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.

Memorial Ride and Vigil for Tom Palermo

Please join friends of Tom Palermo and the bicycle community for a memorial ride and vigil on Thursday, January 1st, 2015.

For those riding, please meet at 3:30pm at Bishop Square Park on the northwest corner of the intersection of Charles and University, adjacent from the Cathedral of the Incarnation. 

After a moment of silence for Tom, we will ride to the scene of the crash at 5700 Roland Avenue to place a white memorial bicycle in honor of Tom. Friends and members of the community who are not riding bicycles can meet us at this location. 

Due to the expected turnout for this ride we are asking that only close friends and family members of Tom make their way to Gallery 788 after the ride. The ride will now end at the crash site for other riders and community members.

Please consider making a contribution to the education fund for Tom's children.

Facebook Event Page

 

Bikemore Statement on Death of Thomas Palermo

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Tom Palermo, who was killed while riding his bicycle on Roland Avenue. Tom was a passionate bicycle builder, a father, and a friend to many people who ride bicycles in Baltimore.  

While details of the crash are still emerging, we know the driver of the car involved initially fled the scene, leaving Tom to die on the street. It is clear that dedicated bicycle lanes were not enough to keep even an experienced bicycle rider safe. 

We urge the justice system to hold the driver who killed Tom accountable for her actions.  

Bikemore will continue to advocate for Baltimore to follow the lead of other major cities and build physically-separated bicycle infrastructure to protect the growing number of people who ride bicycles for transportation and recreation.

We will update this post with further information as we receive it. Rest in Peace Tom.

MARC Adds Weekend Bicycle Car

Great news from the MTA! Now you can take a bike on the MARC train from Charm City all the way to our nation’s capital. Whether you want to see the historic sights, delve into some bipartisan gridlock, or catch a glimpse of first rate cycle tracks in Washington, D.C., the opportunity has now arrived for you and your bike to travel south together on one of MARC’s snazzy new Bike Cars.

While service is limited to weekends in this pilot phase, we see great things on the horizon for intercity multimodal active transportation (aka…Bikes!).

This was a collaboration of many folks, including the Maryland Transit Administration, Bike Maryland, WABA, and of course you - Bikemore’s dedicated members. We look forward to two wheeling it down in D.C., but we’re even more excited to showcase our beloved Baltimore to our cycling brethren from D.C., as now it will be easier for them to come see all that we have to offer by bike!

You can read more about it here from our friends at WABA (just short bike & train ride away):

http://www.waba.org/blog/2014/12/all-aboard-marc/

Bikemore will continue to work with MTA, Bike Maryland, and WABA to expand bicycle access to all MARC trains, as mandated by Maryland law. This is a great step toward a more connected region.

Bikemore Announces Interim Executive Director, Greg Hinchliffe

Bikemore is naming Greg Hinchliffe the Interim Executive Director of Bikemore. Greg is a Baltimore City resident, recently retired Captain at American Airlines, and has been a lifetime advocate for bicycle infrastructure improvement in Baltimore City.

He is a member of the Maryland Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, is the State Chair of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, a member of the Gwynns Falls Trail Council, the former Chair of the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, and he helped organize Tour Dem Parks for the past 12 years.

"Having worked with Greg for many years on bike issues both large and small, I'm encouraged with the direction Bikemore is taking. Greg not only has a solid vision for what a truly bikeable Baltimore can be, but knows how to make it a reality. I look forward to working with him in his new role at Bikemore."  - Nate Evans, Bike Maryland

Greg will continue Bikemore’s daily advocacy work while we launch a national search for a new permanent Executive Director.

If you know of anyone passionate about bicycles with a demonstrated track record of advocacy and fundraising success, please let us know. Bikemore will publish a formal announcement and job description for that position soon.
 

Thank You to Chris Merriam

From initially sparking the idea of a Baltimore-focused bicycle advocacy organization at evening meetings with a small group of dedicated volunteers, Chris Merriam grew Bikemore into a professional advocacy organization that--while still in its infancy--has moved the needle significantly on projects in Baltimore City, and recently expanded into Baltimore County with progress on the I-70 trail connections and the opening of Towson bicycle facilities.

While Chris is stepping down as Executive Director, we look forward to his continued involvement in the organizational mission, vision, and strategy as a founding member.