…onto what happened yesterday. I’d taken a taxi to a place called Maryland and joined a gym (I encountered noe of the biggest ever mongs at reception but thats a different story). This gym is the size of Wales. I have a quick workout and a laugh at teh yankee gym psychos in there. Oh yes they are REALLY mad. One bloke opposite likes to talk to himself. I mean REALLY talk to himself. COME ON COME ON COME, ONE MORE YOU MTHRFKKER etc etc. He is really disconcerting and people just stay away from him. I saw 130lb dumbell, which is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. I mean no-one could lift it, its impossible. when I left I decided I would buy a bicycle. That way I can cycle the 4-5 miles to the gym and back when I go, keep fit and all that and get a tan in the bargain (get completely burned as it transpired)….
Continue reading “Some bike to avoid gym fees, others to avoid tanning salons”
We believe there is room here for everyone
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As DC Mayor Adrian Fenty said, “”This country is finally catching up to our European and other neighbors in their commitment to bicycling.”
But don’t get me wrong: There will always be cars and trucks on America’s roadways–and DOT will always be committed to keeping America’s roadways the safest and most efficient in the world. Mayor Fenty made this point effectively, saying, “We believe there is room here for everyone–on four wheels, two wheels and on foot.”
Sidewalks and bike lanes are also relatively inexpensive to create. And, despite their visibility and positive impact, these projects are using a very small part of our nation’s transportation spending. They are simply part of a cleaner, greener future in American transportation.
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In his remarks, Rep. Blumenauer made a terrific point, reminding motorists that, “A bike is really a driver’s best friend. Because every bike you see cruising down one of these lanes is one less car to compete with in traffic, one less bit of congestion, one less driver buying fuel.”
But it was Rep. Oberstar who may have had the best line of the day: “Bicyclists aren’t burning hydrocarbons; we’re burning carbohydrates!”
Continue reading “We believe there is room here for everyone”
Car hits 8-year-old riding her bicycle
FORT MEADE — An 8-year-old girl who was struck by a car while riding her bicycle yesterday morning on Fort George G. Meade has been released from a hospital.
The girl collided with a car at about 10 a.m. near Chamberlin Avenue and Huber Road. She suffered multiple fractures and was airlifted to Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital in Baltimore.
Fort Meade emergency service personnel responded to the incident and requested assistance from the Maryland State Police for the airlift. The accident is under investigation. The driver of the vehicle was not charged.
Continue reading “Car hits 8-year-old riding her bicycle”
Thank goodness for BP oil spill = cheaper gas
Word on the street is that BP started the trend to lower gas prices (The spill started April 20.) Wars and oil spills … anything that keeps the price of gas down is good right?
🙁
Continue reading “Thank goodness for BP oil spill = cheaper gas”
Cyclist Heroes
by washcycle
Eyes on the street moment
KANSAS AVE., 4900 block, 9:55 to 10 p.m. May 20. Three people tried to rob a person at a bus stop at gunpoint. When two people on bicycles intervened, the assailants fled empty-handed.
Continue reading “Cyclist Heroes”
Hans Riemer, a Democrat running for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Council
Just one of many issues:
Walkable & Bikable Neighborhoods: What makes for a great place to live? Is it a community engaged in its own decisions? Is it access to restaurants and convenience retail? Is it proximity to transit, and the ease of walking and biking, whether for trips to the store or to the park? Surely it is all of the above and plenty more. I believe we must reform our Department of Transportation’s mission to focus more on making great places to live. A simple step is to prioritize walkability and put our resources behind it. A community that is walkable is a community with a high quality of life. The Federal government is moving to treat walking and biking as “equal” to driving in its prioritization. How many people would ride bikes if it were more safe and convenient? We should find out. Not only do we need connected, safe, separated bike lanes and trails county wide, but we should see just what we can accomplish in a city like Rockville, Bethesda or Silver Spring if we made biking a real priority. Let’s build a test case for a new vision.
West Baltimore Pedestrian-Bicycle Loop Project
A 0.7 mile pedestrian and bicycle loop between Franklin, Mulberry, Fulton and Calhoun Streets.
Mark Brown –
I’m a City Planner with the Baltimore Department of Transportation. I’d like to have communities be more involved in Baltimore DOT projects and give folks an opportunity to review and comment on plans early and often.
| Event: | West Baltimore Ped/Bike Loop Design Workshop |
|---|---|
| www.socializr.com/event/39004972 | |
| Hosted by: | Mark |
| When: | Jul 8, 2010, 6:00 PM |
| Location: | Bon Secours Community Center |
| 26 N. Fulton Ave, Baltimore, MD |
Continue reading “West Baltimore Pedestrian-Bicycle Loop Project”
Bike Boulevards
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Yesterday, I gave a presentation to the Dept. of Transportation explaining the bike boulevard concept and how it can be applied to Baltimore. A bike boulevard is a low volume, low speed road usually in a residential area where bike thru-traffic is given priority. Originating in Holland and americanized in Portland and Berkeley, instituting bike boulevards boosts bike traffic by providing safe corridors for cyclists with little roadway experience.
Bike boulevards are not a traditional bike lane with two lines, but rather an entire roadway with traffic calming applications, such as bike-friendly speed humps or cushions and mini-circles. Traffic diverters like cut-thru medians and contraflow allowance create easier passage for bikes while reducing vehicular use.
Guilford Avenue (between University Pkwy and Mt. Royal Ave) will be the city’s first bike boulevard. This stretch of road was selected due to its residential nature, high bicycle traffic and the existing cut-thru at the North Avenue (school parking lot & ramps with pedestrian signal across North Ave). Improvements to Guilford will include striping the parking lanes & centerline, wayfinding signs, and speed cushions. Select stop signs will be “turned” giving bikes on Guilford priority.
For more information, DOT & Toole Design Group will present this bike bouevard concept to the community on Wednesday, June 30th, 6:30 pm at Johns Hopkins Univerity (Levering Hall’s Sherwood Room).
I’m looking at other streets that would make good bike boulevards. If you know a good candidate, please comment below
Baltimore Metro Wheelers Cycling Club
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Another group of cyclists who made Tour dem Parks a group ride is the Baltimore Metro Wheelers Cycling Club. They have a weekly Wednesday ride on the BWI Trail starting from the Dixon Observation Park at 6pm.
Cyclist shot north of Paterson Park
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The unusually high number of incidents in a 24-hour period began about 1 a.m. Saturday, when a man suffered a nonfatal gunshot wound to the back.
Later that day, about 5 p.m., police responded to a shooting in the 400 block of N. Luzerne Ave. in East Baltimore, Silbert said. The victim was shot once in the stomach and twice in the arm.
The victim told police that he was riding his bicycle when two men he didn’t know came from the alley and began shooting. The victim was taken to a local hospital, and his condition was unknown.
Continue reading “Cyclist shot north of Paterson Park”