What you need to know about the Maryland Avenue Bike Parade

On Saturday, November 5th we're celebrating the new Maryland Avenue cycle track with a celebration and bike parade! Event details are here, but you can find some FAQs we've been hearing below. 
 

Is the cycle track finished? Isn't there a sinkhole?
The cycle track was originally scheduled to be finished by Saturday, but the sinkhole temporarily halted construction. The contractor will be working hard this week to complete as much as possible before the parade. In the event storm grates or other fixes haven't gone in by Saturday, we'll have any hazards marked with cones and spray painted orange. In short, we're not going to let a sinkhole stop us from celebrating this BIG win for biking in Baltimore.

What's the revised route? 
Check out the modified sinkhole-avoiding bike parade route below, starting at Wyman Park Dell and ending at Mt. Vernon Market Place. 

Did I hear something about free coffee and donuts?
You heard right! At Wyman Park Dell from 10 to 11am we'll be serving up free apple cider donuts from Weber's Cider Mill Farm and coffee generously donated by Zeke's Coffee.

Who can ride?
EVERYONE! This is a slow roll and all are welcome. Kids and families are especially encouraged to come!

What should we wear? 
This is meant to be a fun and silly bike parade, so we encourage costumes and general goofy decorating of yourself and your bike. And we'll have a bike decorating table at the park from 10 to 11am, lead by the amazing Charlotte Hager! 

Are we obeying traffic signals?
Yes! This is a ride to enjoy the new protected bike infrastructure, and as such, we'll ride the cycle track as it's designed to be ridden. This means stopping at red lights and obeying rules of the road. 

What if I'm not a morning person? 
Can't make it to the ride? Plan to have lunch at Mt. Vernon Market Place, where the bike parade will be ending! From 11am to 2pm, Mt. Vernon Market Place vendors Fresh Mondays, Juniper, Local Oyster, Pinch, and Taps Fill Station will be donating 10% of their proceeds to Bikemore.

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You can check out the rest of the event details below, and be sure to RSVP and invite your friends on Facebook!

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Still have questions about the event? Email Danielle@bikemore.net.
 

West Baltimore Bike Boulevards Project Update

The West Baltimore Bike Boulevard project is funded and designed, with construction planned this coming Spring. This project began the planning, design, and community input process several years ago, and like the Downtown Bike Network, the construction start date is long overdue but finally approaching.

What is a Bike Boulevard?

Bike Boulevards are neighborhood streets that have been prioritized as bicycle routes through changes in street design. These changes are designed in a way to force cars to drive slowly and more carefully, while allowing people on foot or bike to use the road comfortably and safely.

The West Baltimore Bike Boulevards will incorporate bike-friendly speed humps, mini traffic circles, contraflow bike lanes, bike boxes and advance stop bars, as well as neighborhood cut-throughs to prioritize safe, convenient bike travel. Click on some of the images below for examples of these treatments.

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Bike Boulevards are ideal for neighborhood streets with traffic volumes or speeds low enough that protected, separate bike lanes aren't necessary. An example of a bike boulevard in Baltimore is Guilford Avenue between Mount Royal and 33rd Streets. When installed, bicycle traffic increased significantly on this corridor.

West Baltimore Bike Boulevards

The West Baltimore Bike Boulevards project installs bicycle boulevards to connect to existing "low-stress" (easy to bike on) streets in the neighborhoods of Franklin Square, Midtown Edmondson, Harlem Park, Poppleton, Sandtown, Union Square, and Hollins Market.

These neighborhoods have been severed for decades by the Route 40 "Highway to Nowhere" which demolished major sections of predominantly African-American neighborhoods for an ill-conceived highway expansion through West Baltimore.

Beyond that obvious barrier to neighborhood connectivity in the project area, there are other significant barriers to opportunity. 55% of households in the project area earn less than $25,000 annually. The majority of the project area's population is of working age, but unemployment is high and job opportunities are few and far between. In many parts of the project area, 80% or more of households lack access to a car.

The bicycle boulevards would have connected these neighborhoods via safe, comfortable bicycle infrastructure to the Baltimore Red Line and the West Baltimore MARC station, providing direct access to a major transit line and the related jobs and access to opportunity it would bring.

Governor Hogan's devastating cancellation of the Baltimore Red Line removed one major connection to this project, but there are numerous other reasons why construction is beneficial, including neighborhood connections to:

• West Baltimore MARC Station

• Future West Baltimore BaltimoreLink Transit Center

• Lafayette Square Park

• Harlem Square Park

• Franklin Square Park

• Union Square Park

• Bon Secours Hospital

• James McHenry Recreation Center

• Hollins Market

• B&O Museum and Rail Yard

• Mount Clare Junction Shopping Center

Baltimore Bike Share will launch in the project area during installation of the bike boulevards. Bike Share is successful when it is directly connected to "low-stress" infrastructure like bike lanes and bike boulevards, so it is a perfect match for this project installation.

With the hopeful success of advocates like the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition, a revived Red Line would just be an added benefit for this project.

Bikemore has been advocating for this project for several years, providing feedback to DOT on design and community outreach, and encouraging community members to attend planning and design meetings to give feedback on how the project can best meet the needs of their neighborhoods. With construction negotiations underway, Bikemore will continue to monitor DOT's process to ensure a timely and correct installation.

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We need your support so that we can continue to see more victories like this one, and that we see them faster.

Maryland Avenue Cycle Track Update

The construction of the 2.6 mile two-way protected bike lane on Maryland Avenue and Cathedral Streets is now well underway. The two-way lane runs on the east side of the road along the curb, and will be protected by a painted buffer with flex-posts and a row of car parking. At intersections and driveways, green paint striping is used to further highlight where to expect bicycles. For a significant portion of the project, the road narrows to just one car travel lane, further calming traffic and making the street safer for all road users. 

