Judge Temporarily Halts Demolition of Potomac Street Bike Lane

Yair Flicker, Bikemore Board President, Mark Edelson, Attorney, Jed Weeks, Bikemore Policy Director, Mark Stichel, Attorney, and Liz Cornish, Bikemore Executive Director

A legal team led by Mark Edelson, Mark Stichel, and supported by Bikemore was granted a temporary restraining order halting demolition of the Potomac Street protected bike lane. The temporary restraining order was entered late Friday following a hearing before the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. The team filed on behalf of Baltimore residents Marisa Saville and Steve Iannelli.

The mostly complete Potomac Street protected bike lane had been slated for removal by the Mayor’s office Monday morning, June 12, 2017.

“Our elected leaders and civil servants have worked tirelessly to attract federal and state funding for this project,” said Edelson. “Unfortunately, the city’s shortsighted decision put this funding and efforts at risk. Our city was already once forced to walk away from federal funding for transit and improved mobility. We will not allow that to happen again.”

Documents filed today by attorneys on behalf of the plaintiffs and Bikemore

“The Mayor has a responsibility to champion policy decisions that weigh equally the city’s stated goals of sustainability, public health, and safety,” Liz Cornish, Bikemore Executive Director said. “Bikemore has provided the Mayor with numerous recommendations to this aim. Bikemore had hoped this would have been resolved another way.”

33% of residents in Baltimore lack access to a car. This number grows to over 70% in our city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Safe, comfortable bike facilities like the one designed on Potomac Street are the key to improving mobility to the thousands of residents who need it.

“My son and I use the Potomac Street lane to get to and from sports practice at Du Burns Arena,” said plaintiff Marisa Saville. “Before installation of the protected lane, we only felt safe riding illegally on the sidewalk. We’re thrilled to know our family has a few more days of safe transportation until a hearing hopefully makes that safety permanent.”

In the coming days the court will schedule a hearing on the request for preliminary injunction. Help us continue the #fightforbikes by setting up a reoccurring monthly donation today.

Copy of the Temporary Restraining Order

Transportation Advocacy Organizations Join Together to Defend Complete Streets

The below letter was sent in support of Complete Streets from 1000 Friends of Maryland, Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition, Bikemore, Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, Citizens Planning and Housing Association, and The Opportunity Coalition.

June 9, 2017  
The Honorable Catherine Pugh
Mayor, City of Baltimore
100 North Holliday Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Dear Mayor Pugh:

We are writing to express our concern over the removal of the Potomac Street protected bike lane in Southeast Baltimore, and the precedent set by this decision, based on an interpretation of the International Fire Code 20 foot unobstructed access rule for fire apparatus access roads.

When we commit to public safety, it requires us to act in the best interest of our citizens, to minimize risk, and ensure equal access to health and safety. Prioritizing efficient emergency access at the peril of safety of people walking and biking is problematic. It is the administration’s duty to make infrastructure safe for people who live and travel in Baltimore City under a variety of conditions. That means protecting people from traffic crashes as well as reducing risks of fire. Baltimore must not set a precedent that indicates the Baltimore City Fire Department is unable to safely fight fires on streets without 20 foot clear access.

Such a precedent has broad implications that extend beyond bike lanes. It potentially threatens portions of the Baltimore Red Line corridor and any other transit project that contains on-street rail or road diets associated with construction. It threatens new construction in our city, where best practices state streets should have travel lanes under 12 feet in width. It threatens all infill development and home retrofits on streets that have existing conditions narrower than 20 feet clear.

The broad International Fire Code adopted by Baltimore City is in conflict with the City’s local, context-sensitive engineering design guidelines. This conflict is not unique to Baltimore; many other historic cities such as Boston have found themselves at this crossroads and chosen to prioritize local, context sensitive design of streets over broad international code guidelines inappropriate for the dense urban built environment. Baltimore should follow their lead, not do the opposite. 

Lack of physical activity and a number of negative health outcomes are closely related to the built environment. One-third of Baltimore’s residents lack access to automobiles, and that number climbs to above 80% in our most disadvantaged neighborhoods. The number one cause of death for teens in the US is vehicular crashes. Those who do bike and walk in Baltimore suffer death and injury from being struck by cars at disproportionately high rates. Furthermore, many residents currently do not bike in Baltimore City precisely due the dearth of safe and protected bike lanes. These residents and commuters end up back in their cars increasing traffic and reducing available parking.

