Month: June 2010

Posted on

Ehrlich says no to light rail

from Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

Regardless of issues about the Red Line in Baltimore (advocates want heavy rail, which I understand in terms of extending the subway network there, but not in terms of the cost given the likely level of ridership–heavy rail is cost effective when you have multiple hours with 20,000+ riders/hour) in terms of the type of vehicle (heavy vs. light rail vs. streetcar) and alignment, Robert Ehrlich proves the point that with regard to transit anyway, who you elect makes a big difference.

Michael Dresser of the Sun reports, in "Ehrlich’s transit stand risks backlash: Position irks business but could attract light rail foes," about how Ehrlich’s position on developing the Purple Line in the suburban Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s, and the Red Line in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, may be at odds with the traditional business leadership types who would normally prefer a "big business" candidate like Ehrlich.

From the article:

Taking a hard-line stand against proposed light rail projects in Baltimore and the Washington suburbs, former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. might have driven a wedge between himself and business leaders in regions where he needs to collect votes.

At a recent round table in Montgomery County, Ehrlich said he would scuttle Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley’s plans for light rail on Baltimore’s Red Line and Washington’s suburban Purple Line — possibly but not necessarily replacing them with dedicated bus lanes.

The Republican’s move could endear him to transit skeptics and core constituencies in rural and outer suburban Maryland who use roads heavily and who give little thought to bus and rail systems.

But he runs the risk of alienating traditionally Republican-friendly business leaders who favor both projects, largely because they believe light rail would spur development and job growth along the lines.

In particular, Ehrlich’s opposition to the Purple Line plan has put him at odds with Washington-area business groups who were among his staunchest allies in the fight to build the Intercounty Connector, a cause that helped propel him to victory in 2002.
Continue reading “Ehrlich says no to light rail”

Posted on

Don’t build this trail, too many people will use it.

Planning Board Votes Unanimously for Lake Frank Trail
by washcycle
The Planning Board voted unanimously to approve the Lake Frank trail alignment "B" that WABA supported. One board member said he had previously supported the other option near the spillway but that he trusted the staff’s opinion that it wasn’t feasible. Another board member said that she had to rely on the master plan and not oppose a trail that’s been in the plan for decades. Chairman Royce Hanson (in what may have been his last hearing and last decision as chair) made a statement including the point that every major trail that’s ever been built in the county was opposed by neighbors but once built they’re very popular. Parks staff noted their intent to remove the parking lots soon, without ICC money. Park staff said they would delay a trail connector from the Matthew Henson Trail to a neighborhood to do this but would try to find a state source of funds. The connector in question comes from a neighborhood that at first opposed the Matthew Henson Trail, but now wants a connection to it.
There were a number of people testifying against any paved trail along the lake, not just against the connector path. Some even supported the connector but not the path next to the lake (the next segment of the North Olney Trail). Arguments were mostly that the lake is pristine and meant for hikers wanting to enjoy the natural setting, not bikers flying through on their way somewhere. They contrasted it to Lake Needwood. They were very concerned about having the existing natural surface trail paved over. Jack Cochrane of MoBike pointed out in his testimony that no one wants to replace the existing natural trail with a paved one. The plan is to add a paved trail where there’s only a natural one and add a natural trail where there’s only a paved one. Users will have both.
People opposing the trail kept saying it would be part of a giant route to Olney and get too much through-use, calling it a "bike road" and "bike highway". Which is an odd argument to make. "Don’t build this trail, too many people will use it."
Continue reading “Don’t build this trail, too many people will use it.”

Posted on

They came, they toured and they say they’ll be back

Baltimore City Buzz Examiner Holly Woerner

Over 1,000 cyclists braved Sunday’s 95 degree temperatures for the 8th annual Tour Dem Parks Hon! Despite a last minute printing error that left volunteers to hand register participants, event organizers deemed the bicycle tour of Baltimore a success. Anne Colgan, one of the events organizers says they had a good turnout of riders from DC and Northern Virginia. What they experienced riding through Baltimore city’s public parks has many out of towners determined to come back.

Tess Redmon came up from Annapolis to tour on the 25 mile ride. "I never knew you had such beautiful parks here. They have lakes, scenery, I mean we hear about it on the news, but we’ve never seen it." Redmon said

Henry Sobel who joined Ms. Redmon for a morning trek through Druid Hill Park said "Druid Hill Park was an absolute gem. I didn’t even know it was here."

The pair normally enjoys riding along the Baltimore Annapolis Trail in Anne Arundel County, but say they’ll be back to bicycle through Charm City again to see what else Baltimore has to offer. That’s just what Tour Dem Parks Hon! organizers want to hear.

Arlington Virginia resident Erick Schultz traveled north for the annual tour and says his first tour of Baltimore City was "Definitely educational and it shows you alot of the city." Schultz had to get used to sharing the road with city traffic, but says he plans to return "to check it out again."

Upon completing one of four tours all participants regrouped at Carroll Park in South Baltimore for a free BBQ. The usual summer grill fare was served along with wraps donated by Chipotle, one of this years sponsors.

Riders cooled off in the shade while volunteers auctioned off several pieces of original artwork donated by local artists. There were also raffles for new bikes with proceeds donated to Friends of the Parks groups.

If you missed it check out a slide show of this year’s Tour Dem Parks Hon ! event.

View Slideshow » https://www.examiner.com/examinerslideshow.html?entryid=1354687
Continue reading “They came, they toured and they say they’ll be back”

Posted on

MOTEL ART IMPROVEMENT SERVICE

image
$19.99
HC, 9″ x 6 3/4″
From Jason Little, author of the Ignatz Award-winning Shutterbug Follies, comes another exciting “bubblegum noir” graphic novel, originally serialized in the acclaimed webcomic Bee!
Eighteen-year-old Bee has finally saved up enough to embark on her long-planned cross-country bicycle trip. However, she doesn’t make it very far before disaster leaves her stranded at a motel. Her hormones surge when she meets a misunderstood young artist on a mission to “upgrade” the banal “artwork” that hangs on the walls of every motel room. Taking a job there as a housekeeper, Bee snoops around in the motel’s dirty laundry and finds herself entangled in a scary drug deal gone dangerously wrong.
Featuring gorgeous artwork balancing grit with cuteness, Motel Art Improvement Service explores crime, young love, and the purpose of art, in a story that’s equal parts thrilling, funny, and sexy!
Continue reading “MOTEL ART IMPROVEMENT SERVICE”

Posted on

Bike lanes lauded as economic boosters in Williamsport

By HEATHER KEELS – Herald Mail
heather.keels@herald-mail.com
WILLIAMSPORT — Local officials gathered Tuesday afternoon at Williamsport’s Cushwa Basin to celebrate the opening of a pair of half-mile-long bike lanes they hope will bolster the town’s economy by drawing more C&O Canal towpath users off the trail and into town.
“Even though these are just bike lanes and just paint on the road, they really are the beginning of something much bigger for the town of Williamsport,” said Michael Sparks, the town’s new director of economic and community development.
The bike lanes run both directions along Potomac Street from the towpath access point at Cushwa Basin to Byron Memorial Park, passing through the town center. In addition, “share the road” markings have been added to the block of Conococheague Street from Potomac Street to Salisbury Street to encourage motorists to cooperate with bicyclists, and bike racks along that block are in the works, Sparks said.
The lanes connect two of the town’s most important attractions, Sparks said. There are an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 visits a year to Cushwa Basin, where the former Cushwa’s Coal and Brick warehouse has been converted to a C&O Canal visitors center, he said. In addition, there are an estimated 100,000 visits a year to Byron Memorial Park, home of the historic Springfield Barn and the site of popular town events like its Fourth of July celebration and Williamsport Days festival, Sparks said.
Before the bike lanes were added, getting from the towpath to the park could be intimidating to cyclists, Sparks said.
“They’d look like they were scared to death,” he said. “They’re hugging the side of the road and everything.”
Since the bike lanes were finished June 2, Sparks said the route has become a lot safer and the number of bicyclists on the road has increased.
The bike lanes cost about $1,200, which the town might be able to recover through a potential grant, Sparks said. He said by piggybacking on a state contract, the town got them for less than 6 cents a foot.
…
[Video notes, the C&O gets 250,000-300,000 visits a year with a potential spending income of $18 million a year.]
Continue reading “Bike lanes lauded as economic boosters in Williamsport”

Posted on

Federal Safe Routes Program Under Attack

Take Action!

Urge Your Representative to Support Safe Routes To Schools
 

 
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has targeted the federal Safe Routes to School program established under the 2005 Federal Surface Transportation Bill (SAFETEA-LU) as wasteful government spending in his weekly “YouCut program”.
 
Each week representative Cantor asks people to vote for which of five options they would cut from the federal budget. Republicans then hold a floor vote in the House of Representatives to try to eliminate the program that gets the most votes.
 
This week, the federal Safe Routes to School program is one of Rep. Cantor’s targets. He argues that SRTS duplicates other bicycling and walking programs, and that bicycling and walking infrastructure is a local government responsibility. We need your help making sure that Members of Congress understand the value of Safe Routes to School and support it.
 
Please take a few minutes to send a message to your Member of Congress to ask them to vote against any effort to cut Safe Routes to School.
 
Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.
Posted on

Start posting R4-11 ("Bicycles may use full lane")

Yoy may recall that on Dec. 11, FWHA adopted a revision to the MUTCD. States have until Dec. 11, 2011 to adopt or modify the revision. One significant addition is R4-11, (“Bicycles may use full lane”).

image

We need to nag SHA to approve these signs now rather than wait until 2011. One way of nagging SHA might be to start preparing a list of places where the sign is needed.

Please make your suggestions in the comments

Posted on

A petition to repeal the stop for pedestrians law

from Streetsblog.net by WalkBikeJersey
You have been to these places on vacation, you step into a crosswalk and traffic going both ways stop. In many places in the country that is the norm but it seems that the urban Northeast Corridor never got the memo. There are plenty of idiot drivers in Charlotte and Boise but most drivers in those cities know how to react to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
In New Jersey where turning right on red is a birthright the "Stop For Pedestrians In The Crosswalk" appears to have puzzled a generation of suburban drivers trained to own the road and nowhere is this more evident than densely packed shore towns. The streets which lie on a modified urban grid are teeming with pedestrians who cannot park at the beach. Pedestrians and motorists alike seem to have little experience coexisting.
Inevitably lack of understanding generates backlash, the Atlantic City Press reports that Long Beach Township businessman Dick Jeffries has started a petition to repeal the stop for pedestrians law with the endorsement of Mayor Joseph Mancini. The local State Representatives are in agreement including Assemblywomen Gove, my 9th Grade Social Studies Teacher.
…
Continue reading “A petition to repeal the stop for pedestrians law”

Posted on

Recap of Last Sundays Dancing in the Streets

Political hobnobbing is not everyone’s cup of tea, but events like last Sunday are a great way to voice what is going right and wrong in Baltimore County’s support of bicycling. If you want to see a change get involved!

To highlight some of the people I talked with:

image
Ted Levin (running for County Council), how can you not be impressed with someone who on their first page of their brochure mentions Rails-to-Trails?

Vicki Almond (running for County Council), “Let’s sit down over coffee and talk what needs to be done to better accommodate cyclists.” I was really impressed with her lets get down to details and how can I help attitude.

Jon Cardin (State Delegate), how can you not be impressed with his continued support of cycling?

Bobby Zirkin (State Senator), another of our supporters in Annapolis.
Continue reading “Recap of Last Sundays Dancing in the Streets”