This Year’s Capital Budget (and a brief update on how far behind we are)

In 2017, the Baltimore City Planning Commission adopted the Separated Lane Network Plan, a five year implementation strategy to construct 77 miles of separated and supporting bike facilities that would connect over 80% of Baltimore’s neighborhoods to all ages and abilities infrastructure, a term for streets on which anyone from ages 8 to 80 would feel comfortable riding.

Five years and a mayoral scandal including outright and illegal hostility to bikes later, we do not have much to show for this plan. Of the 77 miles of separated and supporting bike facilities proposed to be built by the end of 2022 in the plan, only about 2 miles of substandard supporting facilities have been constructed, and about 2 miles of existing separated facilities have been removed. 

This map from the Separated Bike Network Plan shows all facilities that were supposed to be installed by the end of 2022. Only the projects circled in green have been completed, and the project circled in red removed.

At first glance this year’s Capital Improvement Program, the city’s capital budget, includes some major investments in biking. Separated, all-ages facilities will come to Eutaw Place and Bush Street, making major connections between Druid Hill Park, The Big Jump, and the Downtown Bicycle Network with the former and the Middle Branch Trail, Casino Entertainment District, and Carroll Park with the latter. Other projects to be constructed this year include separated, all-ages lanes on Central Avenue, and multiple smaller projects designed to fill gaps in the network such as extending the Mount Royal separated lanes to North Avenue and Guilford Avenue.

But digging into these reveals a harsh reality: 

• The Eutaw Place separated lanes were supposed to be installed in the first year of the Separated Lane Network Plan implementation, five years ago in 2018. 

• Bush Street and the Rapid Enhancement Program–the multiple smaller projects referenced above–were due to be installed in 2020 and 2021. 

• Large retrofits like Central Avenue shouldn’t have had to be retrofits at all, but designs that included all-ages bike facilities from the start. 

• Other projects listed in this year’s Capital Improvement Plan, such as the Wolfe/Washington separated lane, are forecasted for construction in 2025, nearly a decade later than the Separated Lane Network Plan prioritization. 

• The bike program itself is funded at $500,000 this year, half of the plan’s recommendation.

At this point, the Separated Lane Network Plan is old enough that Baltimore City Department of Transportation is undertaking an update. But plans don’t matter if the city budget completely ignores them. In the year we are supposed to be approaching our 77th mile of construction, net zero miles of infrastructure from the plan is an abject failure of city government. 

We applaud leadership at Baltimore City Department of Transportation for beginning to turn this program around, to make good on projects promised five or more years ago. But we are too far behind our peer cities, too far behind nearly everywhere else in North America, let alone across the globe. In this same period of time, Memphis built over 70 miles of bike infrastructure. New Orleans is on track to achieve 75 miles in less than 3 years. 

We know that Mayor Brandon Scott and the leadership at Baltimore City Department of Transportation–unlike past administrations and leadership–truly believe that Baltimore needs to invest heavily in walking, biking, and public transit. That’s why we were proud to endorse Scott for mayor. But belief must result in action–and action means a budget reflective of those beliefs.

This year, Mayor Brandon Scott and the Baltimore City Department of Transportation should, at minimum:

• Double the Bike Program funding in the CIP from $500,000 to $1,000,000

• Commit to hiring additional bike program staff, including a dedicated trail planner.

• Commit to advancing all current bike projects in the CIP to this or the next fiscal year.

• Release an update to the Separated Lane Network Plan for adoption by the Planning Commission.

• Identify a dedicated funding stream of local dollars to fund every year of the plan going forward. Lock-boxing automated enforcement revenues to complete streets retrofits instead of funneling those revenues to police would be a good start.

• Commit to utilizing a multi-million dollar local match to leverage state and federal funding for design and construction of large segments of the updated Separated Lane Network.

We can’t settle for less. 

We will be submitting a version of this summary as testimony at the Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s CIP presentation before the Planning Commission on Thursday, January 13th at 12:00pm.

If you are interested in participating and commenting yourself, you can attend online here.

