Month: January 2012

By Stephanie Mlot, Frederick News Post
The Frederick Police Department and the Ad Hoc Bicycle Advisory Committee are teaming up to teach local seniors about bicycle safety.
From 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Frederick Senior Center, Officer Michael Figgins and committee member George Ruszat will discuss how learning the rules of sharing the road can save lives.
"We thought that it would be a good idea to expand our educational programs to include the senior population, who often are intimidated by the thought of driving on the road with a cyclist," Ad Hoc Committee Chairwoman MaryLynn Hinde wrote in an email.
A light dinner will be available for $5, with a reservation. Call 301-600-1048 by Monday to make a reservation.
The event is open to the public. The Frederick Senior Center is at 1440 Taney Ave.
"Many people do not understand the ‘rules of the road,’" Hinde wrote. "And therefore do not know how to safely and confidently drive along with the growing number of cyclists in Frederick."
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Continue reading “Safety first, for all ages”

[B’ Spokes: Is this a case of a disappearing shoulder in favor of a high speed left turn bypass lane? If so we need to get SHA to revise their design guidelines.]
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WESTOVER – Maryland State Police are seeking information in a hit-and-run accident involving a bicycle on Saturday evening in Westover.
The bicyclist was traveling north on the shoulder of Route 413 near the Somerset County Health Department around 5 p.m. when a black Ford truck drove past the bicyclist, striking him in the back with the passenger’s side mirror.
The mirror was broken off during the collision. The bicyclist was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for medical treatment.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call state police in Princess Anne at 443-260-3700
Continue reading “SOMERSET: Bicyclist struck by truck”

Nonprofit Bike Maryland moves into high gear with the start of the General Assembly.
POSTED BY RON CASSIE AND ANISSA ELMERRAJI, Urbanite
Bike Maryland recently announced several key dates for bicycling enthusiasts and advocates, including its annual Maryland State Bicycle Symposium, a free training workshop for its bike ambassador program, and the organization’s first-ever Pro-Bike Lobby Night.
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https://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/StaffReport/archives/2012/01/24/pedal-power

[B’ Spokes: Note this is for the DC region, here in good old Baltimore we have 0.7% bike commuters vs. their 2.17% [for 2010, DC has 3.1%] or DC has 3 [4.4] times the number of cyclists that we do. Support for cycling in the Baltimore area is dismal compared to what is being done just 40 miles away.]
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By: Liz Essley, Washington Examiner
As Charmaine Rupolt biked through last week’s snow squall, she didn’t think it was time to trade up to a car. She thought she’d just like to have some goggles.
"I’m a die-hard," said the 53-year-old legal secretary, who bikes seven miles from her Maryland home to work in D.C. every day. "If people can be out walking in it, I can probably be out riding in it."
Rupolt isn’t the only die-hard out there. Bike commuting is on the rise in D.C. and the surrounding areas, supported by more and more trails, bike lanes, bike racks and employers who encourage biking with financial incentives and by providing bike storage and shower facilities in the workplace.
Census data show that the number of bike commuters grew 86 percent from 2000 to 2009. Events like Bike to Work Day grew from 500 participants in 2001 to 11,000 in 2011.
"I think bicycling is definitely on the rise," said Nicholas Ramfos, director of Commuter Connections for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
But it’s still a small percentage — only 2.17 percent of Washington-area residents bike to work, according to Census Bureau data.
"The car is still pretty much king," Ramfos said. "But that doesn’t mean [biking] is not going to have potential. It definitely does. There’s a lot of support behind it. There are a lot of elected officials and jurisdictions looking to do everything they can to promote bicycle and pedestrian activities."
In addition to the proliferation of bike lanes and other bike-friendly amenities offered by local governments, more private employers are hopping on the bike bandwagon.
"It’s much more in the public mind now and in the mind of employers. We’ve seen an increase in the interest and participation [in biking incentive programs]," said Chris Eatough, manager of Arlington County’s BikeArlington program.
Calvert Investments, a financial firm based in Bethesda, is one such employer. The company offers employees a one-time $500 subsidy toward the cost of a bike. It’s part of the company’s mission of sustainability, a spokeswoman said. Calvert also gives a 100 percent subsidy for employees who take public transit.
That kind of incentive is fueling interest in biking, which fans say is easier on the pocketbook, less stressful and more environmentally friendly than driving.
"As bicycling grows, the accommodations get better. As those get better, more people are induced to bike, and that’s a great spiral for us," said Shane Farthing, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.
Continue reading “Bicycle commuting catching on with employers across region”