Baltimore Link is Good News for Bikes

A rendering of a proposed corridor that would be closed to cars, but open to transit and bikes. 

Today Governor Hogan announced $135 million in transit investment for Baltimore City. The majority of the announcement focused on improvements to bus service, the creation of Baltimore Link--something that is desperately needed and long overdue for thousands of Baltimore City workers and students that rely on MTA buses to get them to their destination. We are hopeful that these changes will improve transportation equity and economic vitality in the Baltimore region.

We were particularly pleased with the level of investment in first and last mile solutions. The plan includes:

• 83 new bike rack locations throughout MTA stations
• Partnering with the city to fund the installation of bike share stations at key MTA stations within Baltimore City
• Increasing MARC train Bike Car service to all trains on Saturday and Sunday
• Improved bicycle and pedestrian access to all MTA stations

As Baltimore Link matures from a concept into an actionable plan, we look forward to getting more firm and specific details on the levels on investment the State is going to make.

Every speaker including Governor Hogan who took the podium today mentioned bicycles in their remarks. The level at which bikes were included and acknowledged both at today’s announcement and within the plan marks a huge paradigm shift for the state of Maryland. This past summer, Bikemore conducted a bike transit tour with Baltimore City DOT and MTA staff. We were pleased to see that what we discussed in terms of improved access, secure bike parking, and state level investment in bike share to ensure first and last mile solutions became part of Baltimore Link. The true test comes over the next two years, when as advocates we hold our leaders accountable to their promises.

And while it inspires some hope that our leadership at the state level is looking at innovative planning solutions to create truly livable streets, we must acknowledge the hard truth that this $135 million investment is merely a consolation prize to the $736 million in state transportation funding that was lost when Governor Hogan cancelled the Red Line. Those funds instead went to support fiscally irresponsible highway expansion in some of the least populated counties in the state. These incongruences--holding a flashy presser touting the importance of mobility and livable streets but investing significantly more of the State’s transportation budget to road widening projects that undermine those same philosophies--will have to be answered for in the coming years of Hogan’s administration.

We look forward to continuing our work with MTA and partners at the state and local level to ensure bicycle and pedestrian access to our transit system is prioritized. Today was a step in the right direction--considering all modes of travel in transportation planning, and encouraging real mobility solutions for those most in need. And when the State is able to restore transportation funding in Baltimore to a level that better reflects the city’s needs, we will welcome the leap.

Why Baltimore County Needs 'Smart Growth'

Last Thursday, bicycle advocates from Bikemore, Bike Maryland, Towson University and throughout Baltimore County testified at the Capital Improvements Project Budget hearing. We were asking that Baltimore County dedicate resources to build multi-modal connections to increase the safety for folks choosing to travel on foot or by bike. Their current plan of using State Bikeways money to add "share the road" signage along high speed corridors is insufficient, especially when compared to the investments other counties across Maryland are making to increase bike friendliness. 

At the meeting, we also got to watch as a dozen residents or so testified on issues of horrific flooding in their neighborhood, and demanded that improvements to storm water management be made. Their property is in peril, and residents who have lived in that neighborhood for over 30 years, discussed how it really only became an issue in the past five years. 

Smart Growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that promotes dense development that prioritizes walkable, bikable design and preserves natural resources like farmland and green space to prevent urban sprawl. Tonight the Baltimore County Council will vote on a key piece of Smart Growth legislation that seeks to increase the Open Space fees currently assessed of developers that do not wish to include or preserve open space in their design. We commend Councilman David Marks for his leadership on bringing forth this legislation to a vote. 

As the advocacy organization that promotes building communities that are safer for biking and walking and creates livable streets, we believe in policies that address the impacts of unchecked development at the peril of the environmental health of a community. 

Open Space preservation has obvious aesthetic and environmental benefits to the community, but it has real economic ones too. I would venture to guess that the residents who saw an increase of flooding caused by an out of date sewer system becoming overwhelmed by storm water, saw this increase due to what some would categorize as the loose development restrictions in Towson that has led to a glut of construction projects over the past ten years. Paving over green space eliminates natural places for water to enter back into the water table, forcing the sewer system to accommodate larger amounts of run off. 

If the council votes to increase fees to encourage more open space preservation in construction projects, developers will be forced to either pay the real costs associated with removing permeable surfaces or implement design solutions that allow both commercial growth through development and preservation of open space. 

If the County provided safe ways for residents to access these commercial developments by foot or by bike, developers could seek to develop projects along these corridors and perhaps eliminate the amount of car parking (and thus pavement) required. 

