[B’ Spokes: We support speed tables (like on Church Ln and Bedford Av in Baltimore County) Speed humps and bumps are hazardous to cyclists and penalize/discourage cycling on streets where such “traffic calming” is applied. Planners need to be aware that not all traffic calming is bicycle friendly and someone from the cycling community should be consulted before an application of traffic calming devices. I’ll remind Maryland planners that it is State law that the needs of bicyclists be a part of the planning process and repost the following article as a reminder of the potential liability (I’m looking at you traffic calming in NE Baltimore.) ]
from Streetsblog.net by Angie Schmitt
Just days after four-foot wide speed cushions were installed on a Palos Verdes Estates street, a 65-year old cyclist went down hard.
So hard, in fact, that he was still unconscious a week later. Yet local authorities say they can’t “conclude without a doubt” that the cushions were at fault.
Maybe not.
But it’s highly likely that a jury would — and no doubt, eventually will — conclude otherwise.
And that’s the problem. When what seems like commonsense roadway solutions are applied without consulting the cycling community — or at least, traffic engineers who actually ride themselves — it’s not just your safety that’s at risk.
It’s your tax dollars, as well.
Because the inevitable lawsuits that follow are either paid out of your tax dollars, or through a government insurance policy that’s paid with your tax dollars. And one that can often increase, sometimes dramatically, following a successful lawsuit alleging negligence.
In the Palos Verdes Estates case, Richard Schlickman, described as an experienced cyclist, skidded nearly 80 feet after losing control when he either hit one of the newly installed speed control devices on the 500 block of Via del Monte, or swerved to avoid them.
According the Daily Breeze, an unidentified cyclist who witnessed the incident said the speed cushions were the cause of Schlickman’s wreck.
“I saw him fall and slide down on the asphalt. It definitely occurred at that first speed bump there,” said the cyclist, who did not want to give his name. “I really think those speed bumps are dangerous. You’re going to see more accidents.”
https://streetsblog.net/2011/03/25/the-law-of-unintended-biking-consequences-%e2%80%94cities-ignore-bike-safety-at-your-peril/oldId.20110326125845919