Sharing the Road with Buses in Baltimore

Today, a video is making the rounds on the internet of a person on a bike being passed too closely by a Charm City Circulator bus. We are choosing to share and make our public comment here, as a local news outlet has already picked up the story. When Bikemore first learned of the video, we immediately alerted Baltimore City Department of Transportation that operates Charm City Circulator. We got an immediate response from the city notifying us that officials at Transdev, the contractor that operates the circulator and trains and employs the drivers, had been contacted. We are confident that both the City of Baltimore and Transdev are taking this incident seriously, and we look forward to receiving a full report of actions taken to ensure these type of incidents do not occur again.

As people who ride bikes in the city, getting passed too closely by a bus, whether it is a city operated Circulator, Maryland Transit Administration bus, or a college shuttle is a frequent occurrence. As bicyclists, we have full rights to the road, but in Maryland that means riding your bike as far to the right of the road as practicable, except in certain cases, including where lane widths are too narrow that it would be unsafe to share the lane with another vehicle side by side. Which incidentally, frequently creates a conflict between bicyclists riding closely to bus stops, and bus operators trying to meet their schedules and pick up and load passengers in a timely manner.

While Baltimore City and Maryland Transit Authority have taken major steps to ensure that people on bikes are accommodated and considered, there is still more work to be done. It is clear in the video, that despite being trained by Transdev on how to operate a bus safely, particularly around people on bikes, that the culture shift on an individual level required to ensure that all people in the roadways are treated with care still has a ways to go.

We know that not every driver operates this way, but given the pressures of on time performance, it is not surprising that some operators may become resentful when a person on a bike is traveling more slowly in the right lane and as a result feel pressure to make unsafe decisions.

At Bikemore, our hope is to continue to work with these agencies to ensure their training is up to date given the increased presence of people who bike on the roads. We believe that as a whole, these agencies recognize the value and necessity of these trainings, and are striving to ensure their drivers maintain a culture of safety.

But what we also see in the video is a complete misunderstanding of Maryland law by their employee. People who ride bikes have a  right to operate in the roadway. And if, as a person operating a motor vehicle, you would like to pass them, it is the law that you are required to give them a minimum of three feet passing distance. While we work to educate all people who operate motor vehicles on roadways the proper ways to safely share the road with people who bike, it is the commercial drivers that should be held to a higher standard. They receive specialized training, and should exhibit a professional demeanor, especially in situations that the person driving may find inconvenient. The risks are real, and the consequences can be deadly. No amount of on time performance should supersede the value of a human life.

Roadway design solutions exist, and the City should work to implement these designs in corridors that contain both a high volume of bus routes and people on bikes. Transit agencies that train drivers should maintain that passing vulnerable road users safely takes priority over on time performance. As seen in this video, the person on the bike was able to very quickly catch up to the bus at a stop, which leads us to believe, that had the bus simply decelerated and waited for the person on a bike to pass the bus stop rather than pass them so closely, on time performance would not have been compromised and that both the passengers on the bus and the person on a bike would have been able to continue to travel safely and efficiently.

Somehow as people, a culture where we value our own ability to maintain high speeds on urban streets has trumped the safety of those with whom we share the road. That needs to change. And hopefully, as we move forward our network of professionally trained drivers that work in Baltimore can lead by example.

If you experience an instance of unsafe driving by an operator of Charm City Circulator bus, the city requests you report it via their website at charmcitycirculator.com or their customer service line 410.350.0456. Be sure to note the bus ID located on the front exterior panel of the bus on both the driver and passenger sides.

For MTA, please report to http://mta.maryland.gov/questions-compliments-or-suggestions. For MTA, it is easier to Identify the driver if you capture the Route, Time, and “Block Number” located on the front of the bus.

Block Numbers on MTA Buses help to identify the driver in the case of reporting an incident. 

As people who bike, it is also extremely important that we exercise caution when riding near busses. In this video, it is clear that the person riding the bike is operating safely. But it is important to remember that as people on bikes, we should be passing busses on the left, and give them a wide berth so we can be certain we are visible outside of their blind spots. And if you experience an incident, we encourage those riding to document and report. It can be terrifying to be passed closely, but maintaining composure and taking the appropriate steps to report will keep everyone safe and ensure your complaint is taken seriously. And remember, if safe to do so, you can and should take the lane to encourage vehicles to either decelerate and wait or pass safely in the adjacent lane. 

