Month: August 2012

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Our View: Bicycles are going mainstream

via DelmarvaNow.Com
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Each bicycle trip that serves a useful purpose translates to one less motor vehicle on the road. Cumulatively, this correlates to less wear and tear on roads and other infrastructure, less traffic congestion on some roads, less gasoline consumed and lower levels of emissions in the air. Over time, individuals using bicycles on a fairly regular basis to go places to which they otherwise would have driven a motor vehicle become more physically fit and healthier, which could lead to a reduced need for medical interventions and medications. That means whatever money the individuals might have spent on health care services remains available for discretionary spending. That can be thousands of dollars a year per household, enough to make an impact that’s sustainable as long as the activity level is maintained.
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The benefits of accommodating bicyclists are clear: Healthier people, lower emissions, fewer motor vehicles using the road, less wear and tear on both roads and motor vehicles, and more money in people’s pockets. If there is a downside, it’s not immediately obvious.
This increasing use of bicycles is a movement we’d like to see gain momentum.
https://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20120727/OPINION01/207270318/Our-View-Bicycles-going-mainstream

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Press Release: Performance Bicycle Awards $30,000 in Grants – Bike Maryland gets $3,000

 
Performance Bicycle ® Announces its 
‘Better Bicycling Community’ Grants Winners


Nation’s Largest Independent Cycling Retailer Awards
10 Local Communities With $3,000 Grants 

CHAPEL HILL, NC – (Aug. 1, 2012) – Performance Bicycle®,the nation’s largest independent
cycling retailer, is proud to announce the winners of its $30,000 in “Better Bicycling Community” grants. Ten community organizations from across America were chosen to receive a $3,000 grant to support local efforts in making cycling more accessible.
 
“It was a tough decision to narrow it down to 10 recipients,” said Performance Bicycle Chief Executive Officer David Pruitt. “We want to thank all the terrific organizations dedicated to making cycling more accessible. Each one is a vital part of their community and we appreciate their hard work and commitment.”
 
From rejuvenating a mountain bike trail to raising support for better bike lane infrastructure, each grant will address a critical local cycling need. The grants will be administered in collaboration with the Alliance for Biking & Walking.
 
“It’s been great working with Performance on this initiative,” said Alliance for Biking & Walking President / CEO Jeff Miller. “Promoting safe and enjoyable bicycling is one of our top priorities, and to have a company like Performance help advance cycling at this level is fantastic. We are honored to be working with each of the community groups and looking forward to seeing the final results of their efforts.”
 
The ten organizations that will receive a Better Bicycling Community grant are spread across the country. Each will involve the community and will work with their local Performance store to achieve their grant goals. . The funded campaigns are as follows:
 

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Bike Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland): Bicycle Friendly Maryland Campaign
Bike Maryland is devoted to improving the overall bikeability of Maryland by implementing the guidelines laid out by the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) program. Working closely with businesses, universities, and communities throughout the state, they strive to make Maryland a more bicycle friendly place to live, work, and play.

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About Performance Bicycle®:
Performance Bicycle® is the No. 1 specialty bicycle retailer in the U.S. and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Performance Inc. Performance provides a multi-channel cycling retail experience that spans more than 100 stores nationwide, and www.PerformanceBike.com, all catering to both the avid cycling enthusiast and the recreational rider. Performance Inc. is majority owned by North Castle Partners of Greenwich, Conn. For more
information about Performance Bicycle, please visit www.PerformanceBike.com.
 
About the Alliance for Biking & Walking:
The Alliance for Biking & Walking is the coalition of more than 200 state and local bicycle and pedestrian organizations working together to promote bicycling and walking in North American communities. To learn more about the Alliance, visit 
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City Receiving $2 Million for Transit and Bike/Ped Infrastructure

By Ron Cassie, Baltimore Magazine

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation has won four grants under two state and federal programs to upgrade bus and light rail service, further develop the downtown bicycle network, improve the Inner Harbor promenade and teach bicycle safety, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced today.

“Families are attracted to strong neighborhoods with transportation choices including bikeways and safe pedestrian access,” Mayor Rawlings-Blake said in a press release, touting the grants as a step toward her oft-stated goal of attracting 10,000 new families to the city. “These grants will go a long way to increase quality of life in Baltimore’s neighborhoods.” Rawlings-Blake thanked U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the Maryland Congressional Delegation and Gov. Martin O’Malley for their work in providing these grants to Baltimore.
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https://www.baltimoremagazine.net/bikeshorts/2012/07/city-receiving-2-million-for-transit-and-bikeped-infrastructure

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How Wealth Reduces Compassion

[B’ Spokes: Just the bit relevant to this blog but the whole thing is interesting.]
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By Daisy Grewal, Scientific American
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In one study, Piff and his colleagues discreetly observed the behavior of drivers at a busy four-way intersection. They found that luxury car drivers were more likely to cut off other motorists instead of waiting for their turn at the intersection. This was true for both men and women upper-class drivers, regardless of the time of day or the amount of traffic at the intersection. In a different study they found that luxury car drivers were also more likely to speed past a pedestrian trying to use a crosswalk, even after making eye contact with the pedestrian.
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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-wealth-reduces-compassion

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MD Streets Rank No. 8 in Bicycle Safety

B’ Spokes: (In reaction to the Silver Spring Patch article of the same name.) Er… no. LAB’s ranking has nothing to do with safety, especially the overall ranking of all the following areas combined: Legislation and Enforcement, Policies and Programs, Infrastructure and Funding, Education and Encouragement, Evaluation and Planning.
I will also highlight LAB’s feedback (note the last item in regards to safety.)
• Develop a Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) curriculum for bicycling enforcement both for new officers and continuing education – focus on laws related to bicyclists, interactions between motorists and bicyclists, and bicycle collision investigation.
• Adopt federal funding project rating criteria that incentivize bicycle projects and accommodations. The state is spending a low amount, less than .50 percent, of federal funding on bicyclists and pedestrians, particularly on transportation enhancements.
• Bicycle ridership, while good, must continue to increase. Determine barriers that people face when bicycling and implement a comprehensive strategy to reduce barriers and increase ridership.
• Add bicycle safety as an emphasis area in the state Strategic Highway Safety Plan and aggressively fund bike safety projects.
The Patch article: https://silverspring.patch.com/articles/md-streets-rank-no-8-in-bicycle-safety-119465af
LAB’s report card for Maryland: https://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlystate/bfs_report_cards/maryland.pdf

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Cops: Bikes help cut crime

[B’ Spokes: I would love to see more emphases on bike patrols in Baltimore.]
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byKristi Funderburk, Asbury Park Press
SEASIDE PARK — The borough’s police chief wanted a bicycle patrol to help improve the department’s ability to combat misdemeanors in the busier sections of town.
In two years, the patrol has been so effective the department is on track to generate more than $1 million in court revenue.
The borough’s bike patrol, established in 2011, has played a significant role in curtailing incidents from drug use to noise issues, borough Police Chief Frances Larkin said.
“They were very good at detecting marijuana smells, hearing disturbances and detecting underage drinking,” he said. “They were very mobile and able to cover a lot of the area without being detected.”
That has helped the department as a whole issue more citations. While the goal of the bicycle patrol was to improve quality of life, and Larkin feels it has, there has been a residual benefit in revenue.
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Continue reading “Cops: Bikes help cut crime”