We encourage Baltimore County Residents to contact their council person and tell them to SUPPORT AN INCREASE OF OPEN SPACE FEES, and preserve green space in Baltimore County for generations to come. When weighing the cost of upgrading sewer systems to handle increased run off, or investing in smart growth philosophies such as improving biking and walking access and increasing open space, we feel it's a no brainer. It is time the County set the rules for how communities grow, and encourage developers to innovate, rather than pass the costs of sprawl onto taxpayers. 

Want to add your voice to the growing force for bicycling and smart growth in Baltimore County? Sign our petition! 

Sharing the Road with Buses in Baltimore

Today, a video is making the rounds on the internet of a person on a bike being passed too closely by a Charm City Circulator bus. We are choosing to share and make our public comment here, as a local news outlet has already picked up the story. When Bikemore first learned of the video, we immediately alerted Baltimore City Department of Transportation that operates Charm City Circulator. We got an immediate response from the city notifying us that officials at Transdev, the contractor that operates the circulator and trains and employs the drivers, had been contacted. We are confident that both the City of Baltimore and Transdev are taking this incident seriously, and we look forward to receiving a full report of actions taken to ensure these type of incidents do not occur again.

As people who ride bikes in the city, getting passed too closely by a bus, whether it is a city operated Circulator, Maryland Transit Administration bus, or a college shuttle is a frequent occurrence. As bicyclists, we have full rights to the road, but in Maryland that means riding your bike as far to the right of the road as practicable, except in certain cases, including where lane widths are too narrow that it would be unsafe to share the lane with another vehicle side by side. Which incidentally, frequently creates a conflict between bicyclists riding closely to bus stops, and bus operators trying to meet their schedules and pick up and load passengers in a timely manner.

While Baltimore City and Maryland Transit Authority have taken major steps to ensure that people on bikes are accommodated and considered, there is still more work to be done. It is clear in the video, that despite being trained by Transdev on how to operate a bus safely, particularly around people on bikes, that the culture shift on an individual level required to ensure that all people in the roadways are treated with care still has a ways to go.

We know that not every driver operates this way, but given the pressures of on time performance, it is not surprising that some operators may become resentful when a person on a bike is traveling more slowly in the right lane and as a result feel pressure to make unsafe decisions.

At Bikemore, our hope is to continue to work with these agencies to ensure their training is up to date given the increased presence of people who bike on the roads. We believe that as a whole, these agencies recognize the value and necessity of these trainings, and are striving to ensure their drivers maintain a culture of safety.

But what we also see in the video is a complete misunderstanding of Maryland law by their employee. People who ride bikes have a  right to operate in the roadway. And if, as a person operating a motor vehicle, you would like to pass them, it is the law that you are required to give them a minimum of three feet passing distance. While we work to educate all people who operate motor vehicles on roadways the proper ways to safely share the road with people who bike, it is the commercial drivers that should be held to a higher standard. They receive specialized training, and should exhibit a professional demeanor, especially in situations that the person driving may find inconvenient. The risks are real, and the consequences can be deadly. No amount of on time performance should supersede the value of a human life.

Roadway design solutions exist, and the City should work to implement these designs in corridors that contain both a high volume of bus routes and people on bikes. Transit agencies that train drivers should maintain that passing vulnerable road users safely takes priority over on time performance. As seen in this video, the person on the bike was able to very quickly catch up to the bus at a stop, which leads us to believe, that had the bus simply decelerated and waited for the person on a bike to pass the bus stop rather than pass them so closely, on time performance would not have been compromised and that both the passengers on the bus and the person on a bike would have been able to continue to travel safely and efficiently.

Somehow as people, a culture where we value our own ability to maintain high speeds on urban streets has trumped the safety of those with whom we share the road. That needs to change. And hopefully, as we move forward our network of professionally trained drivers that work in Baltimore can lead by example.

If you experience an instance of unsafe driving by an operator of Charm City Circulator bus, the city requests you report it via their website at charmcitycirculator.com or their customer service line 410.350.0456. Be sure to note the bus ID located on the front exterior panel of the bus on both the driver and passenger sides.

For MTA, please report to http://mta.maryland.gov/questions-compliments-or-suggestions. For MTA, it is easier to Identify the driver if you capture the Route, Time, and “Block Number” located on the front of the bus.

Block Numbers on MTA Buses help to identify the driver in the case of reporting an incident. 

As people who bike, it is also extremely important that we exercise caution when riding near busses. In this video, it is clear that the person riding the bike is operating safely. But it is important to remember that as people on bikes, we should be passing busses on the left, and give them a wide berth so we can be certain we are visible outside of their blind spots. And if you experience an incident, we encourage those riding to document and report. It can be terrifying to be passed closely, but maintaining composure and taking the appropriate steps to report will keep everyone safe and ensure your complaint is taken seriously. And remember, if safe to do so, you can and should take the lane to encourage vehicles to either decelerate and wait or pass safely in the adjacent lane. 