Folks should also know, that at the invitation of the MTA, Bikemore is involved in a project to create additional resources for both transit operators and people on bikes to increase the culture of safety.

We look forward to more opportunities to collaborate with the various agencies that operate busses throughout the city to ensure the safety of all road users, be it bus operators, passengers, pedestrians or people on bikes. 

Response to Heather Cook's Plea

Today bike advocates from Bikemore and Bike Maryland joined the Palermo family for a court appearance by Heather Cook, the episcopal bishop responsible for the death of beloved Baltimore bicyclist Tom Palermo. 

The purpose of today’s hearing, one day prior to Cook’s scheduled trial was so that Cook could enter a plea of guilty on 4 of the 14 charges. 

Cook plead guilty to automobile manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, and texting while driving resulting in death. 

The State is seeking a maximum of ten years jail time and five years probation. Sentencing will take place on October 27th at 2pm. We have written a Victim Impact Statement to the judge requesting the maximum sentence. 

While the family has declined to comment on whether or not the recommended sentence is appropriate, as advocates we have been asked to weigh in. We believe that in this incredibly painful time our best action is to support the Palermo family in pursuing whatever justice they seek. But trying to quantify what justice for Tom would look like is futile. And for us, the sooner Heather Cook begins paying for her crime the better. What we want to remain in the forefront of people’s minds is that Tom was loved by so many people who are still here on earth. His joy for bicycling, his love for his family was immense. There is no specific punishment that can somehow restore the loss of someone like Tom. 

We believe that in order for this to not happen again, as a city we must commit to stronger enforcement of negligence while operating a motor vehicle. We have to commit to having zero tolerance to distracted driving. If the city claims they can’t afford to enforce the laws the state passes, we have to stop accepting that as an acceptable response. There was a time when driving drunk was more socially acceptable than it is today. There was a time when child seats were scarce, if used at all, and seatbelt laws were just coming into fashion. The argument that getting people to put away phones while we are driving is just too hard doesn’t hold water. Culture change related to driving can happen, because it has happened in our lifetime. And Bikemore is committed to ushering in the next wave a change for Baltimore. Cook was grossly negligent in her actions, but we are all guilty of sneaking a peek at a text or email, scrolling to find our favorite song, or typing in GPS directions from time to time. What do we have to do to make that dangerous behavior a thing of the past? How many people walking, people on bikes, and people in cars have to be killed in order for us to take this issue seriously? 

We want to honor Tom and his family by ensuring families in Baltimore do not have to experience the pain and loss they have. We are working to make sure when people ride their bike, they get home safe. Will you join us? 

Maryland Avenue Cycle Track and Downtown Bicycle Network Project Update

In a meeting with Baltimore City Department of Transportation last week, Bikemore received an update on the 2.6 mile Maryland Ave Cycle Track. Current construction timelines estimate the project to begin construction in the Spring of 2016.

Here are some important milestones for the project we are watching to ensure the project does not experience any further delays.

• Toole Design is currently putting together the PSE (plans, specifics, and estimates).

• Baltimore Department of Transportation will advertise the project by 9/9.

• Timeline for advertising is four weeks.

• This means it will be mid November when the contract is awarded.

• Given construction schedules it is unlikely whichever company is awarded the contract will begin construction before winter.

• This means a Spring 2016 construction start.

• The project is estimated to take 90 days for construction.

Included in the contract is the work to implement the Downtown Bicycle Network. This will include conventional bike lanes on Preston and Biddle and protected cycle tracks on Centre, Monument and Madison.

Additionally Bikemore has been communicating with Baltimore City DOT our recommendations for creating better connection to the Maryland Ave cycle track. BCDOT is already at work to improve signaling at Maryland and 29th st, and listening to input to improve safety and wayfinding from all routes feeding into the cycle track.

And while we are all frustrated with the delays, BCDOT deserves credit for ensuring that the plans didn’t languish in State Highway Administration final review. This is a priority of ours and theirs, and we appreciate them doing all they can within a less than perfect system to get the cycle track installed.

