rail drinks and $4.50 Guinness.  Raffle prizes from Kooper’s Tavern, Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant, Woody’s Rum Bar, Island Grill and Joe’s Bike Shop. This Happy Hour also kicks-off Bike to Work Day – which is the following morning!  Free t-shirts for Bike to Work Day participants! Kooper’s menu has something for everyone!

 
Let’s get together and have a blast – come and see your friends and meet new ones too!

Please Take Action Today (Monday deadline) – Ask University of Maryland Leaders to Support the Purple Line

University of Maryland leadership is resisting Purple Line service on Campus Drive, where it would best serve the campus. A proposal to “temporarily” stop current transit service on Campus Drive could set the stage for the University to divert the Purple Line away from main destinations on Campus Drive. The University needs more transit, not less. In an era of high energy prices and the need to fight climate change, the most sustainable solution is high quality public transportation connecting our communities, including our universities.

Conveniently located transit will encourage more people to use public transportation to reach campus and provide better connections between the University of Maryland and destinations east and west of campus. By preventing transit from servicing this area, ridership to and from the campus will decrease dramatically. This is a bad policy that discourages sustainable growth.

Express your support for Purple Line service on Campus Drive. Urge Chancellor Kirwan to retain and improve transit service and to support the Purple Line on Campus Drive — not stop it. Email Chancellor Kirwan Here.

Bike to Work Day Friday May 21, 2010!

Bike to Work Day 2010, sponsored by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, will be celebrated in the Baltimore region and across the nation on Friday May 21, 2010. This year will mark the 13th annual event in the Baltimore region and will feature morning rallies at locations around the region, including: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard County and at area universities and corporations.

Registration is now open! Register here. All participants receive an on-the-go snack and drink, and the chance to win prizes at the individual rally sites. You must be registered and attend a rally to win. The first Baltimore bike map is complete and will be supplied to Baltimore Bike to Work Day participants! Furthermore, the City of Annapolis will release its new bicycle map, helping cyclists navigate Annapolis. The map includes information on local attractions, scenic routes, Maryland bike laws, how to take your bike on Annapolis buses, local bicycle tours and much, much more. The Annapolis map can be downloaded here. May is National Bike Month and Clean Air Month. With our region’s major traffic congestion and air pollution problems, one way to relieve these problems is to turn car commuters into bike commuters, especially for short commutes of five miles or less. The Bike 2 Work Day rally is a great way to promote the benefits of bicycling and we need your support! .

Bike and Benefits Card – We all know that biking has many benefits to your health, the environment, and more. But now in the Baltimore region, you can start biking for some exciting new benefits! To participate, simply download your copy of your Bike & Benefit Rewards Card here. Then, bike to these bike friendly establishments and receive your B2W benefit. Offers include gifts, discounts, chances to win prizes, and more! 

What is Bike To Work Day? Bike to Work Day promotes a “clean commute”.  Late Spring is the start of the ground-level ozone season, when we hear about Code Red and Orange Ozone Action Days. On those days, the air is dangerous to breathe – especially for the young and for the elderly. Single occupancy vehicles produce 20% of the dangerous ozone-emission pollution in the Baltimore area. Bike commuting can improve the air we breathe and much much more! 

Continue reading “Happy Hour This Thursday May 20th!”

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Human life = $75

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Nearly two months ago, police told Dremmer her only child was killed while biking in southern Illinois with two friends from the University of Chicago Laboratory School. An 86-year-old driver crossed the center line with his minivan and crashed into the girls, state police said.
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The 86-year-old driver will appear in court June 10 for an improper lane usage citation. If found guilty, he’ll be fined $75, police said.
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Woman on bike hurt

A 51-year-old woman was flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore following a bicycle accident in Edgewater yesterday afternoon.

County firefighters were called to Central Avenue in front of the Selby Sub Shop at 1:53 p.m. for a report of an injured bicyclist.

