by Aaron Colter
Car rental company Hertz seems to be expanding into the green sector this year, as we’ve recently reported that the company is installing some solar panels at select locations, and offering electric cars for rent in cities like Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, California.
Well, we can add one more eco-friendly initiative to the company’s portfolio – electric bicycles. While currently only available at London’s Marble Arch location, Hertz is offering twelve electric bicycles for rental, costing approximately $33 per bike per day.
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Continue reading “Electric Bicycle Rentals Come To Hertz”
I want to ride my bicycle…
By: Rachel Bernstein
Now that the weather’s nicer and traffic is just lousy around downtown already, commuting to work by bicycle is looking like a better option these days.
Waterfront Partnership and Bike Maryland are teaming up to host a workshop June 30 on the basics of bicycle commuting. Interested bicyclists will learn on how to get started on biking, staying safe on those dangerous roads, choosing the right equipment, routes and what to do in inclement weather.
All attendees will be entered to win a TREK 700 hybrid bike. The event, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will be free, but attendees must register.
Check out Waterfront Partnership’s site for more details and registration.
Donate to WTMD and you might win a Cannondale Hooligan…donated by Light Street Cycles
Win a Hooligan 3 Urban Solution Bicycle or a Year of Zeke’s Coffee when you make your membership gift!
Everyone who makes a gift on the phone or on-line between
Midnight June 15th and 11:59 pm June 27th will be entered into a drawing
for a Hooligan 3 Urban Solution bike courtesy of Light Street Cycles
Plus, a second prize winner will receive a 12 month supply of coffee from Zeke’s, Baltimore’s hometown coffee roaster. You’ll receive a package of 12 $25 gift cards to keep your WTMD coffee mug filled all year long!
No gift required to enter.
Continue reading “Donate to WTMD and you might win a Cannondale Hooligan…donated by Light Street Cycles”
JOIN GOV. O’MALLEY for Kick-Off Event for Cycle Maryland this Saturday
JOIN US for Kick-Off Event for Cycle Maryland
1:30 p.m.
Saturday – June 18
The Chesapeake Exploration Center on Kent Island
425 Piney Narrows Road
Chester, Maryland 21619
Governor Martin O’Malley is hosting a Kick-Off Event for Cycle Maryland at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, at the Chesapeake Exploration Center, 425 Piney Narrows Road Chester, Maryland 21619. The site is located just over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, right off of Route 50 on the waterfront along Kent Narrows on Kent Island. It also is the home of the Queen Anne County’s Tourism Office & Visitor Center.
The Kick-Off event will include a 10- to 12-mile bike ride along the Cross Island Trail on Kent Island following the announcement. Cyclists may choose do the 10-mile loop from the Chesapeake Exploration Center to the Terrapin Nature Center and back. For those who have worked up an appetite, you may choose to take the two-mile roundtrip, on-road trail spur to the restaurants on the east side of Kent Narrows.
The purpose of this new initiative is to promote cycling throughout Maryland. Cycle Maryland is a great way to get Marylanders out to connect with each other, their communities and all the wonderful amenities our State has to offer. Cycle Maryland is promoting a series of bicycling events across the state this summer and fall. The Kick-Off event is one of seven across the State from now through October.
Here is a link for the Cross Island Trail Map and description of trail and other access points.:
Address: Kent Island MD 21666
Contact Phone: QAC Parks and Recreation 410-758-0835
Hours: Dawn to Dusk
Directions: Accessible at various locations along the trail. From east to west off street parking is available at the Terrapin Nature Park, Old Love Point Park, Castle Marina Road, the Chesapeake Exploration Center and the public lots beneath the Kent Narrows US 50/301 Bridge. These lots are open daily from dawn to Dusk.
Pets: Allowed on leash (doggie bags provided)
Fees: None
Description: This tree-lined linear park offers a safe avenue for non-vehicular transportation. The trail is 6.5 miles long, spanning east to west from Terrapin Park to the Chesapeake Exploration Center at Kent Narrows, with future plans for expansion. The trail wanders through farmlands, meadows and woods accented with ornamental trees. Flanked by park benches, the trail crosses several creeks with wooden bridges, offering a spectacular view of waterfowl and wetlands. Portable toilets are available year round.
For Bikers who want to travel a further distance, here is a link to a 28-mile loop that connects to additional Kent Island trails:
https://www.parksnrec.org/images/stories/parks/maps/bikeroute1.pdf
Please check out the Cycle Maryland websites (some of these sites will not be live until Saturday, June 18)
Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/cyclemaryland
Twitter Page – www.twitter.com/CycleMaryland
Website with Interactive Bike Map – www.cycle.maryland.gov
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Road ID: Rules of the Road
[B’ Spokes: This is a great video safety series so please don’t let the spandex turn you off. I will also note in the second video "Cycling Skills" don’t turn it off just because you are not interested in track stands or jumping sticks. The last topic covered is the quick stop, an essential skill for all cyclists, not only can you stop faster, you can avoid doing yourself a "mischief" by braking too hard with your front brake without your weight far back causing you to flip over the handlebars.]
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Welcome to Road ID’s "Rules of the Road" video series. These videos were created in response to the numerous cycling-related accidents that we all hear about on a regular basis. The goal of these videos is to help make cycling safer for everyone that rides a bike.
https://www.roadid.com/RoadRules/
Fix-It-First Bill Introduced in Senate
from Streetsblog New York City by Angie Schmitt
Highway maintenance has been getting short shrift in state budgets, according to a recent report from Smart Growth America. But a bill introduced in the Senate today seeks to address the imbalance between road construction and maintenance.
