Slow Streets Update

On Monday, Baltimore City began rolling out a citywide #SlowStreets program, thanks to legislation introduced by Council President/Democrat nominee for Mayor Brandon Scott and passed unanimously by Baltimore City Council. 

#SlowStreets are a public health response to the pandemic, closing streets to speeding traffic using the street as a short-cut while still allowing local traffic, deliveries, parking, and emergency vehicle access. The goal is to allocate more street space for people walking, biking, and recreating while traffic volumes are lower and physical distancing is required due to COVID-19. 

#SlowStreets are being rolled out district-by-district, with about 8 miles to be completed this week. The City will continue installations until they meet the 25-mile minimum outlined in the legislation. Then, they will conduct an evaluation period to determine next steps, which could include swapping streets or expanding the program. In all, the city has identified more than 65 miles of candidate streets, and has taken numerous additional submissions from community members and community associations.

When we first called for #SlowStreets treatments in April, we recommended equitable implementation, robust community input, and transparent evaluation. While the legislation highlighted the need for equitable implementation, the mayor’s (ultimately unfulfilled) threat of veto forced BCDOT to begin this process late, which presented an additional barrier to robust community input. 

We will continue to monitor implementation of #SlowStreets, and encourage Baltimore City Department of Transportation to work with advocates and community partners to program #SlowStreets so neighbors understand the purpose of the re-allocated space and can fully participate in the benefits that additional space provides.

The National Association of City Transportation Officials has released a guide for Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery that details potential programming for re-allocated street space. Baltimore City has taken many of these recommendations into account for programming outdoor dining and retail spaces through Design for Distancing. We need a similar focus on these residential installations, and real resources for communities so they can utilize these spaces safely for physically distanced play, outdoor schooling, community gathering, protest, and more. 

Other cities have used the #SlowStreets opportunity to count residents for the Census, distribute meals to seniors and youth, provide pop-up health services and COVID testing, and create spaces for play when parks or playgrounds are not nearby. 

We hope Baltimore City will use this as an opportunity to think comprehensively about “Complete Streets” and use a multi-agency approach to ensure the success of #SlowStreets through programming and subsequent evaluation.

Slow Streets Launch!

In April, we wrote “It’s past time to close some streets,” arguing that Baltimore City should follow guidance from the National Association of City Transportation Officials and faculty from the Bloomberg School of Public Health to immediately repurpose some street space away from parking and close some streets to through traffic as a pandemic response. Since that time, even more cities have implemented these measures to provide additional physical distancing space for residents on city streets. 

In May, Baltimore City Council unanimously passed legislation introduced by Council President Brandon Scott to implement at least 25 miles of slow streets with an equity lens within all 14 council districts. The legislation has gone unsigned by Mayor Young, but goes into effect without signature or veto after three regular council meetings. 

Since this deadline is fast approaching, Baltimore City Department of Transportation has officially announced their Slow Streets Program in response to the legislation. 

From the Baltimore City Department of Transportation press release: 

Over the next two weeks, BCDOT will begin to implement the citywide Slow Streets program which will include temporary “Road Closed: Local Traffic Only” signage on barricades to discourage cut-through traffic. The barricades used on selected streets will decrease traffic volumes to provide safer streets for physically distant walking, wheelchair rolling, jogging, and biking across the city.

The new Slow Street Program is credited to the passing of the Temporary Street Space for Pedestrians and Cyclists Bill 20-0532 and Slow Streets Pilot Program, which includes three locations across the city at Druid Hill Park, Lake Montebello, and Patterson Park. The new Slow Street Program will give residents more space to social distance and is designed to promote social distancing efforts for essential exercise and moving around town.  Since the city council passed Bill 20-0532, BCDOT has identified nearly 65-miles citywide of potential Slow Streets and will work with each City Councilmember to seek input from and prioritize the 25-miles mandated by the City Council.

In addition to identifying 65-miles of potential Slow Streets, BCDOT will begin accepting potential Slow Street nominations from residents across the City of Baltimore. All nominations must meet BCDOT’s Slow Streets criteria and will require sponsorship from their respective Councilperson in order to be approved for implementation. There will be an evaluation period 30 days after 25-miles of Slow Streets have been installed across the city. Baltimore City residents will be able to provide official comments and provide feedback.

Drivers should only use a designated Slow Street if their destination is within two blocks of that street. Residents, emergency vehicles, deliveries, and trash collection vehicles still have access to Slow Streets. Streets with bus routes are not eligible for a Slow Streets designation.

Click here to visit the BCDOT Slow Streets page and FAQ, and if you would like to request BCDOT consider a slow street in your neighborhood, you can fill out an interest form by clicking here.

We look forward to examining proposed implementations as more information becomes available, and will continue to hold the city accountable to the legislation’s intent to design and implement Slow Streets equitably. This includes using signage and barricades for closures, without any use of police enforcement.

Weekly Update: Meet and Greet with Brandon Scott, Weekly Bike Challenge, & More!

Volunteers help deliver food by bike in partnership with Civic Works and Real Food Farm

The June 2nd Primary to elect our Mayor, Comptroller, City Council President and City Council will be conducted by mail. You must ensure you are registered to vote and your address is up to date. | Click here to do that right now. 

We are hosting a meet and greet with Brandon Scott, our endorsed candidate for mayor, on Wednesday, May 13 at 7:00PM. Bring your questions about transportation, complete streets, and Brandon’s vision for a new way forward in Baltimore. | Register Here

TRANSIT + BIKE SHOP STATUS

• Bike Shops: Shops are open. Call your shop for specifics. 

