By State Highway Administration, The Bay Net
Drivers should be Alert to Increased Road Activity as Warm Weather Moves Into Maryland
As warmer temperatures bring blooms onto Maryland’s native plants and trees, they also bring an increase in traffic volumes on Maryland’s highways. With construction projects resuming, fans are going in droves to Orioles and Nationals games, students returning to school following spring break and cyclists taking to roads and trails, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) and Motor Vehicles Administration (MVA) and the Maryland State Police (MSP) remind everyone to obey the rules of the road and to drive and bike responsibly.
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The partnership between MSP, SHA and MVA is vital as they work together to educate motorists on the rules of the road in an effort to reduce fatalities on Maryland roads to zero. Traffic crashes continue to be a leading cause of death for Maryland residents. In addition, many thousands of people across Maryland suffered injuries, and the overall economic impact of crashes measures in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
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“In Maryland, aggressive driving, especially speeding, is a real threat on our roadways. Speeding contributes to 40 percent of aggressive driving fatalities,” said Maryland MVA Administrator and Governor Martin O’Malley’s Highway Safety Representative John T. Kuo. “I caution all drivers as the weather improves to slow down, buckle up and to drive responsibly. We’re all working Toward Zero Deaths in Maryland because every life counts.”
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https://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/31639
Lawmaker Wants ‘Bicycle Pollution’ Tax [video]
[B’ Spokes: I found this conversation interesting as it comes from political commentators (The Young Turks) and not cycling advocates. Warning, some not so nice things are said about republicans.]
What counties are larger than whole states?
"Baltimore County (which doesn’t include Baltimore City) is more populous than Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota and Alaska; Prince George’s is also larger than South Dakota; Montgomery County larger than Delaware…"
Via: https://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/18392/what-counties-are-larger-than-whole-states/
Bike Group Sues City Over NYPD Fees
[B’ Spokes: One of the big hangups with Baltimore’s Sunday Streets is paying for the police, so I found this article interesting. I will also note as far as Baltimore is concerned I don’t see why trained volunteers can’t handle the minor intersections, there has to be something we can do to reduce the costs.]
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"Only athletic parades deemed to benefit charities are exempt from covering police expenditures."
https://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2013/04/01/bike-group-sues-city-over-nypd-fees/?mod=google_news_blog
‘Peak vehicle miles’ and city planning
B’ Spokes: Too many planners are predicting a doomsday if we don’t build more roads for the traffic apocalypse that is coming. But growing evidence suggests otherwise.
Read more: https://bettercities.net/article/peak-vehicle-miles-and-city-planning-19895
(Source of graphic)
Maryland: Cell phone laws, legislation
Via Handsfree Info
Maryland distracted driving update: A get-tough bill that upgrades enforcement of the state’s existing handheld cell phone law to primary status has cleared the House and Senate. The measure also would make significant increases in fines for distracted driving violations.
First offenses will bring a $75 fine. A second offense could bring a ticket of up to $125, and a third to $175. The current fine for violations range from $40 to $100. The plan to assign points was removed by amendments.
The removal of the secondary enforcement provision of the handheld cell phone law means police can stop and cite violators for that reason alone.
The bill, sent to the governor on April 8, was a rerun of previously unsuccessful legislation by Del. James Malone. “They can’t have (a cell phone) in their hand whatsoever,” Malone says. The legislature did water down the penalties in the original bill.
Two other 2013 bills also sought to remove the secondary enforcement limitation on the state’s existing handheld cell phone law.
State Sen. Nancy King puts a spin on the enforcement issue. Her Senate Bill 193 of 2013 specifies primary enforcement if a child under the age of 8 is in the vehicle when the driver violates Maryland’s handheld cell phone law. King, D-Montgomery County, also sponsors a bill seeking to increase penalties for not safely securing a child in a vehicle.
The state made several technical adjustments to its existing distracted driving laws during the 2012 legislative session. They included a separation of cell phones and texting devices under the legal definition of a “wireless communication device.”
Current prohibitions:
Text messaging prohibited for all drivers.
Handheld cell phone use banned for all drivers. Fines between $40 and $100.
Drivers under the age of 18 prohibited from any use of cell phones.
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https://handsfreeinfo.com/maryland-cell-phone-laws-legislation
Former D.C. cop admits to hit-and-run of cyclist
B’ Spokes: While this happened in D.C. still it’s worrisome that a retired police officer would do such a thing (caught on video.) On the lenient sentencing I really wonder if the court got the victim’s permission, it really does not seem right and sends the wrong message.
https://washingtonexaminer.com/former-d.c.-cop-admits-to-hit-and-run-of-cyclist/article/2526149
The Great Multitasking Lie
Poynton Regenerated
A community in decline, divided by decades of anti-social traffic engineering, is reunited and revitalised by streetscape redesign
“It’s the green light that encourages speed.”
Does Bike Share Make Bicycling More Popular?
Via Philly Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities
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A recent study examines the ridership levels Montreal’s BIXI Bike Share program over the course of its two-year implementation. Specifically, the researches investigated whether bike share would affect the number of people that ride bicycles. Researchers tracked usage among residents at the launch of the program, at the end of its first season, and at the end of its second season.
The likelihood of bicycle riding has increased in neighborhoods with Bike Share Stations. (Graph Courtesy of The Atlantic Cities)
The results showed that Montreal residents who lived near a BIXI station were not only more likely to ride a bike compared to everyone, but they were also more likely to ride a bike at the end of the second season. In short, this means that bike share will increase the likelihood of bike riding and not only serve existing cyclists.
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https://phillymotu.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/does-bike-share-make-bicycling-more-popular/