Maryland Senator Ben Cardin has introduced legislation that would help address the imbalance in funding for highway maintenance versus construction. Photo: Ben Cardin
Maryland Senator Ben Cardin’s Preservation and Renewal of Federal-Aid Highways Act would require states to develop targets for road maintenance. It would also give USDOT authority to establish and hold states to standards for “state of good repair” on federal highways.
Smart growth advocates and transportation reformers applauded the announcement today, saying it would help put the country back on a sustainable, fiscally responsible path.
Allow Bicyclists and Pedestrians to Use Hatem Bridge
from Jeffrey H. Marks
Sen Nancy Jacobs, Annapolis, correctly indicates that the local Hatem bridge
that links Havre de Grace and Perryville, and allows fisherman and canoeists
access to recreation, should remain affordable to motorists (see “Columnist
Gets it Half Right on Proposed Toll Increases)”. But Sen Jacobs also only gets
it half right. What about people who can’t afford a car, one car families, and
other recreational users? Why aren’t people allowed to walk or bicycle across
this one mile bridge?
Transportation officials will chime in that the bridge was designed only
for motorists, and that walking or bicycling is unsafe. But Interstate 95, less
than a mile away, parallels the four lane Hatem Bridge. Trucks and through
traffic should use the Interstate, and the Hatem should be reconfigured into a
full service bridge for local traffic. Sidewalks and bikelanes should replace
the outer lane on this local bridge that connects these two communities. The
reconfigured Hatem Bridge would look similar to the two lane, full
service bridge that bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists use to enter
Annapolis near the Naval Academy.
An added benefit would be to remove a major barrier to the East Coast
Bicycle Trail that needs to cross the Susquehanna River. Local residents would
gain mobility by having other travel options besides driving. . Opportunities
to exercise and see one’s neighbors would be enhanced. And local residents
could still drive across the Hatem. Slowing down from 45mph on the current
bridge to say 30mph on the reconfigured bridge would add less than a minute to
travel time. And having a two lane bridge instead of a four lane would
encourage trucks and through traffic to use the Interstate instead of cutting
through local communities.
Cycle Maryland Kickoff Event
Governor Martin O’Malley will be leading us out to kick off this wonderful program!
Saturday, June 18 · 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Cross Island Trail
425 Piney Narrows Road,
Chester, MD
Queen Anne’s County Visitor’s Center
(aka Chesapeake Exploration Center)
Cycle Maryland announcement and trail ride with Governor O’Malley.
https://www.parksnrec.org/hiker-biker-trails.html
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[B’ Spokes: If someone (a bunch would be better) could ask O’Malley nicely to let some of that $31 million of unspent federal Transportation Enhancement money be spent by the counties for bike lanes. Or more simply "Please let the counties use federal money for bike lanes. And yes MDOT’s current policy (established in 1992) does not really allow that. But it is nice that you are out participating today."]
Continue reading “Cycle Maryland Kickoff Event”
Set the Record Straight
from Road Rights by JeanneEmery
No cyclist wants to relive a collision—but it pays to read the police report
By Bob Mionske
Picture this: You’re riding home from work, obeying all traffic laws, when a car knocks you off your bike. A few days later, you order the police report (usually about $10) and find mistakes in the account. Maybe you were unable to give a statement because of injuries, or you gave one while you were in shock, and you now believe it was incorrect. Or—even worse—you discover that the officer blamed you for the collision. What can you do?
First, the good news. A police report is not usually allowed as evidence at trial. Although officers can testify about what they saw, they cannot typically testify about what somebody else observed. (Not surprisingly, there are exceptions to the rule against hearsay evidence, and judges do occasionally allow such reports to be introduced at trial.)
In any case, a cyclist involved in a crash should check the police report for accuracy and have it amended if it’s erroneous. Doing so may strengthen your case with the driver’s insurance company, and prevent the need to go to trial. And if you were ticketed, an amended police report may convince prosecutors to drop the charges.
Try to review the report as soon as you are able. It will be more difficult to make changes after the report has been finalized. When you speak to the investigating officer, ask that your account of the incident be added to an amended report (see “Make Your Case,” below). If you present your case politely, the officer may be willing to amend the report. But if you file a complaint or make accusations of bias, you risk turning a potential trial witness into your adversary. Ask when the report will be finalized, and check back before that date to make sure that your addendum appears in the final document. If you are questioning the conclusion that you were at fault, the officer will likely be unwilling to shift blame to the driver, but you may be able to persuade him or her to take a neutral stance. This will place the responsibility for determining fault where it belongs: with the jury.
MAKE YOUR CASE
Disputing a police report? Here’s the info you’ll want to submit.
1) A written statement describing your disagreement with the report, in as much detail as possible.
2) A signed affidavit a sworn statement attesting to the truth of the addendum.
3) Photographs or any other evidence that supports your account.
4) Records of treatment you received—if you suffered an injury that affected your ability to give a statement at the scene.
Research and assistance provided by Rick Bernardi, J.D.
Continue reading “Set the Record Straight”
The Growth Ponzi Scheme
While these kind of posts don’t usually attract a lot of attention, I hope these little "sound bites" from larger more detailed articles give you some feel for what’s really going on with planning "requiring" use of the individual automobile. So while there are some interesting numbers and studies in the article, here is the final paragraph of the article from Strong Towns Blog by Charles Marohn:
If you want a simple explanation for why our economy is stalled and cannot be restarted, it is this: Our places do not create wealth, they destroy wealth. Our development pattern — the American style of building our places — is simply not productive enough to sustain itself. It creates modest short-term benefits and massive long-term costs. We’re now sixty years into this experiment, basically through two complete life cycles. We’ve reached the "long-term", and you can clearly see we’ve run out of options for keeping this Ponzi scheme going.
Continue reading “The Growth Ponzi Scheme”