Another great article from Michael Dresser and Dennis Eichenlaub of Columbia:
"There are a few angry drivers. I call them all “Jack”. (If you think *everybody* is a safe and courteous driver, you don’t know Jack.) "
Continue reading “Bicyclist says many drivers don’t know ‘Jack’”
The lack of what to do in public places
At least in prison they get to play basketball in the courtyard
Unsurprisingly, Emily in D.C. says it took less than 24 hours for one her neighbors to call bullshit on the building management’s “exciting news.”
RE: Honor Natasha Pettigrew
Thank you for your letter concerning the death U.S. Senate candidate Natasha Pettigrew and improved biking conditions for cyclists. My deepest sympathy goes out to the friends and family of Natasha.
The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation during the 2010 Session that provided more protections for cyclists. I voted for those improvements. The legislation that you have recommended for introduction would fall under the purview of the Judiciary Committee to which I will forward your concerns. In the meantime, should you have any other thoughts or concerns, please feel free to contact my office.
Sincerely,
Delegate Adrienne A. Jones
Speaker Pro Tem
Maryland House of Delegates
10th Legislative District
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Seriously, only a 1,000 signatures? Let’s get some attention on this, pass around this link, and help support:
No More Senseless Bicycle Deaths!
https://environment.change.org/petitions/view/no_more_senseless_bicycle_deaths
Guerilla Complete Streets – Fort Worth Better Block Project
By: Kevin Buchanan
Narrow, slow traffic lanes. Dedicated bike lanes. Giant-sized people space. Art vendors. Food carts. Sidewalk cafes. On-street bike corrals. Live music. Native landscaping. Games. Giant crosswalk.
If it weren’t for the presence of skyline landmarks like Burnett Plaza, the T&P Station, the Omni, and Carter + Burgess, err, Jacobs Plaza, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a scene out of Austin or Portland. You certainly wouldn’t think this was the 200 block of South Main in the Near Southside here in Fort Worth.
Yet, thanks to some extensive under-the-radar planning work and a dedicated team of volunteers willing to go “guerilla” in the name of proving the concepts behind revitalizing our classic urban areas, all of these things arrived on South Main just in time for the Fall 2010 Arts Goggle event.
…
Before
After
And lots more pictures
Continue reading “Guerilla Complete Streets – Fort Worth Better Block Project”
Real-time Capital Bikeshare map
from Greater Greater Washington
An amazing map site shows real-time usage at Capital Bikeshare stations, along with how empty and full stations have been over the last 48 hours. You can also see 15 other cities, which gives a fascinating look at how the density of bike sharing varies between cities.
MD motorist spotted out of state – still telling cyclists what to do
From sierramotors.wordpress.com
I live 50 miles from the entrance to Yosemite National Park. I have beautiful places to ride and get to deal with tourist regularly that drive like complete idiots.
This morning I was on my bicycle just before sunrise. I headed over to Hwy 4 to spend a couple of hours climbing hills. Hwy 4 goes from the 99 freeway near Stockton, over Ebbetts Pass (Elevation 8750’). The part I ride on regularly has steep climbs and a nice shoulder so I am not too close to traffic. The traffic can include logging trucks, vacation RV’s and people in a hurry to go either to the valley or wine tasting.
At the top of the three mile climb is a viewpoint, Vista Point. It is a convenient place to take a quick break for nourishment or whatever is needed. After doing three climbs I stopped for a brief minute. I see a Nissan Maxima with Maryland plates (tourist) coming my way very slowly. The car came to a complete stop. It was sitting in the middle of the highway where the speed limit is 65 mph. and on a curve with limited visibility.
They were looking at each other and motioning like they were lost. And they sat. I couldn’t just let them sit there until a logging truck came by so I attempted to wave them into Vista Point. After looking at me rather stupidly they pulled in. I motioned for them to roll down their window. They looked at me with a vague lost tourist smile. I explained my point of view to them.
“I see people like you all of the time” I started. “You think your out in the country and the rules of the road no longer apply to you. You can’t just stop your car in a traffic lane and sit there, just like you can’t make u-turns on this roadway”. (Another tourist favorite)
I implored them to drive like they had at least a little intelligence as to not cause an accident. The driver just started to pull away.
He quickly stopped and backs up to me.
“I see a lot of bicyclist riding two abreast and that’s not safe” the guy says. “And sometimes they are not even in bike lanes!” Wow, this guy is obviously a deep thinker. “I’m not doing that, now am I pal?” Was my retort.
I continue with him, “It is stupid to stop in a traffic lane. You are going to cause an accident or kill somebody” I stated with a little increase in volume. I think he started to sense my urge to educate him on proper roadway etiquette by dragging him thru his window and rearranging his nose. No one wants to be beat up by a guy in spandex.
He hits the accelerator and yells out the window, “You are a rude cyclist”. I just smiled and went back to climbing hills.
Continue reading “MD motorist spotted out of state – still telling cyclists what to do”
Pregnant woman expected to survive hit & run
INDIANAPOLIS
The hit and run accident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. Monday at Maryland Street and Elder Avenue.
Police say the truck dragged 24-year-old Maria Isabel Benitez-Acateco about 100 feet after turning right on Elder Avenue.
Witnesses told police they saw the driver of the vehicle get out of the truck and pull the woman from underneath the truck before fleeing the scene.
