from TheWashCycle by Jim Titus
Sources close to the investigation of the death of Natasha Pettigrew say that the State’s Attorney will seek an indictment for fleeing the scene of an accident in which a death occurred. Given the lack of witnesses willing to testify, there is insufficient evidence for manslaughter. No other details are available at this time.
Ms. Pettigrew was the Green Party candidate for US Senate last year, until she was struck by an SUV while riding south on Largo Road (MD-202) near Prince Georges County Community College, early in the morning of September 19, 2011. The driver stopped briefly and then proceeded home to Upper Marlboro, dragging Ms. Pettegrew’s bike all the way, later telling police she thought she hit a deer. Initial statements by the state police implied that the police believed the driver and blamed Ms. Pettigrew for the crash, for not wearing reflective clothing. Reporters and Ms. Pettigrew’s mother soon found reflective clothing that she had been wearing at the scene of the crash.
A memorial bike ride for is planned for September 17.
Continue reading “Charges Expected in Natasha Pettigrew Case”
Is AA cracking down on cyclists and letting speeding motorists off the hook?
I saw this posted on Facebook: "Passed two AA County bike police, again, radar gun in hand, presumably ticketing speeding bicyclists on the trail. What about speeding motorists? More of them then us."
If you have been ticketed please let us know.
I’ll note the data I have (from 2006) shows Anne Arundel County being very lax in giving motorist speeding tickets unless they are going 20 mph over the speed limit, I wounder if they’ll do the same for cyclists?
It’s also worth noting that comparing the last crash data publicly available; bike crashes are down from 88 to 80 while car crashes are up from 8427 to 8995. I certainly hope AA is cracking down on drivers with equal vigor.
Continue reading “Is AA cracking down on cyclists and letting speeding motorists off the hook?”
Effect of 20 mph traffic speed zones on road injuries in London, 1986-2006
Abstract
Objective To quantify the effect of the introduction of 20 mph (32 km an hour) traffic speed zones on road collisions, injuries, and fatalities in London.
Design Observational study based on analysis of geographically coded police data on road casualties, 1986-2006. Analyses were made of longitudinal changes in counts of road injuries within each of 119 029 road segments with at least one casualty with conditional fixed effects Poisson models. Estimates of the effect of introducing 20 mph zones on casualties within those zones and in adjacent areas were adjusted for the underlying downward trend in traffic casualties.
Setting London.
Main outcome measures All casualties from road collisions; those killed and seriously injured (KSI).
Results The introduction of 20 mph zones was associated with a 41.9% (95% confidence interval 36.0% to 47.8%) reduction in road casualties, after adjustment for underlying time trends. The percentage reduction was greatest in younger children and greater for the category of killed or seriously injured casualties than for minor injuries. There was no evidence of casualty migration to areas adjacent to 20 mph zones, where casualties also fell slightly by an average of 8.0% (4.4% to 11.5%).
Conclusions 20 mph zones are effective measures for reducing road injuries and deaths.
Continue reading “Effect of 20 mph traffic speed zones on road injuries in London, 1986-2006”
PLACEMAKING: HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR TRANSPORTATION AGENCY (Part 3)
by Mark Plotz (highlights)
…
The implied threat of being sued for building anything other than the same old incomplete street, is a tool deployed far & wide by DOTs to shutdown discussion and give cover for eliminating crosswalks (might encourage pedestrians to cross a dangerous road); paved shoulders and sharrows/bike lanes (might encourage bicyclists to use the public roadways); and sidewalks (might encourage pedestrians to walk in the auto recovery zones). When confronted with the ‘L’ word, take a deep breath (and recognize that lawyers aren’t born with kung-fu grips, so they’re not so scary); stand your ground; then consider Gary’s translation of what is really happening:
"I watched this happen many times during my career at NJDOT. What I began to learn, however, was that most of the transportation professionals who cited liability had never been sued or even consulted with an attorney."
…
Lastly, when faced with the liability argument, it is entirely appropriate to ask: "What’s the cost of maintaining the status quo?" The purpose of starting the conversation about roadway design is to ensure the needs and safety of all anticipated users will not be overlooked and can be reasonably met. Removing a crosswalk or leaving a shoulder out of a design will not prevent pedestrians from crossing the road or a bicyclist from riding to work in a transit-deficient area. The story that follows explains the aftermath of what happens when transportation planners and engineers design roads for cars, then look the other way.
Continue reading “PLACEMAKING: HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR TRANSPORTATION AGENCY (Part 3)”
Name that speed
Excerpts from New Urban Network – The Source for Urban Planning, Walkable Communities & Smart Growth by Charles Marohn
Driving across the Irish countryside, I was impressed and — as an engineer trained in the United States — actually quite stunned by how they handled the transition from country road to town street. Driving along the highway at a high speed, I would be channeled into a traffic calming section — a roundabout with a small radius or a dramatic lane narrowing was most common — and find myself suddenly in town driving at a very low speed.
…
To prove the point, today I’m going to present photos of Highway 61 all taken within the city limits of Grand Marais. I have cropped each image to reveal only the highway, removing all of the adjacent land use. Your challenge is to go through and identify the speed limit for each section. You have three to choose from: 55, 40, and 30 mph.
Say no to the gas tax – says Tea Party
“Sadly, it has been used in large cities to subside a transportation system, the subway systems of New York, Chicago, San Francisco. "
Continue reading “Say no to the gas tax – says Tea Party”
Park(ing) Day 2011 | PARK(ing) Day 2011 is Friday, September 16th
PARK(ing) Day is an annual, worldwide event that invites citizens everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good.
Continue reading “Park(ing) Day 2011 | PARK(ing) Day 2011 is Friday, September 16th”
Joe’s Bike Shop – ALL Woman’s clothing sale
OK ladies the kids are back in school the Hurricane/ Tropical storm has past, Power is being restored it is time to have a SALE!!!! ALL Woman’s clothing, shoes and accessories are 25% off. There is nothing like new cycling stuff to get one motivated. HAPPY SEPTEMBER!( Sale runs THURS Sept 1st thru TUES. Sept- 6th.)
Continue reading “Joe’s Bike Shop – ALL Woman’s clothing sale”
Federal tax dollars at work for your safety – speeds up to 180 MPH on Pratt St [video]
[B’ Spokes: Just a reminder that federal safety money helped make this possible. Pedestrians involved in traffic crashes, Baltimore City represents 32% of the state. Yup, accommodating speeds of up to 180 mph is going to help that a lot. [/sarcasm]]