B’ Spokes: I highly recommend that you watch this video, lots of great points. Additionally there is a link for another great video on the origins of the term “jaywalking”. Oh, by the way it is not a legal term in Maryland. Our law would be more accurately described as “crossing between consecutive intersections controlled by traffic lights.” Keep in mind a intersection is where two highways intersect and a highway* is something for vehicle travel, wither public or private, this also includes alleyways and very possibly driveways. So there are very few places where “jaywalking” is without a doubt illegal.
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/11/12/animation-explains-how-bad-planning-makes-car-ownership-compulsory/
* The legal definition of a highway follows:
Continue reading “Animation Explains How Bad Planning Makes Car Ownership Compulsory”
Study: Sprawling Areas Require 3 Times as Much Pavement Per Person
[B’ Spokes: And remember everyone pays close to the same in “road tax” so that means urban dwellers are paying for rural drivers. Which should put a end to the argument that rural drivers are paying for mass transit that they don’t use.]
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/11/11/study-sprawling-areas-require-3-times-as-much-pavement-per-person/
Stiffer drunken-driving bill stalled in Md. House panel; advocates worried
[B’ Spokes: Vallario is still insisting that the state be lenient with drunk drivers. 🙁 ]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/redistricting-looms-but-vallario-retains-old-school-grip-on-md-house-judiciary-committee/2013/03/03/f5356544-81f7-11e2-8074-b26a871b165a_story.html
Improvements coming to intersection where bicyclist died
B’ Spokes: On one hand it’s nice to see them doing something but on the other hand it’s just lipstick on a pig, the substance of the problem remains. Bigger stop signs, come on, that’s not going to do a thing. The issue is basically that if you accommodate a behavior, you get that behavior. In this case a right turn to an acceleration lane is the problem.
To explain further, people stop if there is cross traffic, no cross traffic little to no compliance for coming to a full and complete stop, too much like the wide radius right turns they put everywhere so people turning right don’t have to stop, heck they don’t even have to slow down.
The cheap fix would be to put a raised crosswalk in to make sure turning trucks slowed down significantly before turning (I believe the cost to be around $500). A better option would be to get rid of the acceleration lane and put a stop light in (I believe the cost to be around $2000.)
So there you have it, to prevent another cyclists death is not worth $2000. So sad that either of these options are not considered viable solutions.
WBAL’s coverage: https://www.wbaltv.com/news/improvements-coming-to-intersection-where-bicyclist-died/35801248