Posted on by B Spokes

BTAG Meeting Next Friday, January 21, 8:30 AM in Bowie

Prince George’s County’s BTAG (Bicycle and Trails Advisory Group) is comprised of citizens and government officials who want to promote bicycling in Prince George’s County and to improve the conditions for people riding bicycles in the county. Anyone is welcome to attend and participate in the quarterly BTAG meetings. The January Quarterly Meeting of BTAG is scheduled for Friday, January 21 from 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM at the Bowie Senior Center.

I encourage anyone interested in bicycling in Prince George’s County to attend the meeting. We will be meeting in the Ceramics Room in the Bowie Senior Center. The Senior Center is located along Health Center Drive near the Bowie Town Center. The senior center is the second building on the left after you turn onto Health Center Drive from Northview Drive. 

Topics submitted so far for the agenda include: 

  • The cycle track concept along US 1 (see note below)
  • The Bowie Heritage Trail 
  • The Potomac Heritage Trail On-Road Bicycle Route Signage Plan 
  • The Dinosaur Trail proposal in northern Prince George ‘ s County 
  • Anacostia River Trail Update 
  • Piscataway Creek MOU 
  • Star Spangled Banner Trail (Croom Road corridor and Cheverly to Bladensburg) 
  • The 2011 Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Symposium in Annapolis 

Please contact Fred Shaffer via e-mail or at 301-952-3661 if you have any additional agenda items, questions or would like to follow-up regarding a specific issue. 

Fred Shaffer
Planning Department, M-NCPPC 
Fred.shaffer@ppd.mncppc.org 
301-952-3661 

Note on Cycle Track along US 1: 

Councilmember Olson will probably be at the meeting and he is hoping for support for the cycle track concept on US 1, a cycleway along US 1 that would be separated from motor traffic.  There will be a brief presentation on the proposal which is included in the new US 1 Sector Plan. SHA has written a fairly strongly worded memo against the concept.  But, the hope is that if enough cyclists support the idea, SHA  might reconsider.  The cycle track it is an extremely long-term proposal and the Sector Plan still supports bike lanes in the short and mid-terms.  However, due to the 1) vehicular speeds, 2) traffic volume, and 3) the amount of truck traffic on US 1, the plan supports a separate, dedicated facility for cyclists as part of the long-term vision.  Also, it is hoped that this type of protected, dedicated facility will encourage more people to make some trips by bicycle.  By providing a facility that people feel comfortable on will encourage more people to make trips in the corridor by bike.
Directions from the Capital Beltway to the BTAG meeting: 
Take US 50 East 
After approximately 7 or 8 miles, take MD 197 south. 
Turn right at the first light ( just past the pedestrian bridge) for Northview Drive 
After less than ¼ mile on Northview Drive, turn right at the first light for Health Center Drive. 
The Bowie Senior Center is the second building on the left ( 14900 Health Center Drive ) . 
The Ceramics Room is located past the front desk along the hallway to the right. 

[B’ Spokes: While I have not seen the cycle track design above I will put in a cautionary bit of info:
image
Maryland’s over stress on off-road encourages the worst of off-road facilities (bottom half) over and above more appropriate on-road facilities. And even with the best of paths (top half) most MD paths do not allow for comfortable biking from home to the trail (Per NHTSA survey 89% of bike trips begin at a residence and only 7% at a recreational site), nor do paths generally allow comfortable biking from the trail to work or grocery stories, such an idea is not even in the works. We need a more workable solution then what’s being offered and more verity in the offering of bike facilities at not only the state level but the local level as well.

Additionally: Bicycle Facility Design by Richard C. Moeur, P.E., L.C.I.]

https://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/cpabc/oldId.20110115080845582

One Reply to “BTAG Meeting Next Friday, January 21, 8:30 AM in Bowie”

  1. To recap: This thread originated with Jim Hudnall suggesting people come to the BTAG meeting to address this issue, because Fred Shaffer thinks that the elected official pushing cycletracks may attend. The official thinks that there will be lots of students living in new high-rises along US-1 who would ride a cycle track to the campus, but would not ride in a bike lane along US-1. I read SHA’s rejection letter, which seemed to say that SHA opposes cycletracks because the cycling community opposes it. The local elected official wonders whether that is true. And I am wondering whether College Park area cyclists or just regional cyclists (if anyone) gave SHA that idea.
    To Allen’s question. There is no unused right of way to the west of the existing curb beyond what will get used up by the sidewalk. The proponents are advocating that the rebuild of US-1 leave room for a subsequent retrofit to cycletracks when the redevelopment happens, by moving the 4 through lanes and planned median about 6 feet to the east—but that means no bike lane on the right side of US-1.
    As far as I know, the redevelopment is just as likely to happen before, as after, the rebuild of US-1.
    To Barry’s question. Either way they plan to have a largely immovable median. SHA and M-NCPPC agree that for all practical purposes, cycle tracks will not be feasible if the road is rebuilt according to the current plan, and that a northbound bike lane will not be feasible in the rebuild is designed for cycle tracks.
    Why this is needed with the Paint Branch Trail 700 feet to the west of US-1 is another question. I assume that this has to do with the comfort factor of riding at night, along with the trail being on the other side of the creek.
    -JT

Leave a Reply