The victim was flown out with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

No further information was available as of press time.
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Drivers in Arbutus receive more than 80 percent of first 100 speeding tickets

When it comes to speed camera violations, drivers along a stretch of Sulphur Spring Road in Arbutus are clearly setting the pace in Baltimore County.

During his department’s budget hearing before the County Council Thursday, Police Chief Jim Johnson said more than 80 percent of the first 100 speeding tickets the county issued were to drivers along that stretch of road near Arbutus Elementary School.
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Pedestrian dies in N. Howard Street hit-and-run

By Liz F. Kay, The Baltimore Sun

A pedestrian died after being struck by a vehicle while crossing the 1200 block of N. Howard Street early Thursday morning, according to Baltimore Police.

Two people were walking east to west in the crosswalk at about 1:54 a.m. when one was hit by an unknown vehicle, police said.

The vehicle left the scene.

The victim, who has not yet been identified by investigators, was transported to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in serious condition, according to police, and was pronounced dead at 2:37 a.m.
Continue reading “Pedestrian dies in N. Howard Street hit-and-run”

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Beginner MTB Classes for Adults and Teens

The Frederick Bicycle Coalition with the City of Frederick Parks & Recreation presents:

Julie takes on the logs at Loch Raven Mountain Biking (MTB) 101 for Beginner Adults

Age: 18 & up
Dates: Saturday, 8/14
Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: River Bend Park, 1775 Monocacy Blvd, Frederick, MD 21701 (Parking Lot by Boat Launch)
Registration: Pre registration required at the Wm. Talley Rec. Center
Instructors: Rebecca Bafford / Mic Dunn
Fee: $25 city / $30 non city
Rain Date: Saturday, August 21st, same time and place.

Call the cancellation / information line for cancellations due to weather 301-600-6970

Introduction to mountain biking, including: basic elements that make a mountain bike different from a road bike, required safety and maintenance tools, advice on preparation for rides (food, drink, extra clothing), demonstration of changing a flat tire, and teaching the basics of dealing with technical trail sections. Training will include a short mountain bike ride that includes general mountain biking challenges. General biking skills, a mountain bike, helmet and water are required.

Minimum enrollment:10 / Maximum enrollment: 20

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Mountain Biking (MTB) 101 for Beginner Teens

Age: 13 to17
Dates: Saturday, 8/14
Time: 1:30 am – 3:30 pm
Location: River Bend Park, 1775 Monocacy Blvd, Frederick, MD 21701 (Parking Lot by Boat Launch)
Registration: Pre registration required at the Wm. Talley Rec. Center
Instructors: Rebecca Bafford / Mic Dunn
Fee: $25 city / $30 non city
Rain Date: Saturday, August 21st, same time and place.

Call the cancellation / information line for cancellations due to weather 301-600-6970

A parent / legal guardian will need to sign a waiver before class on 8/14.

Introduction to mountain biking, including: basic elements that make a mountain bike different from a road bike, required safety and maintenance tools, advice on preparation for rides (food, drink, extra clothing), demonstration of changing a flat tire, and teaching the basics of dealing with technical trail sections. Training will include a short mountain bike ride that includes general mountain biking challenges. All students will receive written information and references for mountain biking, bike stores, and safety tips. General biking skills, a mountain bike, helmet and water are required.

Minimum enrollment:10 / Maximum enrollment: 20

More info:
THE CITY OF FREDERICK
Parks & Recreation Department
121 North Bentz Street
Frederick, Maryland 21701
Phone 301-600- 6238

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Bike to Work Day 2010 – Friday, May 21


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Bike to Work Day 2010 – Friday, May 21

The City of Annapolis is pleased to release its new bicycle map, helping cyclists navigate Annapolis. On the map, you will find local attractions, scenic routes, Maryland bike laws, how to take your bike on Annapolis buses, local bicycle tours and much, much more. The map can be downloaded from the City Web site at www.annapolis.gov . You can also pick up the map at City Hall, Capital Bicycle on Chinquapin Round Road, Bike Doctor on Jennifer Road and at the Conference and Visitors Bureau on West Street. Friday, May 21 is Bike To Work Day, and we invite you to come to City Dock from 7 to 8:45 a.m to take advantage of information, prizes and educational materials that will benefit you as a cyclist.