Continue reading “Pregnant woman expected to survive hit & run”
The third time is a charm on cyclists don’t have the responsibility to move aside
Washcycles coverage: Buffer rule confusion at the Sun
[B’ Spokes: I’ll note that it’s rather sad what started out of coverage of our 3′ buffer rule turned into a misstatement of “The law says the bicyclist has the responsibility to move aside and let you pass. ” With no mention of 3′ or more space.]
Original story:
According to Young, the bicycle “has all the rights and responsibilities” of any other vehicle. One of those responsibilities, he said, is to avoid impeding traffic.
…
The law says the bicyclist has the responsibility to move aside and let you pass.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/commuting/bs-md-dresser-getting-there-1004-20101004,0,6224574.story
“Correction” #1:
A bicycle on the road is considered a vehicle and has exactly the same rights as any other vehicle on the road. In fact, Maryland Motor Vehicle Law states that “every person operating a bicycle or a motor scooter in a public bicycle area has the rights granted to and is subject to all the duties required of the driver of a vehicle by this title.”
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In the state’s approved driver’s education curriculum, 15 miles an hour below the posted speed limit is used as a benchmark for impeding traffic. This information is only meant as a guideline and is not a legal requirement. Good judgment regarding the safety of all vehicles and individuals must always be exercised.
https://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/2010/10/mva_chief_replies_to_bicyclist.html
This not at all what I would consider a correction, so they are a little fuzzy at what’s the exact speed difference a cyclist is required to pull over, like that’s supposed to help a lot.
“Correction” #2:
Michael Dresser tries to pull it all together and has a lot of nice advice and has this to say on impeding traffic:
As I approached a curve, I came up behind a bicyclist who was clearly struggling with an uphill slope. Despite all exertions, he was unable to sustain more than about 10 mph in a 30-mph zone. Though he was as far to the right as one could reasonably ask, there was no room to pass and no shoulder for him to pull onto.
The result: I had to slow to bike speed for maybe 30 seconds until there was enough room to safely pass. Somehow I survived the ordeal. Most motorists would, too, though you wouldn’t know it from the lamentations of some drivers.
In this case, the bicyclist did the right thing staying in his lane — even if it meant temporarily slowing traffic. That’s far different from impeding it.
But there are cases where the bicyclist can and should pull over and let cars pass, using a shoulder, a driveway or a patch of gravel. Are they legally compelled to? Probably not. But as bike advocate Jeffrey H. Marks wrote: “If the road doesn’t straighten out or widen within a reasonable time, then the bicyclist should try to find a safe area where he can pull off the road to let faster traffic pass.”
https://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-10-11/features/bs-md-dresser-getting-there-1011-20101011_1_bicyclist-bike-speed-bike-advocate
This is certainly better then the original statement by Young:
The law says the bicyclist has the responsibility to move aside and let you pass.
And really is it so unreasonable of me to hyperventilate over the original statement by Young? Obviously having someone of authority to say what the laws says assert that by law you have to move aside and might take a spill in a ditch is nothing to get excited about. The fact that Dresser intercedes in this matter is quite telling. Besides what do I know? I’m only actively involved with bicycling legislation and do not have MVA’s expertise of being involved with solely motor vehicle laws. [/sarcasm]
Michael Dresser then concludes:
As the MVA’s Kuo put it in his letter, “all vehicles operating on our roadways should exercise an abundance of caution and courtesy at all times to help prevent accidents.”
Is anyone — on two wheels, four or 12 — offended by that?
https://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-10-11/features/bs-md-dresser-getting-there-1011-20101011_1_bicyclist-bike-speed-bike-advocate
Read more for my defense of hyperventilated accusations
Continue reading “The third time is a charm on cyclists don’t have the responsibility to move aside”
Mt. Rainier hit and run: Elderly man critically injured, driver apprehended
By Dave Jamieson
An elderly man was hit by a car and seriously injured while crossing the street at Queens Chapel and Chillum roads yesterday in Mt. Rainier, Md. The driver fled the scene and was later apprehended.
According to Prince George’s fire department spokesman Mark Brady, emergency personnel got the call around 2:30 p.m. Sunday for a man with severe head injuries outside the Advance Auto Parts store about a block from the Mt. Rainier Nature and Recreation Center. The caller said the man had been hit by a car that did not stop and had blood coming from his mouth and nose. Brady said the victim, whose name was not released, looked to be in his 80’s. He was taken to a trauma center.
Chris Edwards was working at the auto parts store when the crash occurred. He says one of his co-workers saw the impact. "The guy was crossing the street and a black SUV hit him," Edwards says. "He kind of flew up into the air, and the car kept going. He never slowed down."
…
Continue reading “Mt. Rainier hit and run: Elderly man critically injured, driver apprehended”
Gaithersburg police target people in the way of cars
from Greater Greater Washington
by Miriam Schoenbaum
“Gaithersburg police declare pedestrian safety is top issue along 355,” a recent Gazette headline announced. But “Gaithersburg police target people on foot who get in the way of people in cars” would have been more like it.
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So maybe the City of Gaithersburg should try again. If they’re really concerned about pedestrian safety, perhaps they should cut back on the jaywalking tickets and instead propose a joint effort with the MD SHA to put in a few more places for people to cross safely and legally on foot.
Photo by the author.
Yes, this might mean a slightly slower trip, for the people who use this major commuting route in cars. But how about all of the other people who want to use the road without reorganizing their day or risking their lives?
Continue reading “Gaithersburg police target people in the way of cars”