• Scooters: Lime has redeployed scooters in Baltimore. Spin scooters are free for all healthcare workers, and Jump is offering free rides to all essential business workers. For Spin, sign up here. For Jump, ask your HR rep for a code or ask them to fill out this form.

• Transit: Click here for the latest MTA status.

WHAT WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR

• Slow Streets: Following last week’s successful Slow Streets Pilot that turned sections of parking on East and Swann Drive in Druid Hill Park to a trail for people walking and biking, the pilot program will be expanded to Lake Montebello along Curran Drive. This will provide more recreation space around the entire lake. Click here for our map of the Slow Streets Pilot Program.

• Delivering Food by Bike: Bikemore has partnered with Civic Works and Real Food Farm (see photo above) to add capacity to their food delivery program by organizing volunteer to deliver food by bike. Check out some of our amazing volunteers!

• #IBikeIVote2020: ICYMI, check out our live stream where Liz Cornish and Jed Weeks talked about our endorsements and what vote by mail means. 

VIRTUAL EVENTS

• Bikemore Meet and Greet with Brandon Scott
  Thursday, May 7th, 6:45pm-7:45pm | Register

BIKE MONTH | #BIKEMORESOLO

• May is Bike Month! Join us social distancing cycling group on Strava, tag us with #bikemoresolo on your rides, and complete our weekly bike challenges!

• Weekly bike challenge: Ride to your favorite mural! 

WHAT WE'RE READING, WATCHING + LISTENING TO

• Our team has been tuning in to the Untokening’s series about transportation justice during Covid-19. Check out the recording of their recent Transformative Talk.

Volunteers needed: Deliver food by bike to older Baltimoreans

Photo credit Greater Mercer TMA

Background

Civic Works has been responding to COVID-19 by exponentially increasing their food distribution to older folks in Baltimore City. Our older neighbors are at greater risk of developing severe cases of COVID-19, and their mobility has become more limited as a result. 

Because Civic Works has reached their capacity, they reached out to Bikemore, asking if we knew how bikes could play a role in food distribution. We have a plan, but we need volunteers to make it happen. 

Volunteers will be responsible for picking up food from a central location (currently Real Food Farms in Clifton Park) and delivering to clients’ homes. Bikemore will provide a simple orientation, safety checks on your bike, suggested routes to help you ride safely, and general support. Civic Works will provide health safety training and personal protective equipment (PPE) to all volunteers.

If you’re interested, sign up for a volunteer orientation today (held virtually via Zoom). If we have enough volunteers, we’ll be able to support Civic Works by volunteer bike deliveries to bring freshly prepared meals to older folks in Baltimore. 

This is an ongoing weekly volunteer opportunity. We’ll update orientation times on a weekly basis.

All you need to volunteer: 

• A working bike that you feel comfortable riding

• Some sort of equipment to carry food (at least 5-10 lbs) while you bike

• A cell phone to communicate Bikemore/Civic Works staff and for GPS

• To feel comfortable riding alone without support - you'll be responsible for any repairs you may need along the way

• Availability on either Thursday and/or Friday anytime between 9am-5pm

• Be healthy; not showing any symptoms of illness

• Must be 18 years or older

Sign up to attend a volunteer orientation!

If you have any questions, reach out to Clarissa at clarissa@bikemore.net. 

It's Past Time to Close Some Streets

Oakland Slow Streets will close 74 miles of streets--10% of the city street network--to through traffic to promote social distancing.

Berlin, Bogotá, Brookline, Burlington, Calgary, Charleston, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Duluth, Edmonton, London, Louisville, Maumee, Minneapolis, Montgomery County, Montreal, New York City, Oakland, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Portland, Saint Paul, San Francisco, St. Louis, Stuttgart, Vancouver, Victoria, Vienna, Washington, DC.

These are just some examples of cities actively closing streets in parks or adding space on streets for people walking and biking to promote safe physical distancing.

Baltimore has come together in many amazing ways in the COVID-19 response. Inter-agency collaboration to get meals to residents is just one success. We need that same level of collaboration and vision from the mayor’s office on transportation. The mayor’s office should instruct Baltimore City Department of Transportation to coordinate with other agencies on a plan that reorganizes street space.

We live in an old city with narrow sidewalks, park paths, and other structural issues that make physical distancing as a pedestrian or bicyclist difficult. Physical distancing must be taken seriously, and the city must take steps to add space for pedestrians and bicyclists in our parks and on our roads to keep residents safe.

30% of our city lacks access to a car. In our formerly red-lined communities, lack of access to a car can be over 70%. 39% of our transit riders are essential workers, folks who must go to work during the pandemic and are walking to and from their transit stops every day. The number one origin and destination for scooter trips right now is Johns Hopkins Hospital. And, our parks are filled to the brim with people just trying to get out of the house for healthy exercise.

Based on these statistics, the plan should prioritize pedestrian and bike routes to job hubs and recreation, utilize the Baltimore Complete Streets equity assessment for route selection, and include input from hospitals, unions, and other essential employers as well as organizations distributing food and other essential goods. And, we must pay careful attention to what enforcement looks like, as no street closure should involve policing.

The National Association of City Transportation Officials agrees. They have released a COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit for cities, detailing actions in the transportation sector that should be taken right now to help prevent the spread of disease. 

The NACTO recommendations call for pop-up bike lanes, conversion of signals so pedestrians don’t need to push buttons, adjusting signal timing to slow cars, and most importantly, closing or limiting through traffic on select streets for physical distancing. 

We hope to see the mayor’s office instruct the Department of Transportation to coordinate with other agencies to implement NACTO’s Rapid Response Toolkit. The life safety of Baltimore City’s residents—a population particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to high rates of asthma, obesity, and other underlying health conditions from lack of access to exercise and poor air quality—is depending on their swift action.