Month: April 2011

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2011 Ride on Annapolis photos

First off major kudos for those who rode down in the middle of the work week. Maybe we should ask for everyone to plan for next year and reserve a “vacation” day for the second week in April, just a thought, comments welcomed.

The best picture of the folks that road down is in the Sun

Thanks to Light Street Cycles for the following photos and we do recommend liking them on Facebook and patronizing them (that’s where I got my bike which I totally adore.)

Green bike parking
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Carol Silldorff doing her th’ang
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Some of the supporters of the bill
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Where to chill before heading home
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The Dutch are critical of our imitation of their bikeway system

An association of transportation experts of 15 major US cities (NACTO) recently published new guidelines for bicycle infrastructure. They claim they are ‘innovative’ and ‘state of the art’ and based on ‘an extensive survey of expert knowledge, [and] existing guidelines from countries and cities around the world’. … But looking at the new NACTO guidelines we doubt they have [looked at the Dutch cycling facilities]…

And in the related link it explains why America has not fully embraced the Dutch way of thinking

On the resulting blog posts says of the statistics which surround cycling in the Netherlands that: Upon hearing these statistics it’s tempting to casually dismiss the entire Dutch cycling experience as irrelevant to our own, as if some exotic alien technology beyond our comprehension were responsible. I’m no biologist, but I’m pretty sure there is no unique bicycling gene only present in Dutch nationals that compels them to ride bikes way more than anyone else.

In my experience I have seen national “complete streets” talks give examples of “accommodating bicyclists on a bridge with a 3′ “bike lane” and a 12′ travel lane. Now let’s flip that and give cars the minimum width lane from AASHTO of 8′ and bicyclists the rest of the width of 7′. Big difference! There is too much stress in always providing motoring traffic “the best of widths” and bicyclists can get the leftovers, this has to change!

Case in point: Allysha Lorber over on B’ More Bikes posted this example of a “complete street”:
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Any one else see the error? 4′ bike lanes on a “closed” section of road in violation of AASHTO minimum of 5′. And if you attend some of the on-line seminars of what’s in the next version of AASHTO standards and what they are recommending; 10′ travel lanes for motorist to improved safety at no cost to capacity.* and here they have 11′ lanes.

Bicyclists can get their (American) recommended width of 6′ bike lanes and cars can get their recommended width of 10′ lanes, every one wins! But noooo, they “have to” give bicyclists substandard facilities to increase car capacity.* and reduce the safety of the road.

*That’s twice now I have starred increase capacity. This concept is based on observations when you have really wide travel lanes on a freeway a few more cars go by per mile then narrower lanes and then someone mistakenly made a linear function out of this and applied it to local streets with the implication that if you made travel lanes just inches wider over a 10 mile stretch of road a few more cars can squeeze in. Now the question is such a benefit worth the cost bicycle lanes that are below standards? This is no where near the ideals of a complete street. I have to ask, have engineers lost what the numbers mean? We can get way more people using the street if we follow recommendations then always steeling space from bicyclists and giving it to motorists to encourage them to speed along irregardless of their surroundings.

Complete streets should be about equalizing everyones experience. Here they have provided nice shady areas for cars to rest in comfort but for the pedestrians the experience it is just “Do your business and get out.” This is how we design bathrooms! All they have really done here is put some trees along a car sewer and marked the door zone as a bike lane, this is not a public space use well and it is not where anyone would want to spend time.

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Standard Dutch turning lane / bike lane design

I also want to point out the sharp turning radius of the Dutch vs our “complete street” with a wide turning radius to encourage fast turning by motorists at the expense of bicycle and pedestrian safety. There are so many details on this “example” that are missing it is truly shocking. Complete means “Perfect in every respect; having all necessary qualities” Where is the bike parking, pedestrian benches? Or are only cars allowed to stop and rest? Is there anything here for a cyclists or pedestrians to stop for, like an outdoor cafe or mini-park? Every thing about this design says “look how easy we are trying to make it to speed by all these building.”

While I remain skeptical of some of the ways the Dutch do things, mostly because of the differences in liability (in the Netherlands the motorist is always at fault) and I have gotten used to and comfortable riding without separate facilities but even so I can’t help being shocked by the vast difference on how they do things and how we do them supposedly in their imitation.

