Via Delmarva Now
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“The bike routes are being planned so that they avoid busy sections of Ocean City, such as Coastal Highway or Baltimore Avenue,” said Town
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Kayla and Lucas Baier, two Ocean City residents who currently attend college at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and George Washington University, respectively, were particularly excited about the prospect of adding bike paths that will run the length of the island.
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2015/06/11/ocean-city-bike-paths/71081844/
VANCOUVER, BC: NEARLY 50% PED, BIKE & TRANSIT MODE SHARE
-> Recent travel data show that the City of Vancouver’s (BC) automobile mode share has declined to about half of all trips (most North American cities have about 80% automobile mode share), offset by growth in walking, cycling and public transit trips. Daily automobile trips declined from 980,000 in 2013 to just 918,000 in 2014, while walking, cycling, and public transit trips rose from 893,000 to 905,000. That puts the alternative modes in a statistical dead heat with automobile trips. The city has already surpassed its long-term target to reduce vehicle trips at least 20 percent by 2040.
The Vancouver region:
* Has 3.9 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents, one of the lowest among North American cities, and despite rapid growth in bicycle travel, crashes involving bicycles have not increased, indicating a declining crash rate.
* Households devote just 12.4 percent of their household budgets to transportation, the least of any North American city
* Rates as one of the worlds most livable cities. [https://bit.ly/1BmpasZ ]
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
US DOT MAYORS CHALLENGE UPDATE – and yes, Baltimore is now included
-> As of May 19, 2015, 218 cities have signed on to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxxs Mayors Challenge (https://1.usa.gov/1Cx9G8C). (Check to see if yours is among them: https://1.usa.gov/1GjTMD8) The Challenge, part of the Secretarys Safer People, Safer Streets initiative to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, calls for mayors and top elected officials to take a public stance to reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes. The effort calls for cities to take action in seven areas:
Take a Complete Streets approach.
* Identify and address barriers to make streets safe and convenient for all road users, including people of all ages and abilities and those using assistive mobility devices.
* Gather and track biking and walking data.
* Use designs that are appropriate to the context of the street and its uses.
* Take advantage of opportunities to create and complete pedestrian and bicycle networks through maintenance.
* Improve walking and biking safety laws and regulations.
* Educate and enforce proper road use behavior by all.
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
Biking: Ride and bike with a scenic railroad pass
Via Post Gazette
The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad invites bicyclists to enjoy both by riding its passenger train from Cumberland to Frostburg and then returning to Cumberland along the Great Allegheny Passage.
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https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2015/05/23/Biking-ride-and-bike-with-scenic-railroad-and-Eat-Play-Ride-holds-fundraiser/stories/201505230065
Bikers want to get moving on new trail
A group of mountain bikers wants to build the county’s first mountain bike trail in Crownsville.
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https://www.capitalgazette.com/news/ph-ac-cn-mountain-biking-0603-20150604-story.html
Recommendations shmasions, cars +1 foot, bikes -1 foot (Roland Cycle Track)
No doubt I like nice things for cyclists but with a near constant trimming of recommendations for bike facilities in Baltimore they are less pleasant then advertised. Some cyclists (mostly those new to cycling) like the improvement others (generally those that have been cycling before the so called improvement) are not that happy with and are taken to avoid the bike facilities.
We are now facing a one way cycle track on Roland Ave with a speed limit of 25 mph. Roland is classified as an arterial collector. The critical widths in this discussion are:
4′ bike lane, 2′ buffer, flex posts, parking and two 10.5′ travel lanes. (and the same for the other direction of the road. (And if it helps, the two directions are separated by a landscape median.)
I would be a lot happier with a 5′ bike lane and two 10′ travel lanes but since this is a State funded project lanes less than 10.5′ are not allowed. I can sort of see that standard for State roads which are all arterial but on a local road? Baltimore has local roads as narrow as 9′ and we manage.
The road in question in Google maps.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.355961,-76.634585,3a,75y,346.16h,67.38t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6IrUvAz49QxjCxbVsgyPDg!2e0
In the first meeting a cyclist brought up the need to pass slower cyclists. And the Director of Transportation said something to the effect “I’m tired of all you cyclist and your speeding.” And I’m thinking “But but bicyclists passing is mentioned in the official design considerations for cycle tracks.” But one of the things I would love to see promoted is bike facilities that allow side by side riding, that is really nice when you can do that, especially if we are talking about young families taking their kids out for a bike ride.
Bicycling Events in Baltimore this summer
Via Comeback City
[Just headings]
Kinetic Sculpture Race: Sunday, June 14
Tour Dem Parks: Sunday, June 14
Baltimore Bike Party: Friday, June 26, July 31, and August 29…
Tour Du Port: Sunday, September 27
[More information, pictures and links] https://comebackcity.us/2015/06/02/bicycling-events-in-baltimore-this-summer/