Where’s the traffic? Critics point to the Intercounty Connector’s often empty travel lanes, like these at the Route 29 interchange in Silver Spring, as proof that the road was unnecessary.
https://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Magazine/September-October-2013/The-Intercounty-Connector/index.php
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[B’ Spokes: For this we sacrificed a bikeway???]
Nate says good bye
Nate is leaving his job as bicycle & pedestrian planner for Baltimore City and will be working for a local engineering firm where he will be the on-site consultant for Maryland State Highway Administration’s (SHA) Bicycle Retrofit program.
Read about this and his accomplishments here: https://www.bmorebikes.com/moving-on-but-not-away/
Skatepark of Baltimore
https://www.skateparkofbaltimore.com/
Vehicular manslaughter charge worth more than money
Via Miller and Zois
2012: $1,000,000 Settlement. A mother is pushing her 14 month-old son in a stroller on the sidewalk and is struck and killed by truck that overshot its U-turn. The child is uninjured. Some witnesses say when the truck was coming at her she pushed her child to safety before her life was taken.
….
(It is worth nothing the family was more interested in whether a vehicular manslaughter criminal case would be brought than the money.)
https://www.millerandzois.com/Baltimore-Personal-Injury-Lawyer.html#verdicts
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[B’ Spokes: Cyclists are not the only ones interested in seeing vehicular manslaughter charges brought against outrageous driving behavior. It is often claimed that an injured cyclist has redress in civil court but my contention is that having an insurance company pay the damages is not justice nor is it much to curtail outrageous driving. Seriously, if you were reading the paper and saw that a insurance company paid a settlement you would maybe double check your coverage. Compare that to reading about someone doing jail time or lost their licence to drive, you would most likely drive more carefully.]
The value of high visibility clothing on fast roads [video]
Bicyclists embark on road to local healthy living
By Rebecca J. Barnabi, SoMd News
More than 200 bicyclists rode from Gilbert Run Park on one of five routes to local farms in the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission’s second Crop Hop on Saturday.
…
“I was diagnosed with diabetes in November,” Tena Branstetter said. “I wanted a way to lose weight and get in shape.”
She has lost more than 65 pounds and so far is able to control type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise, she said. Most of her exercising consists of bicycling, and she said her endocrinologist said she has never had a patient come so far.
…
https://www.somdnews.com/article/20131023/NEWS/131029712/1055/bicyclists-embark-on-road-to-local-healthy-living&template=southernMaryland
A Reminder about Bicycle Safety [by Maryland State Police] [video]
[B’ Spokes: Overall very good but 33 minutes is rather long.
A few nitpicks: I wish they got into the whole cyclists impeding traffic thing as we have a on going history of MVA and police getting that wrong. Though they did mention cyclists are excluded from “laws that begins, the driver of a motor vehicle may not do some behavior ” – OK that covers (I hope) the misapplying of § 21-804 “a person may not willfully drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.” But we do have that we may not ride two abreast if we are impeding traffic. Does that mean anytime we are not going the speed limit (I hope not) or if traffic starts to back up (at least two cars) and cyclists are still riding two abreast? It would have been nice to see some sensible direction on enforcement of this law as it has come up from time to time.
I am very disappointed that there was no mention to get the cyclist’ statement after a crash. I hear about officers doing this too often and I encourage that if it happens to you request an amended police report. Though the video did mention to treat crashes involving cyclists just like two car crashes but I’m not sure if that would be enough to get rid of the outrageous behavior of not interviewing the cyclist at all.
I would have loved to see a bit more stress on warning/ticketing drivers parking in bikeways. It seems implied but they never come out and say it. Can we use this to encourage BCPD to do just that? As I said a little wishy washy with the wording.
Summary: Very good background and reasons given for the video. A must watch for that alone.]
Scottish Parliament to debate ‘Strict Liability’ usage
by Mark Sutton, Bike Biz
Cross party support for law which places onus on motorist to prove they were not at fault in a collision with cyclists or pedestrians
…
The motion reads: "That the Parliament believes that the number of fatalities and injuries to pedestrians and cyclists on Scotland’s roads, including in the Lothian region, is unacceptably high; recognises that the Scottish Government has funded a number of national cycle safety initiatives; notes that versions of a strict liability rule exist in the civil law of many European countries; notes that a number of walking and cycling organisations support the introduction of such a law in Scotland; understands that a petition by Cycle Law Scotland on this topic has secured over 5,000 signatures; considers that a stricter liability rule could have positive benefits for the safety of more vulnerable road users as part of a package of measures, and would welcome further debate on this proposal."
…
https://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/scottish-parliament-to-debate-strict-liability-usage
For the price of a mile of highway, you too can have a bike-friendly city
By Elly Blue, The Guardian
Cars. They’re noisy and ugly. They smell terrible and cause disease on an epidemic proportion. They move way too fast, take up an extraordinary amount of space, are a leech on the economy, and have a propensity to run people over, especially kids. What’s to love?
…
For one thing, there’s money. Cars are a major source of household debt – and unlike other investments like houses, they depreciate, costing more the longer you own them and the more you use them. For most US families, car ownership is one of those damned-either-way propositions. According to the federal Consumer Expenditure Survey for 2012, the average US family of four spends about $10,000 a year on transportation – more than they spend on food. This isn’t reasonable or affordable. But the alternative can be far worse, depending on where you live, work, send your kids to school, school, shop, get healthcare, go to church, and all the other things we do in our daily lives.
Then there’s the cost of roads – building and maintaining them. Our gas taxes cover this, is the myth. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been true since 1956, …
…
As I’ve written elsewhere, emissions from cars are implicated in nearly all the chronic diseases that are currently hurting our population, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and even autism. That’s to say nothing of the other health impacts of a car-oriented society, such as the lack of opportunities to exercise, zoning that encourages big box businesses and fast food consumption, stress, and social isolation and depression (pdf).
…
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/28/price-mile-highway-bike-friendly-city
[B’ Spokes: I really wanted to copy the whole thing, it’s that good.]
Cycling gunman robs pedestrian in Glen Burnie
By By BEN WEATHERS, Capital Gazette
Anne Arundel County Police are searching for a man on a bicycle armed with a gun who robbed a pedestrian Wednesday night.
…
He is black and in his late teens, about 6-feet tall and weighs between 160 and 170 pounds. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and a ski mask over his nose and mouth. [on a black and red BMX style bike]
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Metro Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-866-7LOCKUP or by texting “MCS” plus a message to CRIMES (274637).
https://www.capitalgazette.com/news/for_the_record/cycling-gunman-robs-pedestrian-in-glen-burnie/article_dbf6649e-0fd2-5bbf-aeaf-0b04a54b2ee6.html
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[B’ Spokes: Not that far from the B&A trail so cyclists may want to be on the look out as well.