It’s like a bait and switch scam, and you don’t realize what you have been scammed out of till you look back at the original promises, the width for a one direction bike lane for the dutch is the width we end up putting down for bidirectional bike facilities. And the fact that too many “complete street” examples are attempting to scam us out of less accommodations then what AASHTO recommends is extremely egregious. Have you ridden Greene Tree Rd in Baltimore County? They removed one 10′ travel lane and replaced it with two 3′ curb lanes (at least they did not call them bike lanes.) This design is in complete streets and is less comfortable to ride on then before the “improvement”. I for one am getting very concerned about this end run around AASHTO to stick it to the cyclists by saying we are being considered but not really.
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Senate Committee Hearing on Environment and Public Works

from Streetsblog Capitol Hill by Kathryn Reid Moore

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Maryland Senator Ben Cardin: Transit and bikeways “get people where they need to be, help us with our energy policy, and save us money.”

Maryland Senator Benjamin Cardin was the committee’s most vocal supporter of multi-modal transportation, asking what panelists thought about Highway Trust Fund money being used for non-highway and non-motorized projects, like multi-use trails and bikeways. Every panelist said federal funding should be transportation-specific but flexible, which would leave the question of which mode to spend on up the local agency spending the money.

Some panelists clearly don’t need mandates to invest in bike and pedestrian projects. “A bike path project is important in encouraging people to bike or walk to work,” said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. “You are taking cars off the road and it enhances the ability of people to get where they are going.”

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"Bike assaults car"

from TheWashCycle by washcycle
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[quote]
I was driving along River Road this evening when I rolled to a stop at an intersection where a bicycle was waiting for the light to change. I was in the middle of my lane – the rightmost through lane — and the bicycle was partway into the lane. There was plenty of room to its right, in an unoccupied right-turn-only lane.
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I approached the next intersection, I was as far left as I could go, with my tires just about touching the dotted white line. The bicyclist had also moved leftward, well into the lane. As I stopped, he threw his bike against my car and started screaming that I had hit him.
[end quote]
Sigh, I want to take Berner’s side because I’m not a fan of pounding or screaming, but when the cyclist moves left to take the lane (something I do when I feel like my kindness is not returned) Berner misses the message and pulls up beside him again, instead of waiting behind him. But Berner, I guess, doesn’t get that he is supposed to stop behind the cyclist.
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Deaths and Serious Accidents

I was appalled to learn of the fate of the Johns Hopkins student Nathan Krasnopoler, who was run over by an 80-year old driver as he was turning right. He suffered irrecoverable brain damage. Thats a precious life with a lot of promise wasted for no reason. This incident is eerily similar to what happened to John Yates in `09 as he was crushed by a truck turning right.

I have written on this post before about the perils of cycling in Baltimore. I have been cycling here for six years now and as sad as it is I have not seen any major improvement in the infrastructure or attitudes. With the poor economy and misdirected priorities, its hard to predict any meaningful change in the future.
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A Call to Plan Cities for Tomorrow, While Bracing for Transit Cuts Today

from Streetsblog Capitol Hill by Alice Ollstein

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“Are we doing right by the next generation?” Porcari asked. “We know we’re not.”
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Title VI protects everyone, including non-citizens, and it applies to transit agencies that receive federal funding. If individuals or groups have been discriminated against by local transit policies, they can file administrative complaints with the Federal Transit Administration which must be investigated. Thanks to the Bush Administration FTA, there’s a massive backlog of such cases. “Civil rights wasn’t exactly a priority under Bush,” said Brenman.
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Bike Maryland April Update

Bike Maryland

          

Event/Meeting Calendar

Dynamic presentations by Gil Peñalosa. April 6 (Baltimore, MD) and April 7 (Columbia, MD).

This is an opportunity to meet Mr. Gil Penalosa, 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, 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, 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.

April 18th, Bike Ambassador Training – Get Certified Now! 

5:00pm- 9:00pm at Race Pace Bicycles located at 1410 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21230; 410-986-0001 This free workshop will certify you to become a Bike Maryland Bike Ambassador.  Learn about being a Bike Ambassador here. The workshop will include:

  • Bike ABC Check- fundamental checks needed before you get on a bike – A (Air) B (Brakes) C’s (Chain/Cables)
  • “The Melon Test” – a simple and effective demonstration showing how helmets save lives
  • Traffic Simulation and Rules of the Road
  • How to perform a “Mock Bike Race” following traffic rules
  • Commuter skills training so you can teach commuter workshops
  • The opportunity to meet like minded people and make a difference by working to make Maryland a better place to live and to bike!
  • Refreshments

Ambassador requirements: completion of a training workshop and commitment to volunteer at a minimum of two ambassador events before October 1, 2011. RSVP here: Alex Ticu, Bike Maryland Bike Ambassador Coordinator.

