7 Need to Know Facts About Baltimore Bike Share

This month Bike Share is coming to Baltimore! Bringing Bike Share to Charm City has been a major priority of Bikemore since our inception. With the launch day just around the corner (we’re keeping mum on the date until we get the go ahead from the City), we wanted to share some facts about the system and why Bike Share is critical in making Baltimore a bicycling city.
 

1. Buy a Founding Membership, like RIGHT NOW!

Baltimore Bike Share is offering THE BEST deal for folks willing to be early adopters. They are selling 250 founding memberships. For $100 you lock in the annual price for life — saving tons of money on a monthly regularly priced membership, currently $15/month. The membership kicks in as soon as Bike Share launches.

And it comes with a free Zipcar membership for the current year and each year that you renew your Bike Share membership. When you receive your pass in the mail, it will include instructions on how to activate your Zipcar membership. Already a Zipcar member? Your package will include $35 of driving credit. 

2. Phase one launch will mean 50 stations and nearly 500 bikes on the ground by Spring 2017.

The initial footprint of Bike Share covers neighborhoods in Southwest, South, Southeast and Downtown Baltimore. Carroll Park, Druid Hill Park, and Patterson Park will all have stations to ensure that those new to biking or those that wish to use biking for recreation will have access to stations in close proximity to trails.

Station location was determined by weighing a variety of factors.

• Density — In order for bike share to be convenient and encourage use, stations must be close together. As NACTO has learned from bike share systems in many other cities, “stations a five minute walk apart provide more convenient, reliable service and are used much more frequently than systems with more far-flung stations.” Baltimore Bike Share has made a conscious decision to start with a dense system over a smaller area to ensure the bikes on the ground are used regularly. As more resources become available, the system will build out and eventually reach all neighborhoods in Baltimore City.

• Logistics and Cost — In order for stations to operate, there are certain space and infrastructure requirements at each station site. Finding locations that met the required density, but also had access to electrical conduit that would not require major construction to access was key in conserving resources. Other constraints include conforming to existing right of way requirements and ensuring that stations do not block pedestrian access. Sponsorship also plays a role. Given the city’s constrained financial resources for the project — if a public or private entity comes to the table willing to sponsor a station, that does influence station location. For example, many of the Phase I stations are being sited at MTA Transit hubs to assist with first and last mile connectivity. MTA is the sponsor for those stations and assumes the cost.

• Equity — While bike share, given its limited scope and size, cannot and should not be viewed as a panacea to solve Baltimore’s gross transportation inequities, it was important to everyone in Baltimore that thoughtful consideration was given to how to provide access to the system. One part of access is having stations visible in your neighborhood. Bikemore worked with the City to champion both a short term and long term vision for station siting that will make Baltimore Bike Share inclusive and accessible for all residents that wish to participate.

3. Who can ride bike share?

Bike Share is available to any adult age 18 and up. There are not currently any options for transporting kids with Bike Share or for kids to ride them.

And going up hills will be super easy, because half of the bikes (the ones identified with a white lightning bolt on the back fender) have an electric pedal-assist that automatically kicks in. We'll have the largest electric bike share fleet in the Western Hemisphere! 

4. What steps are being made to make is accessible to those without a bank account?

One of the ways to Bike Share is working to be ensure access is by accepting cash payments for monthly memberships. To pay with cash, you’ll  call Bike Share to register. The pass will be mailed to you along with instructions to go to a particular location to pay. After paying, your pass will be activated for the next 30 days.

5. Will Bike Share be compatible with other systems?

While Baltimore Bike Share won’t be compatible with Capital Bike Share in DC (but constantly evolving technology doesn’t rule it out entirely in the future), conversations and technology is being developed so that it does become compatible with Maryland Public Transit. This means you could use your Charm Card to rent a bike — improving equity and accessibility. This is a service that will most likely be available in late 2017.

6. Who picked the bike design?

The bike design was selected by city staff. The purpose was to select something that would provide a blank slate so that once a title sponsor is secured, the bike design could be swapped out to reflect the sponsorship. Identifying sponsors who want to use the bikes and kiosks for advertising is a key component of Bike Share’s financial sustainability. Sponsorships conversations are underway and many station sponsors have already been identified. It’s quite common for systems to launch without a title sponsor and acquire them once the community responds positively to the new system.