Folks should also know, that at the invitation of the MTA, Bikemore is involved in a project to create additional resources for both transit operators and people on bikes to increase the culture of safety.

We look forward to more opportunities to collaborate with the various agencies that operate busses throughout the city to ensure the safety of all road users, be it bus operators, passengers, pedestrians or people on bikes. 

Bike Law with Peter Wilborn 10.14.2015

Next Wednesday, on October 14th, Bikemore is proud to host Peter Wilborn, founder of Bikelaw.com. You can pre-register for the event here. 

If you've ever wondered: 

• What to do if you've been hit by a person driving a car
• What to do if you've been doored 
• What to do if a person in a car is encroaching on your space or safety
• What to do if a police office pulls you over for violating a cycling law 

Then this talk is for you! 

We recently spoke with Peter in anticipation of his trip to Baltimore and asked him a few questions.

What's your bike story? When did you first learn to ride, and how did that lead into your work now?

I was a "Breaking Away Kid" and shaved my legs before I had leg hair to shave.  I've ridden almost every day since.  I commute (my favorite riding), tour, ride fast, ride with my kids, you name it.  I became a bike lawyer in 1998, when my brother was killed on his bicycle.   

In 140 characters or less, what is bikelaw.com

National network of bicycle lawyers who do what we can for people we like for a cause we love.  

As bike ridership increases in cities across America, what impact has that had on the demand for the services of attorneys like you?

The phone never stops ringing.  Yes, there are more collisions these days because of the growth in ridership (and how unprepared our cities were), but I think it is getting safer over all.   

If you could create a PSA that would be on billboards for folks to see across America, what would it say?

Ride Proud!

And finally, you used to live in Maryland, and still practice law in Maryland. Inquiring minds want to know: Pit Beef or Crab Cakes?

I did grow up in Maryland, and raced in College Park.  Ate so much crab as a kid that I developed an allergy!

We hope you can join us next Wednesday, October 14th, for a night of fun learning along with fellow Bikemore folks! Make sure to pre-register to ensure your spot! Thank you to our host De Klein Duivel who will have the bar open for the event. 

Response to Heather Cook's Plea

Today bike advocates from Bikemore and Bike Maryland joined the Palermo family for a court appearance by Heather Cook, the episcopal bishop responsible for the death of beloved Baltimore bicyclist Tom Palermo. 

The purpose of today’s hearing, one day prior to Cook’s scheduled trial was so that Cook could enter a plea of guilty on 4 of the 14 charges. 

Cook plead guilty to automobile manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, and texting while driving resulting in death. 

The State is seeking a maximum of ten years jail time and five years probation. Sentencing will take place on October 27th at 2pm. We have written a Victim Impact Statement to the judge requesting the maximum sentence. 

While the family has declined to comment on whether or not the recommended sentence is appropriate, as advocates we have been asked to weigh in. We believe that in this incredibly painful time our best action is to support the Palermo family in pursuing whatever justice they seek. But trying to quantify what justice for Tom would look like is futile. And for us, the sooner Heather Cook begins paying for her crime the better. What we want to remain in the forefront of people’s minds is that Tom was loved by so many people who are still here on earth. His joy for bicycling, his love for his family was immense. There is no specific punishment that can somehow restore the loss of someone like Tom. 

We believe that in order for this to not happen again, as a city we must commit to stronger enforcement of negligence while operating a motor vehicle. We have to commit to having zero tolerance to distracted driving. If the city claims they can’t afford to enforce the laws the state passes, we have to stop accepting that as an acceptable response. There was a time when driving drunk was more socially acceptable than it is today. There was a time when child seats were scarce, if used at all, and seatbelt laws were just coming into fashion. The argument that getting people to put away phones while we are driving is just too hard doesn’t hold water. Culture change related to driving can happen, because it has happened in our lifetime. And Bikemore is committed to ushering in the next wave a change for Baltimore. Cook was grossly negligent in her actions, but we are all guilty of sneaking a peek at a text or email, scrolling to find our favorite song, or typing in GPS directions from time to time. What do we have to do to make that dangerous behavior a thing of the past? How many people walking, people on bikes, and people in cars have to be killed in order for us to take this issue seriously? 

We want to honor Tom and his family by ensuring families in Baltimore do not have to experience the pain and loss they have. We are working to make sure when people ride their bike, they get home safe. Will you join us?