Our people are our greatest resource: Reflection from Ethan Abbott

Ethan (right) and Molly at our 5th Annual Cranksgiving in 2019

Today, we’re sharing a story from Ethan Abbott, who is the Project Manager of Baltimore Greenway Trails Network at the Rails to Trails Conservancy. We wanted to take this chance to share how our connections to partners in the community make our work possible.

The more I live and work in Baltimore, the more I realize just how important your resources are. Working in Baltimore often means living and dying by your ability to leverage your resources to the best of your ability. When I talk about resources, I’m referring to one thing and one thing only – other people. It’s all about who you know and who you can count on, whether it’s city residents, community groups, volunteers, or other local nonprofits. Without these relationships, our work isn’t possible.

I started working at Rails-to-Trails in March 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic. Not the easiest thing to do during a quarantine, especially when your work involves community outreach, maintaining a coalition of invested stakeholders, and creating new partner relationships. Still, I wasn’t too bothered by this, because I knew that I already had relationships with a plethora of people in Baltimore, which helped me move with more finesse - this included Bikemore.

Working with Bikemore was easy because we knew each other through my work at Baltimore City Recreation & Parks - we were simply friends working in a new capacity. We hit the ground running with our collaborative efforts. Last November, Clarissa, Jed, and I began discussing the different ways that we could capitalize on the momentum and the groundswell of support in this Southeast corridor of the Baltimore Greenway, while still being cognizant of the COVID-19. As we thought about potential programs, our conversations were filled with uncertainties like, “Can we have a programming event around this? Maybe a socially distant guided bike tour? Do social distancing guidelines still count if we’re going to be outdoors?”

In the end, we safely hosted two VIP bike tours last November that showcased the progress along the eastern corridor of the Baltimore Greenway, and pushed our local leaders to action. Local community and business leaders, Maryland State Delegates, and Baltimore City Council members joined us on these rides. Bikemore, through their relationship with Lime, brought e-bikes for the guests to use at no additional cost. This year, we continued our joint programming through community group rides in South Baltimore along the Gwynns Falls Trail, a group ride along the Jones Falls Trail with Blue Water Baltimore, and hikes in Herring Run Park with Friends of Herring Run Parks and Impact Hub. Some of these were existing partners, and some were newly formed relationships, but all critical to helping us push forward our mission.  

I also want to highlight how pivotal these relationships can be even when you’re not directly involved in the work that your partners are doing. Rails-to-Trails wasn’t involved in the Lake2Lake project and traffic-calming installation at 33rd & Hillen, but we’re grateful for the groundwork it lays for the larger connection that we advocate for with the Baltimore Greenway, which builds upon this concept as it aims to connect the city’s prominent park systems together. The work done by Baltimore City’s Department of Transportation, Black People Ride Bikes, Graham Projects, and Bikemore is a tremendous accomplishment and will serve as a model for Rails-to-Trails as we continue to engage local communities and work with community partners.  

Throughout the past two challenging years, these partnerships have been what make my work possible. It’s essential that we cherish our people - whether that’s individuals, nonprofits, businesses - and recognize what they bring to the table and what we’re able to learn from them.  

Rails-to-Trails can’t keep advocating for the Baltimore Greenway without continual support from our coalition of partners like Bikemore. Bikemore can’t continue to be the transportation advocates they are today without the continual support and collaboration of organizations with similar or overlapping goals.

If there’s one takeaway, let it be this: None of this work is done in a vacuum. None of this work can be done in a vacuum, and more importantly, none of this work can be done without you - the people. Remember just how powerful of a resource a person can be, and I implore you to take this mindset to heart if you haven’t already. 

Today, I’m asking you to show your support for our work and start a donation today - even $5 a month allows Bikemore to keep advocating alongside us and host programming where Rails to Trails can bring the vision of the Baltimore Greenway to neighborhoods around the city.

By Ethan Abbott

This form will make a donation to Bikemore in Action, our 501(c)(4); these funds are unrestricted and can be used for advocacy. To make a charitable donation, click here.

