Month: August 2010

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Report Finds Those Living Near Public Transportation Live Healthier, Longer

From AASHTO Jurnal

Individuals who live in communities with high-quality mass transit are generally healthier than their counterparts residing in areas that are more dependent on automobiles, concludes a newly released report from the American Public Transportation Association.

The report, prepared for APTA by the Canadian research organization Victoria Transport Policy Institute, focuses on what it characterizes as the important but often overlooked health benefits that public transportation can provide.

"People who live or work in communities with high-quality public transportation tend to own fewer vehicles, drive less, and use alternative modes more than they would in more automobile-oriented locations," according to the report. "This can provide large reductions in traffic crashes and pollution emissions, increases in physical fitness and mental health, and improved access to healthy food, housing, and medical care."

A person’s primary means of travel activity, the report asserts, can help lessen several of his or her risks among the 10 leading causes of reduced lifespan as identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 10 U.S. counties with the most transit-oriented growth, for example, have about one-fourth the traffic fatality rates as those counties with the most sprawling development.

The report underscores how pollution from automobiles can cause cancer and birth defects. The report, citing recent studies that have found that those regularly riding mass transit walk more than individuals not using such services, also emphasizes how a sedentary lifestyle can lead to strokes and heart disease.

"This is not to suggest that people should be forced to shift from driving to walking, cycling, and public transit just to achieve health objectives, but it does suggest that decisionmakers and the general public should be informed about the substantial safety and health benefits that can result from improved public transit and more transit-oriented development," according to the report.

Potential health impacts of transit should assume an even-more-prominent role in overall transportation planning, the report concludes.

The 33-page report, "Evaluating Public Transportation Health Benefits," is available at https://tinyurl.com/APTA-Report

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Naturally Maryland, Naturally MTA

Exploring Baltimore’s Byways, Trails and Parks Through Public Transit
About Naturally Maryland, Naturally MTA
This blog tracks the progress of a long term project designed by Christopher Johnson, an environmental manager and consultant.
Throughout the summer and autumn of 2010, Mr. Johnson will be exploring the benefits of Baltimore’s many recreational opportunities. He will do this, however, by throwing his hiking boots and/or fold-up bicycle on board his city’s public transit system.
This blog will report on Mr. Johnson’s public transit adventures. It will designed to be eventually published into a handy local outdoor recreation guide that will attain three major goals:
1) Help low income, especially inner city, citizens, with no access to a car, reach inspiring natural areas that will benefit their physical and mental health.
2) Help environmentally conscious hikers and bikers reach their favorite local destinations without the guilt of polluting their beloved natural areas via the consumption of polluting, unsustainable fossil fuels.
3) Advocate the benefits the Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA’s) system contributes to our community.
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Frederick County School Buses Get Cameras

I find the aspect of traffic law that requires a officer to witness a event in order for a citation to be issued rather a severe restriction. And if a camera catches the event we need legislation to allow that to be used to issue a lot lower fines and less severe consequences. I would think illegal activity caught on camera would be just as good as a police officer witnessing the event. Illegal should be illegal no matter how someone was caught.
Anyway I have witnessed motorist honking at other motorist that have stopped for a school bus. So we essentially have peer pressure used to encourage more drivers not to stop for school buses and nothing about this on our "hard" 20 question drivers’ test.
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Baltimore cop who berated skateboarder fired

And this came up in in the comments on Baltimore Sun’s blog:

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Comment by: Baltimore Eagle

While I agree that firing the officer seems harsh on the surface, I know that Officer Rivieri had a pattern of overreacting that went much further than scolding a few “bratty” kids. There were a few incidents that I know of, one included running me off my bike in the service road near the Power Plant. I road onto the sidewalk to avoid him as he drove a vehicle at high speed down the bicycle lane, I reentered the bike lane after he passed and was shocked to see him in reverse chasing after me. He wedged my bike between his vehicle and the curb, jumped out, produced a club and shouted threats at me and actually pulled a can a mace out.
There was no provocation from me as I only stood there in shock, then backed away from him as he threatened me, apparently my offense was riding on the sidewalk.

Before you turn on the boys and their parents, “Dude,” “Man,” “Officer” are inconsequential…
I said matter of factly, “I rode onto the sidewalk because you were driving in the bike lane” and that just made matters worse.
There was an incident report filed and I eventually spoke to Internal Affairs.

If you can remember there were a few other videos of him exhibiting abusive behavior. Baltimore is of course not a easy job for police, I cut officers a lot of slack but provoking people is NOT helpful , he probably needed to be on desk duty, but it is also possible that he behaved that way towards his bosses and they had enough.

In short there’s more to this than the guy having just one bad day.

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Amtrak Call to Action

Dear Trail Supporter:

The Allegheny Trail Alliance and the Trail Town Program have been advocating for the roll-on/roll off service along Amtrak’s Capitol Limited Route and need your continued help! Thanks to your support we are that much closer to seeing this happen, and you can still contribute! The attached letter thanks Amtrak for their interest and encourages them to provide this service as soon as they can. Please adapt the letter below and make the necessary changes (highlighted as red text) to personalize it for your own situation and interest.

Amtrak prefers hard copies rather than e-mails, so we ask that you send a copy directly to the address listed in the supplemental letter below.  Also, please mail a copy of your letter to the ATA at P.O. Box 501, Latrobe, PA 15650, or e-mail it to admin@atatrail.org  Your immediate help is necessary and greatly appreciated!  

Thank you for your time!

 

SUPPORT LETTER:

 

Date

 

Mr. Joseph H. Boardman

President and CEO of Amtrak

National Railroad Passenger Corporation

60 Massachusetts Avenue, NE

Washington, DC  20002

 

Dear Mr. Boardman,

 

Thank you for your interest in providing enhanced bicycle service on the Capitol Limited.  I am excited by the prospect of being able to roll-on and roll-off on the Capitol Limited route between Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC.  I am encouraged with the news that it might be available in Spring 2011.  I want to bike the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal towpath and appreciate the opportunity to ride the rails before I ride the trails.  I look forward to using the service every year/month/week, especially between x and y. 

 

We appreciate Amtrak’s commitment to enhancing tourism opportunities and multi-modal transportation networks. 

 

Sincerely,

(Your signature)

 

Copy:  Ray LaHood, Secretary, U. S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590

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RFP County Pedestrian And Bicycle Access Plan

Expires: Friday, August 27th, 2010
Location Maryland, United States
Issuer Government : County
The County is seeking proposals for the development of a plan for improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the rural portion of the County. The plan will be the third phase of the countywide pedestrian and bicycle access plan. the plan will be based on the first and second phase plans but will incorporate different elements to reflect the rural nature of the plan area.
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Towson Crime Log: Bikes stolen

Towson
Lake Drive, 600 block, between 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21 and 2:30 p.m. Aug. 22. A white mountain bike was stolen from a back porch.
Linden Avenue, 200 block, 11:15 a.m. Aug. 18. 16-year-old boy arrested after he unsuccessfully attempted to steal girl’s bicycle from yard.
Ridge Avenue, 200 block, between sometime on Aug. 17 and 4:30 p.m. Aug. 20. Bicycle stolen from doorless garage.
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Don’t ride against traffic and have lights at night, please!

KENT ISLAND
Bicyclist hit
A 14-year-old Queen Anne’s County boy is in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore after being hit by a car while riding a bike in Stevensville Sunday night.
State police said the boy was riding on Thompson Creek Road in front of the Food Lion store around 9 p.m. when a car driven by Tara Riley, 23, of Stevensville struck the teen.
Police said Riley had missed the turn for the Food Lion entrance and pulled to the shoulder of the road so she could turn at the next entrance, where she hit the victim head-on.
The boy was riding against traffic, police said, adding that he was wearing dark clothing and did not have a light on the bicycle. He did have a helmet on, police said.
Riley was not injured.
Police ask anyone who saw the accident to call Maryland State Police at the Centreville Barrack at 410-758-1101.
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