April 21st, Envision Baltimore Workshop: Life in the “20-Minute Living” Community Using Transit and Transit Oriented Development to Improve Quality of Life and Achieve Sustainability

9am-12 p.m. American Visionary Arts Museum.  The Envision Baltimore initiative hosts this workshop for citizens and civic leaders who want to promote sustainability, with a focus on the city’s evolving transit system as a community-building opportunity. The interactive sessions spotlight transit-oriented development (TOD) as a strategy for creating pedestrian- and bike-friendly neighborhoods that put most needs of daily life within a 20-minute trip. TOD offers a mix of housing, offices, shopping and public gathering spots within walking distance of transit, bolstering the local economy and minimizing growth-related environmental impacts. Be sure to visit with Zipcar and Bike Maryland while sipping your coffee. Refreshments will be provided by Zipcar. Learn more.

May 5th, 6:30 – 8pm, Bike Maryland Spring Commuter Kick-Off Workshop

With gas prices going up and increasing awareness of the environmental and health benefits cycling offers, you’ve certainly heard talk about more people using a bike for transportation to work or school or just about anywhere you may want to go. Maybe you’ve even considered doing it yourself. Learn about bike commuting from a Bike Maryland board member who pedals his way to his Inner Harbor job daily, rain or shine. This workshop is the first in a series and will be limited to 30 people. View announcement.

Location: Race Pace Bicycles – 1410 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21230, 410-986-0001. Light refreshments will be served. Please rsvp here. If you’re thinking about trying bicycle commuting, attend this workshop to meet other commuters and learn about:

  • Riding safely in traffic
  • What to wear and look and smell good at work
  • Basics of Bike Commuting
  • Bike Commuting Excuse Busters

May 13-15, Winning Campaigns Training!

The Alliance’s Winning Campaigns Training is a boot camp for bicycle & pedestrian advocacy organizations. This action-oriented workshop gives novice and veteran advocates the tools to create and manage powerful campaigns to increase biking and walking in their communities. Curriculum will be taught by longtime advocates and national experts with first-hand experience conducting — and winning — bicycle and pedestrian campaigns. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AND LEARN MORE!  Location: Baltimore, MD; Friday, 5-9 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Take advantage of this vital, affordable training this spring in Baltimore! Hosted by: The Alliance for Biking and Walking and Bike Maryland.

Click HERE to view the full event calendar. 

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Why suing car insurance carriers for a at fault driver is not a punishment that fits the crime

By Frosh’s logic why do we have any criminal law what so ever? If you get robbed let the guy go free and take him to court to recover what he stole that should be adequate deterrent to prevent him from doing that again right? Better yet, for traffic law, let at fault drivers go free and make the insurance carrier pay for the damages. What’s the worst that’s going to happen, really high insurance rates for everyone?
Guess what we are already there at the 2nd highest car insurance rate https://www.insweb.com/auto-insurance/state-rates.html
You could save 50% or more on your car insurance by having safer drivers on Maryland’s roads.
The good news is Frosh has been trying to keep insurance down by fighting bills for comparative negligence. The bad news is this "savings" is born on the backs of bicyclists and pedestrians that have been bared from recovering any damages by at fault drives.
From a local law firm blog:
"Laws in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia are all slightly different when it comes to negligence. Some jurisdictions state [Frosh’s County has a reputation for being the strongest on enforcing the following] that if a cyclists is found just 1% negligent in an accident case, that they will be prevented from seeking damages."
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The status quo is not working!
Yet when it comes down to distracted driving with a cell phone that causes a crash, apparently Frosh thinks a $40 fine is enough of deterrent and has voted down HB 222 (Use of Wireless Communication Device – Prohibited Acts, Enforcement, and Penalties)
The pattern is becoming clear, Frosh is a friend of careless, distracted and reckless drivers and thinks all Marylanders want to see more of these on the road, not less.
Even more disturbing are his comments about HB 363 (Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel – Criminal Negligence) do we really have a Chairman of Judicial Proceedings that is so ignorant of legalese? All his comments have been addressed but he insists on twisting words to make the law out to something that it is not.
Whoever is going to run against Frosh next election please let us know!
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