Small things make a difference

Written by Patrice Kingsley, Bikemore Board President

I’m Patrice Kingsley, and I am proud to serve as the President of the Bikemore Board. I am usually behind the scenes, and don’t write much, but I hope to get to meet you in 2022! 

I moved to Baltimore in 2018 and have grown to love this city. There have been ups and downs as I learned to get around, but I have had a lot of help from advocates who exhibit such love for Baltimore. Sometimes the things we love, like our siblings or a used bike, are also where we see the greatest potential and clear opportunities to bridge the gap. For Baltimore, the clearest opportunity I see for the city is for our public spaces to bring us closer together, not farther apart.

Working with Bikemore has really helped me to connect my enjoyment of the places where I bike, walk, and play, to the larger systems that shape our experience living here. I’ve served on the Board since 2018 and been an ambassador, provided governance and leadership, and raised funds to help Bikemore grow. I am genuinely proud to be a part of an organization that advocates for a more connected city: one where I can take my son to the park, cross the street safely, or ride public transportation to work. The connections are both physical and relational - we know we can’t achieve anything without individuals and organizations across the region working to make transportation equity a reality. 

2021, like 2020, has been bittersweet. While we are still social distancing and finding new ways to pursue fellowship, we’re still reaching out and creating impact through collaborations through events like Cranksgiving and working with local organizations, passing the Transit Safety & Investment Act with our SaveMDTransit Coalition partners, and collaborating with Baltimore City Department of Transportation, Black People Ride Bikes, and Graham Projects to support new bike infrastructure, curb bump outs, traffic islands, and pedestrian crosswalks at 33rd & Hillen.

If you are reading this, it is likely that you have attended an event, visited the mobile bike shop, donated in the past, or simply reached out to learn more about the organization. You’re a part of this network, the connections that make our city strong. Thank you for continuing to support Bikemore. 

As we bring this year to a close, I would prompt you to think about how you can support our growth and success in 2022. Even a $5 monthly donation builds our capacity to continue providing the programming and advocacy that shapes our city. 

The Dalai Lama once said “If you think small things can’t make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito!” I think about that a lot as we work toward transportation equity in Baltimore, that through partnerships, collaboration, and some elbow grease, we are creating a more connected city. 

Join us today.

This form will make a donation to Bikemore in Action, our 501(c)(4); these funds are unrestricted and can be used for advocacy. To make a charitable donation, click here.

Our 2021 in review

As 2021 comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on this dynamic year. It brought big organizational changes, opportunities to finally gather in person, and policy wins on the city and state level. We relied on our strong community of supporters to advance these wins.

Everything we did was made possible by folks like you - who share our vision of a connected and equitable Baltimore and back it up with your words, your attendance at public meetings, and your financial support.

We’re sharing big successes this year. Together, we…

1. Celebrated Baltimore City Department of Transportation formally adopting the Baltimore Complete Streets Manual, one of the most progressive in the country

2. Installed traffic calming infrastructure, bike lanes, and pavement art at 33rd & Hillen by Lake Montebello with our partners Baltimore City Department of Transportation, Graham Projects, and Black People Ride Bikes

3. Pushed the Baltimore City Department of Transportation to jumpstart multiple grant-funded Complete Streets projects, including separated bike lanes for Central Avenue, Wolfe or Washington Street, and Eutaw Street, and a Rapid Enhancement Program that will quickly make connections between existing facilities across the city.

4. Advocated and fought for the bipartisan passage and veto override of the Transit Safety & Investment Act, securing $2 billion in state funding to address MTA maintenance needs and stabilize service.

5. Supported successful legislation to classify Vulnerable Road Users in Maryland and provide better guidance for investigating and charging grossly negligent drivers.