7. Why does Bikemore love Bike Share?

Riding a Bike Share bike doesn’t require much planning, or a special outfit. When cities adopt bike share into their transportation network, they take a giant leap to make biking a normal, everyday activity for residents. That makes biking safer and cities healthier. A robust Bike Share system is critical to improving mobility and access to active transportation for Baltimore’s residents. 
 

Convinced that Bike Share is a great way to get around? 

Visit www.bmorebikeshare.com to sign up!

We are all traffic

On September 24th, The Baltimore Sun published an article titled Downtown road work, detours galore driving commuters crazy. The article examined how necessary infrastructure and road projects were causing gridlock on Baltimore’s downtown streets. While compounding projects can certainly increase congestion, what the article failed to point out is that two projects — the bus only lanes on Pratt and Lombard and the Maryland Avenue Cycletrack — are projects that are looking to relieve traffic congestion by prioritizing other modes of travel. By simply lumping these projects together rather than discussing their intended purpose, we set a low bar for discourse around how to address transportation issues in the city.

Traffic isn’t something that happens to you, it is something we all play a role in creating. And while uncoordinated construction projects can lead to problematic congestion — we shouldn’t use congestion as the sole metric to evaluate the performance of transportation. Congestion isn’t always bad. In fact, in many cities congestion means lots of jobs and lots of people traveling to them. Bad traffic is often a sign of good growth. When traffic congestion does reach a threshold that begins to impede business, research tells us that the solution is to invest in alternative transportation such as public transit and bike infrastructure. We know that commuting time is the single strongest factor in the odds of escaping poverty. In a city where 33% of residents do not have access to a vehicle, our greatest threat to economic growth is not traffic congestion, but access to reliable transportation.

Not everyone can choose to ride a bike to work. But everyone can choose to support projects that increase biking and transit ridership by making these modes of travel safe, reliable and convenient. Right now, there are thousands of people in Baltimore that would like to try biking to work and won’t because it just feels too unsafe. Right now there are thousands of people already biking to work everyday that deserve to arrive there safely. And unlike the Abell resident from the article who lives a mere two miles from her workplace and a short walk from the Circulator or any number of southbound buses, many lack the ability to choose to travel to work any other way. The number one way to increase the safety of people on bikes is to increase ridership. The number one way to increase ridership is to create a dedicated, easy to understand network of protected infrastructure. The best way to reduce traffic congestion is to give people real options to get out of their cars.

With a new Mayor taking office this fall, we have an opportunity to appoint a Director of the Department of Transportation that understands that transportation includes all modes of travel, not just people who drive cars.  That economic growth happens when we connect more people to opportunity by investing in affordable, high quality, reliable transportation options. When we make decisions that prioritize the comfort and speed of commuters who travel by car over residents that would prefer to walk, bike, or take transit we erode the vibrancy of city life. We turn charming neighborhood streets into high speed thoroughfares. We actively limit choice in transportation rather than follow the lead of cities large and small throughout the United States that are working to expand it.

This fall Bikemore is launching a campaign to send a message to the next administration about what priorities the next Director of DOT should champion. As residents who believe that our economic prosperity, health and quality of life are directly related to the types of transportation investments we make, it’s imperative that we change the conversation from moving just cars to moving more people. You can follow the campaign using the hashtag #DirectDOT, and share your vision for transportation in Baltimore City.

Maryland Avenue Cycle Track Update

The construction of the 2.6 mile two-way protected bike lane on Maryland Avenue and Cathedral Streets is now well underway. The two-way lane runs on the east side of the road along the curb, and will be protected by a painted buffer with flex-posts and a row of car parking. At intersections and driveways, green paint striping is used to further highlight where to expect bicycles. For a significant portion of the project, the road narrows to just one car travel lane, further calming traffic and making the street safer for all road users. 

Completion of the 2.6 mile route is expected in late October.

When complete, the two-way parking protected lane will resemble this rendering.

The design of this lane is compliant and recommended by the National Association of City Traffic Officials, and is identical in design to successful protected lanes in cities across the world. 

