To show off just one:
Continue reading “Seoul Cycle Design Competition 2010”
Coverage of the tour from Baltimore to Havre de Grace and Biller’ Bike Shop [video]
Biller’s Bikes SUN Stage hosted Ben Sollee’s “Ditch the Van” Bike Tour in Havre de Grace, MD. They made a fun video during the two-night stand. They played sold-out shows in PA, Rockville and DC and are headed south to home Kentucky, now. Pedal, Ben, Pedal!
Ditch the Van Bike Tour – Chapter 9 from marty benson on Vimeo.
Study Shows Most Americans Aren’t Active. What About You?
Here’s a shocking report for you, at least it was for us at Balance Gym. Out of almost 80,000 Americans polled about all the non-work, non-sleep activities they had done in the last 24-hours, 95 percent answered “eating or sleeping,” 80 percent had watched TV, 71 percent spent time preparing food or drink, 25 percent had done some lawn or garden work but only 5 percent reported a vigorous activity such as using cardiovascular equipment or running.
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Continue reading “Study Shows Most Americans Aren’t Active. What About You?”
(Alert added) Vigil Held for Green Party Candidate, Natasha Pettigrew
Fox news has some nice coverage of the event (link after the fold) but I will highlight this bit:
"Henry [Natasha’s mother] says she wanted the vigil to call attention to the need for more bike lanes in Prince Georges County.
It is a cause she’s vowing to take to state lawmakers in Annapolis and also Congress."
Funny she should mention that as that has been one of the issues we have been covering. As far as I am aware Maryland is the ONLY State where Federal Transportation Enhancement (TE) money CANNOT be spent on bike lanes. Maryland has the LOWEST spending of TE money on bike/ped projects of all the states. And before rescissions Maryland had over $20 million in non-obligated funds (money in need of projects to fund.) This is just obscene to have this kind of money available and not allowing it to address a need.
Per State Law § 2-606. Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. (MBPAC)
(a) Purpose.- The Governor shall appoint a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to provide guidance to State agencies concerning: (1) Funding of bicycle and pedestrian related programs;
So if you want to see a change for more bike lanes (or sharrows, shoulders or just wide lanes) write Chairperson Jim Swift <jks36@verizon.net>;
cc: MBPAC staff Michael Jackson <mjackson3@mdot.state.md.us>;
and your local rep (which can be found via https://mdelect.net/ )
Continue reading “(Alert added) Vigil Held for Green Party Candidate, Natasha Pettigrew”
Changes to Maryland Cycling Laws Effective Oct 1
From WABA
As October 1 approaches and the numerous bicycle-related laws passed by the 2010 Maryland General Assembly and signed into law by Governor O’Malley are set to take effect, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on those bike advocacy successes and, more importantly, to ensure that cyclists are aware of the changes.
1. Three Foot Passing
Maryland law now requires motorists to “pass safely at a distance of not less than three feet” when overtaking a cyclist unless: (a) the cyclist is not riding on the right or in the bike lane/shoulder as required by § 21-1205, or (b) the roadway is too narrow to allow three feet. Previously, it was widely assumed that the duty to pass safely meant three feet, but the new law clarifies that it does mean three feet in some situations and does not mean three feet in others. With this law, it becomes more important to “take the lane” whenever it is too narrow to safely share side-by-side, because otherwise you do not have the legal right to the 3-foot buffer.
2. Requirement to Ride in the Shoulder Repealed
As of October 1, cyclists will no longer be required to ride in the shoulder where a smooth shoulder is provided and there is no bike lane. However, Maryland remains one of only five states to require that cyclists ride in the bike lane where provided. Removal of the shoulder-riding requirement is a significant step forward, but further advocacy is needed on the requirement to ride in a provided bike lane.
3. Crosswalks “Rules of the Road”
The change in law also attempted to clarify some of the rights of cyclists in crosswalks–but many of those rights are still unclear.
- In jurisdictions where the local government has legalized riding on sidewalks (most of Montgomery County other than Gaithersburg) the bill gives cyclists the right to ride in any crosswalk. Moreover, at a signalized intersections, cyclists legally in the crosswalk now have the same right of way as pedestrians over cars with a green signal, or a car turning right on red.
- The bill did not give cyclists the same rights of way as pedestrians in crosswalks without a signal.
