Action Alert: Tell Council you support Complete Streets by 3/16!

Now is the time to tell City Council you support Complete Streets! 

The new equity focused Complete Streets Bill prioritizes the safety of all people using streets over the speed of moving cars, and the first hearing for it is on Wednesday, March 21st. 

While we've been working on this legislation for the year with Councilman Ryan Dorsey and community organizations across the city, this is the first public hearing, and therefore the first opportunity for the public to provide comments. 

Now is the time to make your voice heard! Use our form to tell Baltimore City Council that you support Complete Streets, and customize the message to share your personal experience. Submit your thoughts by March 16th, so we can give it to council prior to the hearing. 

This is your chance to speak early in the bill process and ensure your comments are incorporated into amendments and revisions to the bill before passage.

Transit Funding Bill Clears Hurdle

Today the Maryland House of Delegates voted on a metro funding bill that originally provided $150 million in annual funding for the WMATA system in the DC region to begin to fix maintenance issues, improve reliability, and bring sustainability to metro operations.

The Baltimore region's transportation system was not initially included in this bill. 

Along with the WMATA region MetroNow Coalition, Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, and 1000 Friends of Maryland, Bikemore worked behind the scenes to draft amendments including the Maryland Transit Administration, which was facing similar, but less reported challenges, hoping to push for inclusion of increased resources for MTA in this bill. 

That very week, Maryland Transit Administration's very real challenges became clear with the sudden shut down of our metro system due to rail wear.

As a result of our joint advocacy and with support of our Baltimore delegation, our proposed amendments were successfully introduced and passed today. They require:

• A minimum 4.4% increase in MTA operating funds starting July 1, 2019 and continuing for at least the following two years.

• An appropriation beyond current planned capital investments of at least $29.1 million in each of the above three years.

• A maintenance and condition audit of all capital assets (similar to the one undertaken by WMATA that resulted in the $150 allocation in this bill).

• Development of a comprehensive 30 year regional transit plan to replace the 2002 Baltimore Regional Rail Plan and regular updates to that plan.

The legislation is now heading to the Senate, where these same amendments will be introduced by the Baltimore delegation. We will press for passage of the bill including these amendments on the Senate side, so we can send this bill to the governor's desk for signature.

Fire Access issue still delaying the Downtown Bike Network

This morning the city's Board of Estimates voted to approve a 318 day delay for work for the contractor hired to construct the Downtown Bike Network — again citing the fire access issue as the cause for delay. This means that the city now has until October 31, 2018 to complete work that was originally set to be completed by January 2017.

Beginning in May of 2017, there were complaints about the width of the Potomac Street bike lane which was then under construction, citing a portion of the Baltimore City adopted International Fire Code addressing the required width of streets. This code is now being applied only to streets with bike lanes, delaying construction of bike lanes that are already fully designed and funded. You can check out full story for more background on this ongoing issue. 

If less than 20 feet of clearance is truly a safety threat, the city should be applying the code to all projects, said Bikemore executive director Liz Cornish — not just those with bike lanes. “They’re not applying this interpretation of the fire code equitably for streets across the city,” Cornish said. “If it is, in fact, a safety issue, it is a safety issue on all streets.”
— Baltimore bike lane construction delayed again, amid fire code concerns, Baltimore Sun

“It’s disappointing to us that this project, which has already been subject to one extension, is already a year behind, and is now potentially behind for another year because of the fire clearance issue,” said Jed Weeks, policy director for local cycling nonprofit Bikemore.
— City Officials Again Delay Downtown Bike Network’s Installation, Baltimore Fishbowl

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Want to support us in our ongoing #FightforBikes?

80 Valentines to lawmakers and $1,000!

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Photobooth photos courtesy of Side A Photograph.

Last week ~150 people came out to Bike Love to celebrate their love for biking, Baltimore, and Bikemore! Through our raffle, you generously donated nearly $1,000 to Bikemore, and with your creativity you advocated for Complete Streets by writing 80+ valentines to lawmakers across the city. Thanks to all who came out! 

And check out more photos here!

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And thanks again to all who made it a success — our raffle donors Baltimore Bicycle Works, Charmington's, Hill Killer, Peabody Heights Brewery, LLC, Race Pace Bicycles, Twenty20 Cycling Co., and to Side A Photography, the Windup Space and our generous volunteers and board! 

Couldn't make it to the event, but still want to show your love for Bikemore?

Help bring a public bike tool station to Hollins Market!

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Bikemore works to support other volunteer based bike advocacy initiatives across the city. We love helping to highlight the work of others and support them in achieving their goals. This month we are launching this fundraising page to support bringing a fix it station to Hollins Market — a neighbor led project made possible through support from the Southwest Partnership. Donations on this page will go directly toward to the purchase of the station. We love helping to build capacity of our grassroots partners and to share our resources, like fundraising tools, with others. 

Bike commuter and engaged neighbor Stephanie Compton is working to install a public bike tool station in her Hollins Market neighborhood! Here's what she has to say:

Biking really does create community and the best community at that. I first met my neighbors when one of them was riding by on my Southwest Baltimore street on flat tires. I called out to him that he could use my bike pump. He didn't just need an air pump, he needed a patch kit and the tools to do it. I lent my new friends the tools and we instantly became friends, or at the very least biking comrades.

This inspired me to figure out how to install a community Fix-It station that I've seen in public places, like at our beloved Station North Tool Library.

The Fix-It Station has an air pump with pressure gauge, and all the necessary bike maintenance tools attached with cable wire to a strong metal frame. It will be placed in a public spot with location input from neighbors, providing my neighbors easy and free access to bike tools.

I applied for a grant from the Southwest Partnership and was awarded $750 to host an event in 2018! But we still have $1120 to raise to cover the full cost of the Fix It station (`~$1400) and other costs including permitting, event and outreach costs.

My goal is to host a community event May 6th to celebrate the installation, but I need your support. Will you help bring the Fix It station to my neighborhood?

Donate to bring the bike tool station to Hollins Market! 

If you would like to be involved in this Southwest Baltimore community event or have questions, please contact stephjenea@gmail.com.

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Special thanks to MECU, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts.