from Commute by Bike by Tom Bowden
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One troublesome argument that seems to be gaining traction is along the lines of, “Why should cycling be a federal issue? Shouldn’t it be a state and local issue?”
Of course that is conservative code talk for, “We don’t want to fund it, because we will get more votes with bigger projects.”
My response would be, True, it should be a local issue, and when all of you ear-marking politicians stop paving every square inch of our local communities with federal highway subsidies, we’ll be happy to take responsibility at a local level. But for now, we just want to level the playing field a little. And after all, for every federal dollar you spend on properly designed cycling infrastructure (and I don’t mean multi-use paths to nowhere), you can ultimately de-fund $10 worth of auto infrastructure. De-fund is a good word to use with Republicans and conservatives.
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At one point in a briefing session on Wednesday, the constant repetition of the “wear a helmet” mantra got a little too much for me. It was cited that in nine out of ten cases of cyclist fatalities due to head trauma, the cyclist was not wearing a helmet. I posed the question, “If that is a justification for all cyclists to wear helmets, than what about the 99.999% of motorist head trauma fatalities who were not wearing helmets? Shouldn’t we start a campaign to make them wear helmets too?” I continued “I’m not anti-helmet–I’ve crashed with a helmet and without a helmet–but helmets are not the only answer, or even the most important answer. As long as we keep on putting so much emphasis on helmets as the most important safety issue, we perpetuate the myth that cycling is inherently dangerous. Cycling is not inherently dangerous, cars are inherently dangerous to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. But all this helmet focus does is place the responsibility for safety on cyclists, rather than on the root cause of the problem, which is unsafe driving.”
I probably didn’t put it quite that well – I was actually shaking a little, anticipating a backlash to my politically incorrect rant. But to my surprise, there was applause and even a few shouts and whistles–the good kind. It was my fifteen seconds of attention, if not actual fame.
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Continue reading “The Bicycle is the Answer. What was the Question?”
Rush Hour Read: Wind Energy Picks Up Slack in Japan
from INFRASTRUCTURIST
As Japan’s nuclear crisis continues to worry the world, far less attention has been given to the country’s wind farms, which survived the earthquake and tsunami unscathed. Kelly Rigg at Huffington Post explains how wind energy is “helping to keep the lights on” in Japan:
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Continue reading “Rush Hour Read: Wind Energy Picks Up Slack in Japan”
To reduce enforcement errors, MPD wants traffic division
When it comes to police enforcement errors, DC and Baltimore have something in common. I’ll note this paragraph from Greater Greater Washington:
"Some of the commanders admitted that interactions with pedestrians can be more confrontational than with motorists. This, they said, often happens because pedestrians are more likely to challenge the officer than drivers."
IMHO This is more likely because the police get the laws wrong when dealing with traffic laws and non-motorized individuals.
Continue reading “To reduce enforcement errors, MPD wants traffic division”
Bikes should be allowed at Loch Raven reservoir
By Candy Thomson – Baltimore Sun
When it comes to allowing mountain bikers to ride the narrow trails around Loch Raven reservoir, Baltimore officials have waged a two-year campaign of sticking their fingers in their ears to avoid the voice of compromise.
Let’s be clear: Their concern for maintaining the watershed’s integrity is admirable given that the reservoir is part of a drinking water supply that serves 1.8 million customers. Loch Raven is not a park.
But these officials act as if they alone possess the wisdom to protect the watershed. In their stubbornness they refuse to acknowledge that time, and best trail-building practices, march on.
And if they are successful in bottling up bikers on a tiny portion of the watershed, what happens to access for anglers, deer hunters and hikers who also embrace open space so close to the city?
After all, if rubber tires are a menace, what of boots?
Ask them about access for other users and city officials refuse to say. Bad sign.
MORE, the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts, has been lobbying for continued access — where appropriate — to the single-track trails. Members have put money and sweat equity (more than 800 hours last year alone) into proving they are good stewards.
The Department of Public Works, charged with maintaining Loch Raven reservoir, has rejected those requests, contending that single-track trails create erosion in the buffer zone that protects the water. Officials insist that the only sanctioned riding is on four unconnected fire roads.
In 1998, the cyclists and the city agreed on a plan to allow riding on 12 miles of fire roads and to have the cyclists assist in maintaining them and policing activities.
For years, the plan was largely unenforced because the city lacked the manpower. In the meantime a network of single track trails continued to grow in the woods. Naturally, anglers, hunters birders and hikers began using the narrow dirt paths as well.
But today, that plan works about as well as any other 1998 relic (As the owner of a 1997 Toyota, I say that with great respect and a certain amount of fear).
The mud hit the fan after the city revived its force of watershed rangers, who started confronting recreational users — especially bikers.
Prodded by biking groups, the City Council reacted in November 2009, passing a resolution to get both sides working on a revised mountain bike plan.
Less than a month later came the Great Unpleasantness, when the mayor who liked the idea of bike trails was convicted of gift card hanky panky and resigned weeks later to be replaced by a mayor who wasn’t as enamored.
The ensuing rearrangement of the City Hall guard saw the DPW head replaced by Alfred Foxx Jr., the city’s Transportation chief and a former Army Corps of Engineers colonel.
All that explains, in part, why a resolution approved in 2009 remains unfulfilled.
Now we come to the tough nut.
Yes, Loch Raven is first and foremost a reservoir and all other uses and activities take a backseat. And there’s nothing bad about public officials protecting a public resource — that’s what we pay them to do.
But trail construction has improved since the days of Lewis and Clark. Heck, techniques have improved in the last decade. Those advances have allowed paths to be built near sensitive places such as rivers and marshes, areas that drain into reservoir watersheds, with little threat of runoff.
Groups such as Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, American Trails and the International Mountain Bicycling Association have incorporated those practices into their trail-building projects with success and are willing to share their knowledge.
MORE and IMBA have offered to help raise $50,000 for a thorough assessment of the trails and to help close those that are a public nuisance. State Sen. Jim Brochin of Baltimore County is working to broker a deal with the help of Under Armour.
But at a City Hall meeting last Tuesday, DPW officials clutched their talking points about buffer zones, sediment runoff, and the 1998 plan like a woobie.
Riddle me this: if the integrity of Loch Raven is so sacrosanct, why is it OK to have three golf courses and a shooting range within the watershed? And why is the city allowing heavy trucks to chew up the fire roads and create chocolate-colored rivers during the muddiest time of the year?
During the Gulf War, Foxx commanded an engineering unit that built roads to move soldiers and equipment into Iraq. He also managed military public works projects in the Republic of Korea and Germany.
No doubt he is a leader who has seen and successfully adapted to change. It would be nice to see him do it again.
"We’ve been back and forth and around and around on this," exasperated city councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke told both sides. "It’s bikes, gang. Bikes and sediment. We should be able to work it out."
Indeed.
Continue reading “Bikes should be allowed at Loch Raven reservoir”
Nathan Krasnopoler March 18, 2011 Update
Nathan is still in a coma, but the doctors feel his overall condition has improved. So, Nathan has been moved out of the ICU into a regular hospital room. Good job Nathan!
–Mitchell
Secretary of Transportation Responds – Things have gotten better in the last three years
“Both traffic crashes that involve pedestrians and injuries suffered by pedestrians have declined in Maryland in each of the last three years.” – Beverley K. Swaim-Staley Secretary of Transportation
So while pedestrian injuries have gone down 10%, what she fails to mention is that pedestrian fatalities have gone up 20%. But what’s even more alarming is how Maryland compares to other states:
2006 The base year (Note: A rank of 1= the highest pedestrian fatality rate.)
2007 The first year
2008 The second year
2009 The third year
MY MAIN POINTS MISSED BY MDOT: Please do MORE. Please make BIKE/PED FEDERAL AID EASER for the LOCALITIES to obtain for projects that are designed to reduce bike/ped crashes. OTHER STATES are improving faster then Maryland.
I would ask you to write but it seems MDOT is more interested in covering their rear ends then making measurable improvements with an implied “We don’t look at traffic fatalities, just crashes. If more people are dying in fewer crashes then that’s a good thing. ” The suggestion of writing to Tom Hicks, Director of Traffic and Safety personally I find offensive. The guy should have retired several decades ago with his 1950 road safety mentality. Not to mention being the runner up for the prestigious award of “The Most Ludicrous Statement by a Public Official on Bike/Ped Issues” with his opposition to bicyclists having the right-of-way in bike lanes in 2009 because of “The problem of striping a bike lane through an uncontrolled intersection.” (A fictitious joining of unlikely to happen striping with rare intersection type.) (To be fair at least Delaware cyclists like him.)
 On the left: Tom Hicks, Director of Traffic and Safety — Michael Jackson, Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access – on the right. |
…with an implied “We don’t look at traffic fatalities, just crashes. If more people are dying in fewer crashes then that’s a good thing. “ |
Maybe it is unfair of me to put words in someone’s mouth but how do you address the continued avoidance of answering the hard questions. What am I to think about the redirection from fatalities to injuries. What am I to think about the mention of Maryland’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan and how it is supposed to address these issue but there is no mention of pedestrians nor bicyclists on this page. On further reading the SHSP has some “idealistic” mention of improving pedestrian safety but with no mention how money is supposed to get this stuff on to the ground to make things better. A plan with no funding is the same as no plan at all. One way we have tried to do that is by law and to create Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Areas and finally after a decade we get one and just one in an area with a low pedestrian fatality rate (Montgomery County.)
Current 5 year bike/ped project plans are probably at an all time funding low but the real issue is most of these projects DO NOT address reducing bike/ped crashes nor are they in areas of high pedestrian fatality rates. Is this a problem of the localities not willing to spend the money on improving the situation or MDOT in administrating Federal funds for bike/ped safety is just not willing to spend Federal money on this issue? (To be clear MDOT is under obligating all Federal funds that could be used to help problem areas, sans Safe Routes to School but that is a very tiny pot.)
The Secretary also mentioned crosswalk sting operations, are there pedestrian sting operations going on in Montgomery County? Sure but in Baltimore County we just ticket j-walkers. Again note the difference in pedestrian fatality rates between the two counties.
Overall the Secretary seems to be saying MDOT is doing something, for sure but there is a world of difference between doing things that have PROVEN to be effective and doing things that blame the victim. Further reading: Blaming the pedestrian won’t solve the problem.
Read more for the Secretary’s letter.
Continue reading “Secretary of Transportation Responds – Things have gotten better in the last three years”
STUDY: OLDER DRIVERS OVERLOOK PEDS 2X AS OFTEN AS YOUNGER DRIVERS
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
-> According to a Mar. 7th L.A. Times article, "Older drivers may have a breadth of driving experience working for them behind the wheel. But a new study finds they tend to have a narrower field of vision than younger drivers and often miss developments on the curb or sidewalk that could demand their attention. The study, published online Monday by the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, found that drivers over 65 were half as likely to notice pedestrians near or moving toward the street as were experienced drivers between the ages of 28 and 45. Placing the two groups of drivers in a simulator and in front of videos taken from a driver’s eye view, researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found that older drivers took longer to respond to road hazards as well."
"And compared to younger drivers simulating a drive through a variety of streetscapes, those over 65 tapped on their brakes in response to a ‘roadside hazard’ about half as often, suggesting either that they did not see it or that they did not consider it something they needed to attend to. The good news (unless you’re driving behind one of these motor vehicle operators and you’re late for an appointment) is that the older drivers drive more slowly — about 20% more slowly — perhaps to compensate for shortcomings in their peripheral vision and attention…"
Source: https://tinyurl.com/6dnjgp6
-> "’Motor vehicle crashes are still the leading cause of death for from ages 3 through 34. They are taking our youngest people away. There are 93 deaths every day, one death every 16 minutes."