- In jurisdictions where riding on the sidewalk is illegal (most of Maryland including most of Prince Georges County), the bill did not provide for a right to ride in crosswalks.
4. Balanced Funding for Cycling & Walking
The law requires that the Maryland Department of Transportation ensure an appropriate balance of funding for retrofitting existing facilities for cyclists and pedestrians alongside funding for new highway construction, as well as requiring “increased emphasis” on “increas[ing] accessibility for the greatest number of pedestrians and bicycle riders” in transit-oriented areas.
5. Sidewalk and Bicycle Path Construction
This amendment to the existing law requiring the state to fund bicycle pathway construction or reconstruction as part of a project (if included in the project) requires the state to give higher funding priority to sidewalk or bicycle pathway construction projects where their absence is “a substantial public safety risk or significant impediment to pedestrian access.”
Together, these changes to Maryland law represent an elevation of cycling as a means of transportation in Maryland. Credit is due to One Less Car, the Baltimore Bicycling Club, and the Maryland advocates and legislators who pushed these changes. We look forward to seeing the improvements, both on the roadways and in the budgets, starting October 1.
Continue reading “Changes to Maryland Cycling Laws Effective Oct 1”
Mother keeps son’s memory by buying bike helmets for those without them
By Kevin Spradlin Cumberland Times-News
— CUMBERLAND — The tragic death of Bradley “B-Rad” Bridges in August at the YMCA skate park in Cumberland brought unabashed sympathy and support from friends, family and a virtual world of BMX.
“Damn, that sucks. Rest in peace, man,” one man wrote on a BMX website.
In the vernacular of avid BMXers, that just about covers it.
Lena Bridges, though, wants something positive to come from her son’s untimely death. Since Brad, 18, was killed after sneaking into the skate park after hours with five others on the night of Aug. 6, Lena Bridges has been raising money to buy bike helmets for kids who don’t have them.
The next fundraiser is a car wash at CiCi’s Pizza in LaVale from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday. The pizza place is participating in a spirit night from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, when proceeds from purchases will be donated to the effort. CiCi’s Pizza also is the site of a second spirit night from noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 3.
“When all the 200 kids came and lined their bikes up in front of the funeral home, I looked around, and only half of them had helmets,” said Bridges, of Cumberland, noting Brad had not been wearing his helmet at the time of the accident. “That, then, was my focus. I don’t want any other parent to have to feel the feeling that I’m feeling, the loss.”
Brad began riding a bicycle only in October 2009 after his 18th birthday. Until then, Bridges wouldn’t let her son, who suffered from an enlarged spleen, participate in many activities that might result in a rupture of the spleen.
However, “when he turned 18, he took up this hobby,” Bridges said. “He was riding with the kids to act like he was … a normal person.”
Bridges said she and family members know quite well that her son was not permitted to be at the YMCA. But knowing that does not lessen the pain of his death. Nor does it need to be the focal point of how Brad is remembered, she said.
“I’m not doing this because the kids were being bad,” Bridges said. “I’m doing this because kids in the area need helmets, and my son wasn’t wearing a helmet. They were just trying to have fun. I don’t care where he was at or what he was doing.”
Bridges noted the YMCA park was not their first choice. They were in downtown Cumberland, she said, but they were “chased off” by police officers four different times that Friday night.
The kids were just being kids, then, Bridges said, when they went to the skate park.
“They didn’t break in, like break a lock,” Bridges said. “They just went to ride a bike.”
In about a month of work, Bridges has raised nearly $1,300 and plans to soon order the first batch of 200 helmets. Each helmet costs $6.25, nearly $2 less than what the Allegany County Health Department charges.
Bridges said the helmets will be distributed free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. The only requirements for recipients are that a child must complete a bike safety course and must be accompanied to that course by a parent. Bridges said she is working with an officer from the Cumberland Police Department to establish the program.
She’s hopeful the course and the advice of wearing a helmet, which is required for riders 16 and under in Maryland, will serve as friendly reminders to children and parents alike.
“Something could happen in the split of a second,” Bridges said. “If a child remembers some lady ‘told me I needed my helmet,’ then I’ve done something good.”