6. Secured Mayor Scott’s support of the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network as one of his first-term equity goals

7. Fixed 210 bikes and spoke to 250 people in the community through our Mobile Bike Shop

8. Met 100+ neighbors at six Bike Leaders’ Breakfasts in new locations around Baltimore

9. Brought 400+ folks together at Friday Night Lights’ in the summer at Druid Hill Park and Lake Montebello for bike races, hikes, yoga, bike workshops, and more

10. Organized our 7th Annual Cranksgiving, in which 210 riders came together and donated $3000+ of groceries and 1400 pounds of fresh produce to the Franciscan Center and Moveable Feast

We want to continue building on all of these wins. In 2022, we want to double down on our programming efforts and meet people where they’re at in Baltimore. We want to keep our elected officials and agency leadership accountable to our Complete Streets goals. We want to grow our organization and build capacity. But we need your help to make it possible. 

The best way to sustain Bikemore is by starting a monthly donation today. Our monthly donors save us time from fundraising so we can focus on our advocacy and programming and demonstrate to bigger funders that many people are invested in this work. Whether it’s $5/month or $100, every dollar counts.

This form will make a donation to Bikemore in Action, our 501(c)(4); these funds are unrestricted and can be used for advocacy. To make a charitable donation, click here.

As always, thank you for the support. Happy holidays! 

Introducing our new board members, Nia and Eli!

Bikemore’s Board is an enthusiastic group of people who care about Baltimore's transportation, community, and infrastructure. Our board shows up and speaks up to support events, people, and work that helps our city and neighbors thrive. Ultimately, the Bikemore Board is integral to supporting our work through steering our strategic priorities and fundraising.

We’re excited to announce that we have two new board members joining us: Nia Reed-Jones, and Eli Pousson. Here’s a little bit about them:

Dr. Reed-Jones is originally from Ypsilanti, MI and has resided in Maryland for over 16 years and Baltimore for 4 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology from Talladega College and a Doctorate in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology. Dr. Reed-Jones is currently a Biologist at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). In addition, to her work at the FDA she is also an avid cyclist and co-founder of Black People Ride Bikes, Inc, (BPRB) a Baltimore-Based non-profit advocacy organization established in 2019 in Baltimore whose mission is to bring cycling awareness to the black diaspora by building a community of black cyclists with a focus in exploration, health, and advocacy. BPRB is all-inclusive to every age bracket, cycling discipline, socioeconomic background, ethnicity, identity, and experience level but BPRB was established to shine a bright light on People of Color in cycling, a mostly White-Male Dominated sport. Neiunna is also very active in her community as the Vice-President of Friends of Carroll Park, a continuous attendee of the Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Commission (MBAC), contributing partner/grant awardee with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a community partner on the Lake-to-Lake Project (A Baltimore City Cycling Infrastructure Initiative) and a level one Coach for the Patterson Park Girls Mountain biking team. When Dr. Reed-Jones is not on her bike or doing community work, she enjoys yoga as a member of the Be More Yoga Community, watching Netflix, cooking vegan food, playing games, hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. She is looking forward to bringing her knowledge of unserved communities within the Greater Baltimore City Area that typically go overlooked when it comes to safe cycling infrastructure and public transportation to the Bikemore Board of Directors. She will also bring her viewpoint and experiences as an avid Baltimore Cyclist to the Board.

Eli Pousson is a historian, planner, cargo bike riding family biker, and a Harwood neighborhood resident. Eli has helped organize the annual Baltimore Family Biking Open House since 2017. Eli also spends every day in April posting online about picking up litter and is always ready to talk to friends and colleagues about how to use 311. Since 2020, Eli has worked as a program coordinator and planner at the Neighborhood Design Center where he is focused on empowering community organizations to push for safer streets, stable housing, and clean parks. Prior to joining NDC, Eli completed an MPH at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health where he focused on the health effects of demolishing vacant housing and started a partnership with the Department of Transportation to pilot play street program in Baltimore City. He’s very excited to join the Bikemore board and support the organization's essential work to make all-ages bicycling in Baltimore safer and easier for everyone. He’s found that one of the greatest joys in life is teaching a kid to ride a bike—but, in his words, “we need safe streets in every neighborhood for every kid, every grandparent, and every person to walk and bike safely.” He looks forward to teaming up with board members, Bikemore's hard-working staff, and our generous community of volunteers and members to advocate for safer and happier streets all across the city.