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The latest news and updates from Bikemore
We've all been honked at, but sometimes, some people do something about it. The Desegregated Cyclist made this flier and now keeps it in his bag when a misinformed motorist honks at him for taking the lane. Make sure you check out the whole story at the Desegregated Cyclist blog.
This Op/Ed piece, by Bikemore Executive Director Chris Merriam and Robbyn Lewis, founder of Red Line Now! PAC, will appear in the Baltimore Sun print edition tomorrow.
By Chris Merriam and Robbyn Lewis
12:37 PM EDT, June 4, 2013
Baltimore City is at a transportation crossroads. We can move in the direction of a safer, healthier, more sustainable and economical city — the direction in which dozens of cities across America are moving — or fall back on prioritizing cars over people.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake recently selected William Johnson as the new director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. The priorities that the mayor and Mr. Johnson set for Baltimore's transportation future will have a significant impact on neighborhood livability and our ability to retain current residents and attract new ones. Their leadership in following through on recent plans and expanding existing livability initiatives will be critical:
But will we turn these plans into reality? Baltimore cannot and should not compete with the suburbs for wide, car-centric roads and ubiquitous parking. Instead, Baltimore should capitalize on our population density, connected street grid, and diverse economic and cultural nodes to make sure that residents can find work, entertainment, recreation and shopping within a short walk, bicycle ride, or transit trip. It's not about forcing people out of their cars; it's about providing a variety of convenient, safe and affordable transportation options for all Baltimore residents.
Accessible sidewalks; dedicated space for bicycling; and high-quality, modern transit encourage more physical activity and less driving, leading to a healthier, safer and more environmentally sustainable city and more cohesive neighborhoods. Baltimore has made strides in this direction, implementing over 100 miles of on-street bicycle facilities since the development of the 2006 Bicycle Master Plan, contributing to a doubling of bicycle commuters; and committing to build the Red Line. Perceptions are also shifting, as evidenced by the success of the Charm City Circulator and Baltimore Bike Party.
But much more needs to be done to make Baltimore a place where people of all ages and ability levels will feel safe, secure and comfortable walking, bicycling and taking transit for their daily needs.
Political will — not money — is the greatest challenge; most of the changes needed are relatively low-cost. Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, Denver, Seattle, Minneapolis and other American cities have demonstrated the value of investment in a diverse urban transportation system. (Mr. Johnson, in fact, was streets director in Philadelphia when that city began its efforts.) They have reclaimed roadway space for bicyclists and pedestrians, established extensive bicycle sharing systems, supported new transit projects, and focused on pedestrian safety. Chicago's new Complete Streets Guidelines are a great example, clearly stating: "All transportation projects and programs, from scoping to maintenance, will favor pedestrians first, then transit riders, bicyclists, and automobiles."
Baltimore was a streetcar city, built before the automobile came to dominate our environment. We can easily build on the historic framework of connected streets, by making it easier and more enjoyable to get around on foot or by bus or rail. However, that goal can only be accomplished if those modes are given priority in all of our transportation and development decisions.
We hope that Mayor Rawlings-Blake and the City Council will ask Mr. Johnson and other department heads to give walking, transit and bicycling the highest priority in all transportation and development decisions and help transform the city's ambitious plans into on-the-ground action. Much has been done, but we need to act now to maintain and build on the momentum.
Chris Merriam is executive director of Bikemore and Robbyn Lewis, is founder of the Red Line Now! PAC. Contributing to this article are Carol Silldorff, executive director of Bike Maryland; Susan Sgroi, transportation chair of the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association; Klaus Philipsen, FAIA, president of ArchPlan Inc.; and Rob Bennett, chairman of BMore Streets for People.
Who can forget the first time they witnessed the instant classic and Internet meme-spectacular, Scraper Bike? Man, those were the days. Sometimes, I wish I could have my very own scraper bike.
Wait, what's that? There is a bike customizing workshop coming up, and what? It's only, like, 3 weeks away?
Take it away, Facebook event page:
Two MICA Community Arts MFA candidates, Andy Dahl and Michelle Nugent, will help you customize your bike with paint, special duct tape, decoupage images, and other designs -- for FREE! Basic maintenance and repair are also covered. Bring your own bicycles. Bicyclists of all ages are welcome. Materials are provided! En español and English.
The event takes place on both June 22 and 29, from 9am until noon each time. RSVP at the Bicycle Revolution Workshop Facebook event page.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have some scraper bike videos to watch to get myself pumped.
To say the May Baltimore Bike Party was a big one would be an understatement. I heard some chatter that the event, which started with a party in Station North this time around, drew upwards of 1500 cyclists. If that’s true, that shatters the previous record of 1200-1300. If you’ve been to a bike party, then you’re certainly familiar with how this one went down. But this time, there was a slight change of scenery insofar as it took off from the Street Car Museum, and, of course, everything was just bigger in scale.
It looked like most had a good time, but the ride wasn’t without a couple of incidents that will happen with a ride of this size. There were isolated complaints of riders riding on the sidewalk, which the bike party volunteers policed as best as they could. At one point, I also witnessed another cyclist fall into my friend, which unfortunately bent his front wheel.
For most partiers, however, it was another month in the books without any issues.
The Baltimore Sun picked up the event and ran a story this morning. Make sure to check it out here.
This weekend is the celebration of Nationals Trails Day, and there are a number of cycling events going on around Baltimore that support it. The first is the biking in Carroll Park event. It takes place on Friday, May 31 from 1:30pm to 4:30, rain or shine. The event starts at Carroll Park, 1500 Washington Blvd and is sponsored by the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks folks.
The Bob Moore Memorial Bike Ride is the second biking event. It's a 25 mile guided ride from the western end of the Park Trailhead 1 to the Inner Harbor. Along the way, buy your lunch at Cross Street Market or bring your own and eat it with a beautiful view on to the Inner Harbor from the top of Federal Hill. Return on your own schedule along the Gwynns Falls Trail.
Meet at the I-70 Park and ride on Saturday at 10am. If you're interested, please register beforehand by emailing greghinch@aol.com or calling (410) 396-7900.
There are also a couple of trail clean-up events going on. First is the Middle Branch Park/Gwynns Falls Trail Clean Up and Tree Planting. This is set to pop off on Saturday at Harbor Hospital South, starting at 9am and extending until noon. Tools and gloves provided.
The other trail clean up is the Solo Gibbs Park Gwynns Falls Trail Clean-Up and Youth Scavenger Hunt. This also occurs Saturday at 9am and goes until noon. Meet at the Solo Gibbs Park by the Tennis Court between Hamburg St. and Henrietta St.
All of the events are free, so make sure to take advantage.
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