Despite perceptions, construction of the Roland Ave cycle track did not contribute to the delay.

Our hope is that as more of these projects get underway, the more comfortable State Highway Administration gets in quickly approving plans and empowering BCDOT to build the connected bicycle network we deserve.

Recommended Improvement to Bike Master Plan

The proposed bicycle master plan update includes many ambitious and excellent proposals for improving safety and comfort for bicyclists in Baltimore, whether they ride for recreation or transportation. The proposed bicycle facility network, once fully constructed, would allow many thousands of Baltimore residents and visitors to be able to use bicycle-specific infrastructure to access their jobs, schools, grocery stores, favorite restaurants, and social activities by bicycle. The health, quality of life, and local economic benefits of a high quality bicycle transportation network are well documented, and the City should be commended for its plans to implement these measures.

However, recent events in our City underscore the fact that it is not simply the presence of a bicycle facility, but also the type of bicycle facility that really increase the safety and comfort of bicyclists. 

The Master Plan Update includes the possibility of standard bicycle lanes on "main routes," which are often identified to be located on arterial roadways, and shared lane markings, or sharrows for "minor routes." There may be some streets where these treatments are appropriate, but facility selection must be strategic and sensitive to the operating conditions of the street, in order to maximize the safety and comfort of all users.    

Bikemore's proposal is that facilities with some physical separation be the default preferred facility for streets with 85th percentile speeds above 25 miles per hour. This is the suggested threshold because it is an approximation of the speed beyond which crashes between automobiles and bicyclists or pedestrians become dramatically more likely to result in death or grievous injury. We propose using measured 85th percentile speeds as opposed to the speed on the speed limit sign because of the frequency with which drivers exceed the speed limit. 

Furthermore, sharrows are only an appropriate choice for local streets, and in conjunction with traffic calming and "bicycle boulevard" measures that keep 85th percentile speeds below 25 mph, or, ideally, closer to 20 mph. It may also be appropriate to use sharrows to connect short gaps between higher quality facilities. This position is consistent with NACTO Bikeway Design Guidelines and emerging research about the safety and functionality of different bicycle facility types. 

These recommendations will result in the selection of safer, more comfortable facilities, while also allowing for creative solutions in locations where space may be too constrained for a separated bicycle facility. 

For example: if the 85th percentile speed on a street is above 25 mph even though the signed speed is not, and a separated bicycle facility cannot be accommodated, we would find it an acceptable solution to install the standard lane or a paint-buffered lane in conjunction with bicycle friendly traffic calming measures. In severely space constrained locations, standard painted bike lanes may be acceptable in the absence of traffic calming measures for small lengths of narrower cross section on a street, if other factors such as adjacent parking, driveway conflicts, and door zones are taken into account. Where these compromises must be made, we recommend that Bikemore or other credible bicycle advocacy entities be consulted to help collaboratively develop the safest and most comfortable bicycle facility that is feasible in the space available.  

Bikemore and Bike Maryland Respond to State's Attorney Press Conference

Photo by Brian O'Doherty

On the behalf of citizens in Baltimore and across the state, Bikemore and Bike Maryland appreciate the efforts of the Baltimore Police Department and State’s Attorney’s office in pursuing justice for Tom Palermo and his family. The death of a bicyclist in a car collision is a terrible event, but preventable if all road users slowed down and committed their full attention to the operation what can be a deadly weapon when wielded incorrectly.

When drivers choose to drive distracted and impaired, they are completely disregarding the value of the people around them. They choose the cell phone call, the text message, or the time they didn't spend sobering up to be more valuable than the lives of the people they may kill or injure. This is a choice, and our society cannot tolerate it when they choose to drive impaired. Children buckled in the backseat, pedestrians crossing the crosswalk, and bicyclists using the bike lane are in peril when our community allows this to happen. We stand with the State’s Attorney’s office as they make a stand against distracted and negligent drivers.

We would like to remind everyone that when you hit-and-run you are choosing to deny that victim immediate care. Slow down; pay attention; and treat all vulnerable road users like you love them…because someone does.