— Dr. Federico Vaca, professor of emergency medicine, Yale School of Medicine
https://tinyurl.com/6eapseb
Small Talk Paradox: "How Was Your Commute?"
from Cycle Jerk
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Most of the time coworkers take the path of least resistance and go for the simple "So! How was the ride?", followed by "You’re crazy man!" after my response. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice gesture and I do appreciate the thought. This person wants to hear how cool my commute was, and that’s cool. However, the question is asked of me so often I started giving it right back to the source.
"My ride was awesome! How was your drive in?"
This is met with a wide spectrum of responses;
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This led me to ponder the trend… it seems to be a common assumption that being a bike commuter, my daily ride in is always great and that any commute by car is always shitty. If that assumption is both true and common why aren’t people more open minded about bike commuting?
The same person who complains about the traffic every day gets to work with two assumptions, that my ride in was awesome and that I’m crazy for doing it.
My assumption is that a good percentage of these people live an easily rideable distance from the office.
I apologize, that was way too many assumptions for one post.
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PSA Bike to Work Day in the DC Area: https://www.waba.org/events/btwd/
In the Baltimore Area: https://www.baltometro.org/commuter-options/bike-to-work-day
Continue reading “Small Talk Paradox: "How Was Your Commute?"”
Save the Date for These Special Programs!
Dynamic presentations by Gil Peñalosa. April 6 (Baltimore, MD)
and April 7 (Columbia, MD).
Mr. Penalosa is an internationally renowned livable city adviser who is passionate about vibrant and healthy communities. He has delivered presentations at events across North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. As Executive Director of the non-profit organization 8-80 Cities and former Commissioner of Parks, Sports and Recreation in Bogota, Colombia, Gil’s tireless commitment to fostering healthy communities remains front and center. He also works as Senior Consultant for the renowned Danish firm Gehl Architects. Furthermore, he serves on the Boards of Directors of American Trails, Ciclovias of the Americas, and City Parks Alliance. Gil holds an MBA from UCLA and advises municipal, corporate and community leaders around the world. Centered on the promotion of creating interconnected networks of pedestrian, cycling and public transportation infrastructure and building vibrant parks and public spaces, Gil’s presentations are an inspirational method to build capacity in government, business and community settings. These free events are sponsored by the Columbia Association and Bike Maryland.
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011, 7-9PM at the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3807 N. Charles Street, Baltimore. Presentation – Moving from Talking to Doing!
This presentation will inspire and instruct the audience on the creation of vibrant cities and healthy communities. 880 Cities promotes walking and bicycling as activities and urban parks, trails and other public spaces as great places for all. These activities and public spaces improve our environment, advance economic development, boost and complement our transportation systems, make better recreation for all, and enhance our personal and public health. We invite you to join us in experiencing a presentation by Gil Penalosa! RSVPs Preferred: click here.
Thursday, April 7th 2011, 7-9 PM at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way Columbia, MD 21044. Presentation – Walking, Cycling, & Public Places for All!
As part of Columbia Association’s on-going Community Building Speaker’s Series, the Columbia Association is excited to co-host this keynote presentation by Gil Peñalosa, Executive Director 8-80 Cities. As the Commissioner of Parks, Sport and Recreation for the City of Bogotá, Colombia, Gil’s team initiated the “new Ciclovia” – car-free Sundays – today an internationally recognized program that sees over 1.3 million people walk, run skate and bike along 75 miles of Bogotá’s city roads. RSVPs Preferred: Event.Rsvp@ColumbiaAssociation.com.
What’s an 8-80 City?
Step 1. Think of a Child
Step 2. Think of an Older Adult
Step 3. Ask yourself, would you send a child to bike to the store? Would you have her grandmother cross that intersection? What if, everything we did in our cities was great for the 8 year olds and 80 year olds? We’d end up with cities that are good for all — 8-80 Cities.
Continue reading “Save the Date for These Special Programs!”
Why do people j-walk?
This animation comes from Commute Orlando. It amazes me how many road “engineers” can’t figure out why this is a bad design.