These are just a few of the reasons experts believe that the emphasis on designing for large fire trucks is not the best way to improve the health and safety of people. That's why the National Association of City Transportation Officials states in its Urban Street Design Guide: "Design for the most vulnerable street user rather than the largest possible vehicle. While designs must account for the challenges that larger vehicles, especially emergency vehicles, may face, these infrequent challenges must not dominate the safety or comfort of a site for the majority of daily users."  

In fact, referencing the needs of Baltimore's neighborhoods your own Transition Report states “The City should continue to invest in innovative efforts to link neighborhoods to opportunities within the City and throughout the close-in suburbs by strategically advocating for transit improvements from MTA and tactically expanding Baltimore BikeShare and dedicated bicycle lanes.”

Baltimore can not continue to prioritize moving and parking cars over moving people. Baltimore can not thrive without safe, reliable access to multiple modes of transportation.

If our city is to turn the corner and begin to thrive and grow, we must aggressively pursue buildout of safe places to walk, bike, and ride public transit. That means building out our protected bike network. It means fixing sidewalks city wide. It means building more bus-only lanes and building the Red Line. It does not mean catering to a few vocal opponents over the safety and needs of the majority of Baltimoreans. 

We urge you to follow the lead of our peer cities and your own transition report, reverse this decision, and move forward alongside us in fighting for a Baltimore that has safe, reliable transportation options for all people.

Sincerely,
1000 Friends of Maryland
Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition
Bikemore
Central Maryland Transportation Alliance
Citizens Planning and Housing Association
The Opportunity Coalition

#FightForBikes: Potomac Street Downgrade, Other Projects in Jeopardy

Today, the Mayor’s office made a decision to redesign the Potomac Street protected bike lane. Construction of the Downtown Bike Network has also been halted, and sections of the Maryland Avenue protected bike lane may be evaluated in addition to Potomac Street for potential significant re-engineering or removal.

The Potomac Street redesign is impractical. It does not meet National Association of City Transportation Officials or Federal Highway Administration standards for a high-quality, all-ages protected bicycle facility. The original design did.

Neighbors along the Potomac Street protected bike lane lobbied the Baltimore City Fire Department around a provision in the International Fire Code that states "fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed width of not less than 20 feet."

Bikemore has been working behind the scenes over the past two weeks to encourage the city to make a different choice at this crossroads between street safety and fire access.

This is not a new issue. NACTO and other NACTO member cities have commissioned reports on this particular provision of International Fire Code and its applicability to old cities with street grids where almost no street meets the 20 foot clear requirement. As early as 1997, Oregon amended their state code to ensure that standards for the width of streets adopted by local governments superseded International Fire Code provisions.

 The 20 foot clear rule is unreasonable and incongruent with the goal of reducing pedestrian and bicycle injuries and increasing bicycle ridership.

Baltimore City is effectively stating the Fire Department needs 20 feet clear to safely fight fires, despite the fact many streets in Baltimore fail to meet this standard, including the streets one block east and west of Potomac Street, which have in places just 9 feet clear.

This was not made an issue when miles of reverse angle parking installation, containing thousands of parking spaces, created the same condition as Potomac Street throughout Southeast Baltimore. 

Despite the precedent this sets, NACTO guidance, and support for the original design from Canton Community Association and the elected delegation in Southeast, the Mayor’s office has chosen to redesign the facility.

NACTO assisted with this redesign, and has produced an alternative design that meets the “unreasonable constraints” provided to them by city officials. This design is not an all-ages, high quality bike facility. The original design was.

This standard also does not take into account the reality that the majority of fire department response calls are not for fires, but for traffic crashes and medical response to chronic illness like heart disease, asthma, and diabetes that building more "complete streets" infrastructure helps prevent. 

Interpreting this provision of International Fire Code in this way will prevent some of the low-stress bicycle facilities recently adopted in the Bike Master Plan addendum from being constructed in Baltimore City. It will threaten millions of dollars of already engineered right of way improvements, and an untold amount of economic development dollars if new building construction or roadway projects cannot proceed under this interpretation of code.

After consulting national street design experts, we are unaware of any city in North America that has halted construction, or removed protected bike lanes, in response to fire access concerns.

Once again, Baltimore City is prioritizing parking of cars over people, and wasting money redesigning bike infrastructure to be less safe—money that could be used to build facilities in other neighborhoods.