Completion of the 2.6 mile route is expected in late October.

When complete, the two-way parking protected lane will resemble this rendering.

The design of this lane is compliant and recommended by the National Association of City Traffic Officials, and is identical in design to successful protected lanes in cities across the world. 

As installation continues, there will likely be a number of questions specific to this installation and to installations like this as a whole. 

PeopleForBikes has compiled evidence of the economic and safety benefits of protected bike lanes, which can be accessed here. 

Below is a Q&A more specific to this project.

How do I use the street?

Left to right: two-way bike lane, parking lane, car driving lane, parking lane.

How much parking will be lost in the 2.6 mile corridor?
15 parking spaces will be removed on Maryland Avenue. These spaces need to be removed to ensure people riding bicycles are visible to people walking or driving cars through intersections and in and out of driveways. Peak hour restrictions currently exist on several blocks in Mount Vernon, and will continue to exist after the project installation. No new peak hour restrictions are implemented.

How are schools/loading/etc handled?
Part of this project included working with schools and businesses to ensure proper loading areas and school pick-up and drop-off zones will be accommodated. Loading and unloading at Baltimore School for the Arts, for example, should improve over existing conditions.

How will removing one car lane affect traffic?
Traffic modeling shows that reduction of a travel lane will not significantly affect traffic. Turning lanes at intersections that experience the most delay in the modeling will mitigate those delays. Baltimore is one of the few major cities that still prioritizes cars being able to go through quickly (motor vehicle level of service) over the safety and convenience of all road users, and this project would not have been approved if it drastically worsened vehicular throughput.

How will emergency vehicles be affected?
The bike lane is delineated with plastic flex-posts, that can be run over or parked on by emergency vehicles if needed. The bike lane is accessible by emergency vehicles at the start and end of every block, and also at any driveway mid-block that accesses the street. In emergency situations, the bike lane can serve as a fire lane, allowing emergency responders to park closer to buildings than before, when parked cars occupied that space.

How will this affect retail businesses?
In other cities where these kinds of bike lanes have been installed, data shows there has been either an increase in sales or no effect to existing businesses. In no corridor studies has there been a reported decline in sales.

How will this affect property values?
In other cities where these kinds of bike lanes have been installed, data shows property values tend to increase along the corridor. For residents concerned with additional tax burden related to increased property value, we suggest looking into the various programs available from the city and state to limit or offset property tax increases.

The Maryland Avenue Cycle Track is part of the larger Downtown Bike Network, building  protected bike facilities that make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to safely and confidently ride a bicycle. 

We Did It! Thanks for Helping Us #FillTheRoom

Thank you for showing up!

“The highest turnout I’ve ever seen at a BCDOT public meeting.

I don’t think there’s ever been a meeting with turnout like this IN SUPPORT of a project in the history of BCDOT.”

As the quotes above from Baltimore City Department of Transportation officials demonstrate, last night proved there is overwhelming support for the Downtown Bicycle Network. Over 250 people turned out to learn about the project and show their support. 

It was important for supporters to be present, and we thank them for doing so. 

Showing up, even if just for a few minutes to look at the renderings, left a big impression with Department of Transportation officials. 

It shows we can mobilize large numbers of supporters for livable streets projects when the city puts them forward, and gives officials stronger footing to put forward more great projects like this one.

Armed with good information about the project, we ask that you do your part in ensuring that your neighbors, coworkers and families are informed. As construction ramps up and more folks learn about the project, there is potential for backlash. Informed, vocal supporters are our best defense. 

Meeting Summary

Last night's Open House unveiled the final plans for ten miles of dedicated bike facilities throughout Downtown, including the 2.6 mile two-way parking protected bike lane on Maryland Avenue that began construction last month. 

Additional facilities include one-way protected bike lanes on Madison Street and Monument/Centre Streets, standard bike lanes (to the left of parking) on Preston Street and Biddle Street, a two-way protected bike lane on Potomac Street, and green bicycle priority paint on the Jones Falls Trail in the Inner Harbor.

View the DOT Fact Sheet here. 

Celebrate our Victory tonight at Clavel!

Join us tonight at Clavel from 5:00-10:00pm to celebrate our huge victory of reaching this milestone for the Downtown Bike Network. Clavel is offering 50% of proceeds on certain drinks to Bikemore. 

There will be full table service, but also a cash bar at the tortilla counter for faster service. Bikemore staff and board members will be on hand to talk bike advocacy and share some of what we are working on in the future. We’re growing and would love to have you join us in celebration of our success. Facebook event here.

Building a Force for Biking: Volunteer to Call and Canvass to Support the Downtown Bike Network

#FillTheRoom at Baltimore City Department of Transportation's open house on the Downtown Bicycle Network, outlined in the map above!

6:00 - 7:30PM | August 31st | Baltimore School for the Arts | 712 Cathedral St

Bikemore is working hard to ensure that our supporters are out in full force. This project is fully underway, but it's critical that we show the City we have the ability to mobilize our members to support important projects as easily as we can mobilize folks in opposition to others. 

Change is hard, so as these plans become more publicly available we anticipate some community backlash. Having our key supporters knowledgeable about the project is our best defense against vocal opposition. We need you sharing the right info to your family, coworkers and friends. 

The City needs to see there is a force for biking in Baltimore, and that Bikemore members are leading the charge. 

Volunteer this week to help us #FillTheRoom in support of the Downtown Bike Network. You can sign up for one or multiple shifts. You can call or canvass. But show up, we need you now more than ever.