Celebrate Bike 2 Work Day by joining the Annapolis Regional Transportation Management Association (ARTMA), the Annapolis Department of Transportation and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council on Friday, May 21 from 7:00 a.m. ~ 8:45 a.m. at the Annapolis City dock (next to the Market House). We’ll have refreshments, t-shirts, giveaways and prizes to show our support for area bicyclists. At the end of the rally we will convey up Main Street – the more riders – the more impact!

Register to attend at   www.bike2workcentralmd.com by May 10 in order to receive a free t-shirt and prizes! All pre-registered cyclists for the Anne Arundel County/Annapolis rally will receive a pre-event email with details and the agenda, and at the event will receive giveaways and refreshments from Hard Bean Coffee & Booksellers, Whole Foods Market Annapolis, and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. Capital Bicycle and the Bike Doctor Annapolis representatives will be on hand to conduct bicycle safety checks.  WNAV will provide live event radio coverage.  Let’s rally to make this event a huge success!

For more information, click here or call ARTMA at 410-897-9340/410-269-RIDE.

May is National Bike Month and Clean Air Month.  With our region’s major traffic congestion and air pollution problems, one way to relieve these problems is to turn car commuters into bike commuters, especially for short commutes of five miles or less. The Bike 2 Work Day rally is a great way to promote the benefits of bicycling and we need your support!  Click here  for information about cycling in Annapolis.

 About ARTMA

The Annapolis Regional Transportation Management Association (ARTMA) promotes transportation options and transit expansion throughout Anne Arundel County to increase mobility, reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.

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The Amazing Bicycle

By Adventure Cycling

The bicycle is the great equalizer. People in all walks of life bicycle; people in all kinds of professions bicycle. I know this. I believe this. And yet, what happened to me during a few days in April surprised me. Pleasantly surprised me.

In April, I attended the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference in Baltimore, MD. I expected to meet a lot of people whose professional avocation is to find ways to support their organization’s mission financially.

What I didn’t expect was that people would seek me out to tell me how the bicycle had changed their lives.

The very first session I attended (an orientation for first timers), I introduced myself to the crowd and announced that I was with Adventure Cycling Association. As the session broke up, a very nice woman came up to me to express her sincere and heartfelt thanks for Adventure Cycling. Her daughter had used Adventure Cycling resources to complete a cross country trip. Mom called it "life changing" and and "an incredible achievement." And an achievement her daughter would not have accomplished without Adventure Cycling’s assistance. Made my day!

The second bicycle encounter came in the exhibit hall. An exhibitor looked at my tag and his eyes lit up as he began to talk about RAGBRAI, the annual ride across Iowa. When I mention that I know someone on Team Skunk, it was as if I was name dropping and the stories that followed were fascinating. Instant connection.

And finally, I had another person look wistfully at my name badge and recall the time in his life that he did centuries. I gave him my card and said he could be doing them again and suggested he start planning his next trip with some of the great Adventure Cycling maps. Hope rekindled.

And on top of that, several people came up to me in the course of this meeting to tell how important our maps and services were various fundraising rides that were held along one of our 40,000+ miles of bicycle routes.

It gave me pause that in the middle of a conference of professional fundraisers, that people would take the time to tell me what a difference the bicycle and/or Adventure Cycling Association made in their lives, but they did. It reminded me that when you donate to Adventure Cycling Association you are keeping people’s hopes and dreams alive. You are making a life-changing adventure for a college student possible. You are helping people step out of their comfort zone, try doing something adventurous, and in the end, I believe you are changing lives.

Continue reading “The Amazing Bicycle”