You can read the letter from the Mayor to residents on Potomac Street and view the new, inadequate design here. 

We urge the Mayor’s office and Baltimore City Department of Transportation to prioritize the safety of Baltimore City residents and create streets that are safe for all modes of travel, and have clear emergency access. 

Take action! Contact city officials using the form below: 

More information: Bikemore Fire Access Memo, San Francisco Fire Access Memo, Best Practices: Emergency Access in Healthy Streets

Baltimore City Department of Transportation proposed design changes (with comments by Bikemore in red), Bikemore proposed design changes

Action Alert: Show Up For Bikes!

 

Action Alert: Show Up For Bikes!

This week there are THREE community meetings that will further discussions around access for people riding bikes. See below for description and details, and plan to show up, speak out, and let elected leaders, city agencies, and your neighbors know: I Bike, I Vote.

Think a bike friendly Baltimore is a done deal? Don’t get complacent. We have a ways to go before all local leaders believe there is a demand for safe streets that prioritize people over cars. We win by showing up and being vocal. Join us!

7:00pm Tonight, May 23rd

Canton Community Association General Meeting

United Evangelical Church, 3200 Dillon Street (at the corner of S. East and Dillon, entrance is on S. East)

Potomac Street protected bike lanes are a main agenda item for this monthly general meeting. Councilman Zeke Cohen will discuss transportation in the 1st District and BCDOT will provide an overview of the Potomac Street project including reviewing the multi-year planning process and phased construction approach taking place.

Do you live in Canton, or nearby communities? Come prepared with one minute talking points about why you support streets designed for all modes, and how you or your family’s quality of life and safety are improved with the construction of safe, comfortable facilities for people who bike. Speak up, even if others say what you were going to say.

6:00pm Tomorrow, May 24th

33rd Street Area Public Meeting About Proposed Walking/Biking Trail

Chaired by Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, 14th District

Abbottston Elementary School, 1300 Gorsuch Ave (Enter school through the Gorsuch Ave. parking lot)

In 2015, Bikemore and Rails-to-Trails formed the Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition. Our work, funded through the Center for Disease Control program Plan4Health, seeks to build support for a city-wide trail concept that would connect over 50 neighborhoods to our city parks by building a safe multi-use trail to walk and bike. Last fall, we began outreach along the 33rd Street corridor to engage residents in developing a concept for a trail.

This Wednesday, Councilwoman Clarke is bringing together City agencies and the Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition to discuss the project with residents. This meeting was spurred mostly by residents vocal in their opposition to all further engineering and study about how a multi-use trail can improve public health outcomes, active transportation access, and spur economic development.

Come express your support for The Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition’s efforts to connect 50 neighborhoods to our city parks through a 35-mile trail loop, and let Councilwoman Clarke know you support further study and engineering to obtain the safest option for creating safe places to walk and bike along 33rd Street.

7:00pm Tomorrow, May 24th

Roland Park Civic League Annual Meeting

Roland Park Elementary and Middle School, 5207 Roland Avenue

The Roland Park Civic League Cycle Track Committee has reached consensus and recommended the RPCL Board adopt this statement to present to the City and guide next steps:

Consensus Statement: Either restore curbside parking with a wider, safer bike lane and slower traffic, or partner with the community to create a complete street that works for everyone. The full end of year report from the Cycle Committee can be found here.

Bikemore’s recommendation from the earliest planning stages has been to create a road diet on Roland Avenue that reduces speed and improves safety of all users. That option is outlined in the Alta Planning report commissioned by Roland Park Civic League, and we believe it satisfies the need for a complete street that works for everyone.

If you ride a bike along Roland Avenue and want to be part of the community led conversation about what happens next for active transportation along Roland Avenue, show up and get involved.

Can’t attend meetings this week, but want to be part of our movement to ensure that Complete Streets are standard operating procedure in all neighborhoods?

Sign our Complete Streets pledge and stay up to date on our efforts to draft legislation that will prioritize people over cars, and put the investments that make streets safer for walking and biking and taking transit in the neighborhoods that need them most.

On Bikelash & Potomac Street

by Liz Cornish, Executive Director

I got this question in my inbox last week:

I am on Nextdoor and have seen some vocal individuals that are against the Potomac Ave cycle track. Is this something that could be shut down? I am wondering if I need to worry about them or not.

