Today the Baltimore City Planning Commission adopted Baltimore City's Bicycle Master Plan. This document is a long overdue update to our city's original bike master plan, and Bikemore was pleased to support its adoption through testimony alongside Bike Maryland at today's hearing.
We thank the Baltimore City Department of Transportation for adopting many of Bikemore's suggested changes to this plan and for providing answers to every public comment submitted on the plan.
The next step is turning this plan into paint on the ground, and that will take advocacy from Bikemore and support from our members and allies.
The full press release from the Baltimore City Department of Transportation is below:
City of Baltimore’s Bike Master Plan Officially Adopted
New Bike Master Plan will expand City efforts to create a more bike-friendly Baltimore
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation Director William M. Johnson is pleased to announce that the City of Baltimore’s Bike Master Plan was officially adopted today by the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission voted to adopt the new Master Plan which will expand the city’s network of biking facilities and create a more bicycle-friendly environment in Baltimore.
“The 2015 Bicycle Master Plan seeks to uphold the vision of complete streets in Baltimore City which will enable more people to use biking as a viable form of transportation,” said Director Johnson. “Today’s adoption of the updated Master Plan provides the groundwork for the City to expand and enhance its biking infrastructure.”
Since the adoption of the City’s first Bike Master Plan in 2006, Baltimore has made significant progress in becoming bicycle friendly. Over 125 miles of bike facilities have been installed to provide city communities with a comprehensive network of bike lanes and trails. DOT has also installed over 600 bike racks in neighborhoods throughout Baltimore for safe and convenient bicycle parking.
Nearly ten years after the implementation of the original plan, we continue to develop additional improvements for the biking community. The new Master Plan seeks to add over 100 miles of biking facilities over the next 15 years and commits to implementing 15 cycle projects within the next two years. This includes the installation of cycle tracks on Maryland Avenue/Cathedral Street, Madison Street and Center Street; improved bus/bike lanes on Lombard and Pratt Streets; and the addition of over six miles of bike boulevards in West Baltimore neighborhoods.
The Department of Transportation thanks the Planning Commission for adopting the updated Bike Master Plan, as we continue to invest in city communities to provide a multi-modal transportation system.
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