Continue reading “Mother keeps son’s memory by buying bike helmets for those without them”
As far right as possable is not always a good idea
In the referenced article from where these drawings came from help illustrate the necessity to be in the main traffic flow or at least immediately adjacent to the main traffic flow. There is a flaw in MD law rather then allowing cyclists leaving the right where right turns are authorized, MD limits it to only right turn ONLY lanes.
Continue reading “As far right as possable is not always a good idea”
Off-Duty Officer Injured in Bicycle Accident
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On September 21, 2010 deputies responded to a motor vehicle collision involving a bicyclist on Indian Bridge Road in California. Investigation revealed vehicle 1, a 2008 GMC Sierra, driven by Terry Dale Blackburn, 63 of Lexington Park, was traveling northbound on Indian Bridge Road. Mr. Blackburn failed to yield the right of way to vehicle #2, a Felt bicycle, operated by off duty St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Corporal Timothy Butler. Vehicle #1 collided with vehicle #2 ejecting the Cpl. Butler from the bicycle. [per comments: “almost the entire northbound portion of Indian Bridge Road is unsuitable for bicycle riding”] Corporal Butler was flown by Maryland State Police Helicopter Trooper 2 to Baltimore Shock Trauma where he was treated and released. Mr. Blackburn was not injured in the collision. The accident remains under investigation. |
Continue reading “Off-Duty Officer Injured in Bicycle Accident”
Challenge: Find where motorist are admonished not to right hook cyclists in MD safety literature
The right hook is a very common crash type yet MD is remarkably silent on this subject. Oh look, the cyclist is “illegally” passing on the right, well not really but it seems too many think that way. 🙁
2010 Distracted Driving Summit
from Bikeleague.org Blog by Darren
…
Greg Cohen, the president of the American Highway Users Alliance, starts out by saying, “We can all agree on the need to combat distracted driving.” Great. But then he went on to say, “Yet if we are honest, we should admit that we all get distracted sometimes. Hopefully an educated group of “transportation experts” on this blog has put down the cellphone and blackberry while driving. But the reality is that we will continue to make mistakes — enforced legislation and education can only go so far to stop them. So we need to do more than try to stop all distractions — we need to embrace the many engineering solutions that focus on preventing crashes, injurires, and fatalities caused by the distractions that, under any realistic scenario, will continue to occur.” That’s what got Andy going.
Here’s Andy’s full response:
Let me start by taking the unusual step of agreeing with Greg Cohen – don’t worry, normal service will resume later. Reducing or eliminating distracted driving is indeed something we can all agree is critical to continue the decline in traffic fatalities recently reported for 2009. Regardless of what we drive and where we drive, distracted driving is a real threat. Reducing that threat is something that we all have a stake in; cyclists and pedestrians can stand beside truck drivers and soccer moms in minivans to address it together, and who knows where that might take us in the future as we actually get to know each other a little better. That started to happen at the “Towards Zero Deaths” meeting in Washington last month. At the state and local level, you will find cycling organizations to be great allies with an impassioned membership ready to work with you to pass tough distracted driving legislation and support the enforcement that must go with it. That started to happen in Florida, Michigan and many other states this year.
Where we part company with Greg is being willing to accept that some level of distracted driving is acceptable and inevitable – and that therefore we should focus on making vehicles and roadways that are OK to crash on. I’m not interested in trying to walk or ride along the street as part of some giant fairground bumper car game where drivers feel like they can crash with relative impunity. I want drivers (and cyclists) to pay attention, drive carefully, and NOT crash. The focus for me has to be on improving driver behavior, attention and responsibility.
We have come a long way in improving the safety of vehicle occupants. Indeed, you could be fogiven for wondering why we aren’t doing dramatically better already after the introduction of seat belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes, crumple zones, roll-over protection and the like. After 50 years of highway design that has widened, and straightened roads; removed all manner of roadside obstacles (like killer trees); installed collapsible poles and safer guardrailing; limited access and crossings; rumbled, signed and marked roads with ever-increasing levels of visibility and reflectivity. After quite incredible improvements in medical treatment and EMS services in the event of crashes. Really, where have all the benefits to all these great developments disappeared? Why have we still been killing 40,000-plus people a year for decade after decade?
One possible answer could be that we are a nation of generally lousy, distracted, careless drivers who really don’t take the responsibility of driving seriously and are not held to account for that behavior individually or collectively. That needs to change, and focusing on distracted driving is a welcome opportunity to do just that.