Bike Baltimore ,
Vol. 1, Issue 2
Thank you for subscribing to the BIKE BALTIMORE e-newsletter distributed by
the Baltimore
City , Department of
Transportation. Here you will find the latest information regarding the
city’s efforts to make Baltimore
a safer and more enjoyable place to bike.
This month, Baltimore ’s
bike-related improvements are all about bike racks and parking!
SUPPORT!
Please contact your congressional representatives and ask
them to support new projects for the Baltimore
area! The City of Baltimore has 4 active transportation projects that
will need federal funding – Herring Run Trail extension, Baltimore &
Annapolis Trail extension, Bike Station improvements and reconstructing the
Middle Branch Bridge for cyclists and pedestrians! A brief description of
these projects can be found at www.baltimorecity.gov/bike
The Bike Summit
on May 1st provided an array of ideas on improving biking in
Baltimore . Now comes
the fun part: Contributing to make this vision a reality! A summary
of the Bike Summit is available online soon.
To reach one of the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory
Committee 2009 goals, DOT and the MBAC will host mapping parties later this summer. We’ll collect
information on good existing bike routes to be incorporated into a bike map for
the Baltimore
area. Details will follow online.
BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE
New Bike Parking – The Department of
Transportation’s Maintenance Division has installed over 60 bike racks
over the past month! The communities of Highlandtown, Belair-Edison,
Waverley , Remington and
Hamilton are some of the areas where the new
racks are installed. To request a bike racks, visit the online form here.
Four bike racks were installed at the
Federal Hill
Preparatory School on
William St .
The racks were full on their first full day of installation! A great sign
for Baltimore ’s
future!
Site at the school before the
racks
DOT crews installing the
racks
Bikes all locked up! (Note the training wheels & helmet)
BIKE EVENTS
Bike To Work Day, held May 15th, was a
big success! The downtown rally hosted 150 participants and featured
Mayor Sheila Dixon, DOT Director Al Foxx &
Maryland Dept. of the Environment Secretary
Shari Wilson.
Tour Dem Parks, Hon is this Sunday, June 14th!
Tour dem Parks is a major
fund raising event focused on supporting groups and organizations dedicated to
improving Baltimore ’s
park system. The event provides friends and families with an opportunity to
ride together and discover little-known treasures in the city. Registration
is available online here. The tour offers 4
different routes (12, 25, 36 and 64 miles) are available for varying
abilities. The Tour begins and ends at
Carroll Park
7:00
am Registration starts
8:00 am First riders can leave the park
11:00 am BBQ and music start
12 Noon All riders please try to be off the
streets
ARTSCAPE,
the nation’s largest FREE arts festival, is July
16th – 18th and features BIKE PARKING. The
University of
Maryland is sponsoring free bike parking
for a less-stressful option for to getting to and from Artscape. The bike
parking will be staffed with volunteers who will provide goodie bags to
cyclists. To volunteer for the event, please contact Kathy Hornig at Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.
Following then President-elect Obama’s visit, this is the 2nd
major event in the city this year that offers bike parking.
Also at Artscape, Baltimore Bicycle Works will be offering Bicycle Frame
Builders Exhibit & Demonstration. Come meet some of Baltimore ‘s
premiere frame builders Tommy Nash, Tom Palermo and Chris Bishop at Baltimore
Bicycle Works to display their artisan hand-crafted. Demonstration at 3pm on
Saturday.
In time for Artscape,
the winners of the Station North Bike Rack
Competition will be installed. These unique racks can be found
along the 1700 & 1800 block of Charles
Street and the unit & 100 block of
West North Avenue .
Tour du Port,
Baltimore ‘s Premier Bicycle Event, takes
place October 4th. Join thousands of riders at the
Canton Waterfront
Park to kick off the 16th
Annual Tour du Port. Routes range from 12 to a new 1/2 century 50 mile ride!
The route travels through over twelve historic neighborhoods, waterfront areas
and parks. This fully supported tour includes lunch, refreshments at rest
stops, map and sag and a post-ride celebration at Tour’s end. This event is One
Less Car’s Annual Fundraiser! All fees go directly to advancing the programs
and advocacy efforts of One Less Car, a non-profit dedicated to walking,
bicycling and mass transit in Maryland .
Click here to register:
These events and more can be found on the Bike
Baltimore website at www.baltimorecity.gov/bike