As installation continues, there will likely be a number of questions specific to this installation and to installations like this as a whole. 

PeopleForBikes has compiled evidence of the economic and safety benefits of protected bike lanes, which can be accessed here. 

Below is a Q&A more specific to this project.

How do I use the street?

Left to right: two-way bike lane, parking lane, car driving lane, parking lane.

How much parking will be lost in the 2.6 mile corridor?
15 parking spaces will be removed on Maryland Avenue. These spaces need to be removed to ensure people riding bicycles are visible to people walking or driving cars through intersections and in and out of driveways. Peak hour restrictions currently exist on several blocks in Mount Vernon, and will continue to exist after the project installation. No new peak hour restrictions are implemented.

How are schools/loading/etc handled?
Part of this project included working with schools and businesses to ensure proper loading areas and school pick-up and drop-off zones will be accommodated. Loading and unloading at Baltimore School for the Arts, for example, should improve over existing conditions.

How will removing one car lane affect traffic?
Traffic modeling shows that reduction of a travel lane will not significantly affect traffic. Turning lanes at intersections that experience the most delay in the modeling will mitigate those delays. Baltimore is one of the few major cities that still prioritizes cars being able to go through quickly (motor vehicle level of service) over the safety and convenience of all road users, and this project would not have been approved if it drastically worsened vehicular throughput.

How will emergency vehicles be affected?
The bike lane is delineated with plastic flex-posts, that can be run over or parked on by emergency vehicles if needed. The bike lane is accessible by emergency vehicles at the start and end of every block, and also at any driveway mid-block that accesses the street. In emergency situations, the bike lane can serve as a fire lane, allowing emergency responders to park closer to buildings than before, when parked cars occupied that space.

How will this affect retail businesses?
In other cities where these kinds of bike lanes have been installed, data shows there has been either an increase in sales or no effect to existing businesses. In no corridor studies has there been a reported decline in sales.

How will this affect property values?
In other cities where these kinds of bike lanes have been installed, data shows property values tend to increase along the corridor. For residents concerned with additional tax burden related to increased property value, we suggest looking into the various programs available from the city and state to limit or offset property tax increases.

The Maryland Avenue Cycle Track is part of the larger Downtown Bike Network, building  protected bike facilities that make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to safely and confidently ride a bicycle. 

We Did It! Thanks for Helping Us #FillTheRoom

Thank you for showing up!

“The highest turnout I’ve ever seen at a BCDOT public meeting.

I don’t think there’s ever been a meeting with turnout like this IN SUPPORT of a project in the history of BCDOT.”

As the quotes above from Baltimore City Department of Transportation officials demonstrate, last night proved there is overwhelming support for the Downtown Bicycle Network. Over 250 people turned out to learn about the project and show their support. 

It was important for supporters to be present, and we thank them for doing so. 

Showing up, even if just for a few minutes to look at the renderings, left a big impression with Department of Transportation officials. 

It shows we can mobilize large numbers of supporters for livable streets projects when the city puts them forward, and gives officials stronger footing to put forward more great projects like this one.

Armed with good information about the project, we ask that you do your part in ensuring that your neighbors, coworkers and families are informed. As construction ramps up and more folks learn about the project, there is potential for backlash. Informed, vocal supporters are our best defense. 

Meeting Summary

Last night's Open House unveiled the final plans for ten miles of dedicated bike facilities throughout Downtown, including the 2.6 mile two-way parking protected bike lane on Maryland Avenue that began construction last month. 

Additional facilities include one-way protected bike lanes on Madison Street and Monument/Centre Streets, standard bike lanes (to the left of parking) on Preston Street and Biddle Street, a two-way protected bike lane on Potomac Street, and green bicycle priority paint on the Jones Falls Trail in the Inner Harbor.

View the DOT Fact Sheet here. 

Celebrate our Victory tonight at Clavel!

Join us tonight at Clavel from 5:00-10:00pm to celebrate our huge victory of reaching this milestone for the Downtown Bike Network. Clavel is offering 50% of proceeds on certain drinks to Bikemore. 

There will be full table service, but also a cash bar at the tortilla counter for faster service. Bikemore staff and board members will be on hand to talk bike advocacy and share some of what we are working on in the future. We’re growing and would love to have you join us in celebration of our success. Facebook event here.