If your question is should you worry about folks opposed to the bike lane being able to have it removed, my answer is honestly, I don’t know. I do know we’ve been working with the Department of Transportation, the Mayor’s office, Councilman Cohen’s office, and the Canton Community Association to make sure we understand why folks are concerned and that those issues are addressed. DOT has been out on the site numerous times addressing any resident’s valid concerns. They plan to be at the 5/23 Canton Community Association meeting to report out on the construction of the project and discuss ways communication and implementation can be improved in the future. That said, it is Bikemore’s opinion that communication on this project was adequate. Each resident on Potomac received door hangers, multiple public meetings were held over a two year period, and those meetings were well attended. Installation is still a challenge, but we are working with DOT to advocate for improvements that reduce the time that residents are confused about new construction.

Bike lanes are a thing now in Baltimore — something people in Baltimore have been fighting to get moving for years. The opposition is vocal, but most concerns are run of the mill bikelash, something that has been happening and being overcome in other cities for years. Bikelash mostly just represents fear of change. It’s something we now have to navigate as a city that is actually making progress on building out a bike network. But it’s important that those in the neighborhood express their support: to Councilman Cohen, DOT, and the Canton Community Association. It is not a forgone conclusion that the Mayor will continue to make progress in this area. We already have seen instances where leadership within the City are prepared to walk back improvements because they seem unwilling to stand strong on a commitment to safe streets or a transportation vision that goes beyond planning for cars. We will be sending out a targeted email tomorrow to those on our list who live near the facility with instructions on how to show your support and get more information about construction at the 5/23 meeting. (If you're not yet on our email list or haven't provided your home address before, subscribe here.)

The recent behavior I’ve witnessed from some who oppose changes in the public right of way that allocate more space for people who bike is worrisome. Baltimore is facing a public health crisis of immense proportions. The astronomical rates of violence, addiction, and chronic disease are a direct result of our cities inability to address the fact that a significant number of people in this city don’t have access to jobs, safe housing, healthy food, or high quality schools. We have talented local leaders with community based knowledge of what our most vulnerable residents need. We have leading academic research, that comes from our very own anchor institutions that points to public policy solutions to these issues. We know what we need to do. That doesn’t mean the solutions are easy, or that the money to execute on solutions is readily available, or that the legislative or policy solutions to enact these solutions have been created. That is the work — change the laws and the policies so the barriers to implementation are removed, and prioritize the funding of these solutions. But no matter who we elect, or how many forums we convene, we just can’t seem to get to the “doing” part.

You see, addressing root causes — by radically reorganizing our power structures and shifting funding priorities to do so — requires a complete shift in mindset. Our “City of Neighborhoods” mentality may be charming, but the fortress mentality that it creates is holding us back. We have a lot of Baltimore residents who live in relative comfort and safety, that will fight tooth and nail when a parking spot or a tree in their neighborhood is under threat, but will not apply that same level of tenacity or civic mindedness to our most pressing city wide problems. And that’s what I see when I see bikelash. I see a misapplication of concern, talent and resources. I see people mistaking compromises in personal preference or convenience for actual injustice. I see people more concerned with retaining power in a situation, rather than co-creating solutions that still create safety. And I witness how this ties the hands of city employees when they aren’t always granted the political cover to forge ahead on projects that are working toward addressing root causes but receiving public backlash — especially when that backlash comes from wealthy, politically connected constituents.

Good projects create space and opportunity for folks to have input and have their concerns addressed. Good cities have leadership that weigh community input against long range plans for improving the public good and determine the best path forward.

Making the streets safer for people who walk and bike is a public good. And we need to do more. We need to implement plans faster, and we need to ensure that resources for active transportation improvements are distributed equitably. That’s what our Complete Streets legislation seeks to do. That’s creating the policy that allows us to begin to work toward progress.

But bikelash? That’s an old way of doing business in Baltimore that is predicated on this idea that if you're relatively affluent, and politically connected, and shout and threaten to move away you’ll get your way — often at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens. That’s not democratic. That’s not neighborly. That’s not the mindset that will allow us to take on the most important challenges that lie ahead. And if elected officials continue to cave to these temper tantrums rather than following the lead of cities around the world of creating public spaces that work for all modes of transportation, Baltimore will continue to be left behind.

Want to support city wide organizing and coalition building around complete streets?