Clarification of article on rumple strips

In the article in question as originally published I added “[This is just sad that I get to hear about this from Delaware cyclists. Way to go MDOT on involving MD key stakeholders, not!] ” I hoped that the change in font and square brackets made it clear that the comment came from the editor (me) and not from the original author. So let me take this opportunity to clarify that I am the author of that comment and I sincerely apologize to the author of the article I quoted for the confusion it caused, I will take steps in the future to try and insure this kind of confusion does not happen again.

With that said, what was my point with that comment? So let me be clear… I believe in a Government where it and its citizens work together. To this end communication is essential and is one of the goals behind Baltimore Spokes is to improve that communication and create a communality of cyclists involved and informed about issues that affect them.

While this particular issue is not purely black and white (which I will discuss later on) and the State did reach out to more then Bike Delaware but let me put my main objectives up front, and stated as assertively as I can.

The State MUST do outreach to ALL its (interested/affected) citizens about its decisions on issues that might effect them. Toward that end the State MUST improve its communications to cyclists!
The State has failed to create an email distribution list (or newsletter) that all interested parties can sign up for.

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In the State’s (Michael Jackson) defense he thought I had moved away so he did not include me, that is a valid point but with an email list the person receiving can make that decision not the person sending. While I am in the process of moving, Baltimore Spokes is still going to be around and available to anyone who wants to submit content. To do this create a login then login and hit the contribute button. Or contact us via the information at the top of the home page and we’ll post it for you.

In a letter from from Michael Jackson (The State Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access) dated 4/15/10 he asks

Please note attached e-mail distribution list. If you have the ability to get a retraction listed in Baltimore Spokes that mentions more advocates than Bike Delaware were notified at the same time Bike Delaware was notified that would be greatly appreciated.

Certainly Michael

Second, I sent the notification out to a broad spectrum of the bicycling community including representatives from One Less Car, the Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club, the bicycle and pedestrian advisory committees for the DC (includes Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties), Baltimore and Wilmington areas (which includes Cecil County) and the Virginia Bicycle Federation. Baltimore Spokes was not notified directly because I didn’t have any contact person there besides you and was under the impression that you had left. Input has been received from Prince George ’s, Montgomery and Baltimore county residents on the rumble strip guidelines so far.

Part two of this discussion is the standard disclaimer on Michael’s emails which I quote in part :

LEGAL DISCLAIMER – The information contained in this communication (including any attachments) may be confidential and legally privileged. …

So without expressed permission/request to distribute all those on the distribution list are in somewhat of a legal bind and one has to read carefully whether this is seeking internal comments (which happens a lot) or if this is for public consumption. A simple note like “Please forward to all interested parties.” would have been helpful as it seems that almost everyone in Maryland took it as legally privileged information.

Part three of this discussion is where are all the Maryland Bike Clubs in this list? One would think if the State was truly interested in hearing from all cyclists it would at least consider some of the State’s largest bike clubs like BBC and PPTC.

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In conclusion I am really impressed with the folks at SHA and their efforts to accommodate cyclists and when they goof up is few and far in between, and I mean that as a complement. But that’s why it is important to seek comments far and wide from cyclists and it is just a shame that procedures are still not in place to insure that. SHA sought the help of Michael Jackson in getting feedback from the bicycling community and well, it was not as good as it could have been.

Original story: https://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20100413093628143
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