The Deaths of Ralph Roane and Marcus Arvin

North Chester and East Chase Streets

On August 15th at 1:30pm, 54 year-old Ralph Roane was struck and killed while riding his bicycle by a Baltimore City employee driving a Department of Public Works truck at North Chester and East Chase streets. The city employee fled the scene. He has since been arrested and charged with a fatal hit and run. Despite the investigation being complete, Baltimore Police have cited pedestrian error as a possible cause for the crash. The decision to make that piece of information public, before a thorough investigation has been complete, highlights the challenges around crash reporting in Baltimore City. 

We've reached out to Police to obtain a copy of the report. After a week, we received a voicemail from Major Ward of the Eastern District. We have responded and are now awaiting a return phone call. 

We commend the Baltimore City Police for finding and charging the City employee who fled the scene. We are disgusted that someone certified to operate a commercial vehicle and trained by the City would have such disregard for human life. No matter the cause, there is no excuse for leaving the scene of a collision and not attempting to render care for someone who has been injured. 

That very same day, a 66 year-old man was struck in a hit and run in West Baltimore. His name and condition are still unknown. Roane was the second bicyclist fatality in Baltimore City this year. The first was Marcus Arvin, 25, on June 6th, biking around what seems to have been a double parked car.

Arvin's family has hired an attorney, and the investigation into his death is still ongoing, though police again initially cited pedestrian error.

Making sure families have the support they need to navigate something as traumatic as losing a loved one to traffic violence is of the upmost importance to Bikemore. Friends and families of victims are encouraged to reach out to us. We can provide referrals to attorneys, and advocacy on behalf of victims and their families. 

Maryland is one of four remaining states (along with the District of Columbia) to use Contributory Negligence to assess how a victim is allowed to collect damages. A contributory model states that if the victim is found to have contributed at all to the injuries, then they cannot be awarded damages. In contrast, most states have moved to a comparative model, meaning that damages can still be sought for the percentage of fault not assigned to the victim. Contributory Negligence is particularly harmful to vulnerable road users like people walking or biking, including those navigating the street with a disability. Not only are they likely to be more injured in a crash, vulnerable users are less likely to be able to give statements at the time of the crash--meaning that police only ever hear one side of the story--that of the person driving the car. 

This makes how police report and document crashes--especially in how they assign blame--critical to how likely it is a family is able to seek justice on behalf of their loved one who was injured or killed in a crash. 

In Baltimore, we often see bias from police and the media play out in ways that is unfair to victims and their families. When someone only experiences the city's roads by car, it can be difficult to understand the perspective of someone walking or biking. Our city streets have been designed to maximize vehicle speed--amplifying the risk of injury or death to anyone that may cross the path of a person operating a motor vehicle. This makes anything moving slower than a car appear "in the way" even when they are walking or biking lawfully. This leads to conscious and unconscious bias in reporting that often assigns more blame to the vulnerable road user. Additionally, many officers responding to crashes don't always know the laws as they pertain to people who bike. We hear stories all the time of police citing pedestrian error when a person riding a bicycle isn't wearing a helmet or reflective clothing--neither of which is required by law. We know these biases to be even more prevalent in our communities of color--where police bias against vulnerable road users can intersect with proven police racial bias. 

DC has already made moves to update their contributory negligence law to account for the imbalance that occurs in traffic crashes that involve vulnerable road users. 

We are working closely with WABA to develop a path forward to seek similar changes to Maryland law. We hope to be able to advance the conversation among state lawmakers this year. 

Removing bias against vulnerable road users requires comprehensive policy reform. We must change the negligence laws as they apply to vulnerable road users in Maryland, press the media to report on crashes in a way that does not victim blame, and institute police reform that improves crash reporting. Bikemore is working step by step to seek these policy changes. 

Last week's news of the Baltimore City Police using covert aerial surveillance might offer something of value to vulnerable road users. When vulnerable users can't tell their side of the story, perhaps the controversial aerial footage can. To test this theory, Bikemore recently submitted a Public Information Act request for footage shot on and around the times of the crashes that took the lives of Ralph Roane and Marcus Arvin. The department has 30 days to respond to our request.