HB 160 Riding on Sidewalks - Oppose

The change in law as purposed by the bill:
UNLESS PROHIBITED by local ordinance, a person may ride a bicycle, play vehicle, or unicycle on a sidewalk or sidewalk area.
<a href="http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/bills/hb/hb0160f.pdf">http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/bills/hb/hb0160f.pdf</a>;

My main concern is study after study shows riding against the flow of traffic on the sidewalk is very dangerous. I do not support making such action legal.

From <a href="http://www.bike.cornell.edu/pdfs/Sidewalk_biking_FAQ.pdf">http://www.bike.cornell.edu/pdfs/Sidewalk_biking_FAQ.pdf</a>;
Bicyclists on a sidewalk or bicycle path incur greater risk than those on the roadway (on average 1.8 times as great), most likely because of blind conflicts at intersections. Wrongway sidewalk bicyclists are at even greater risk, and sidewalk bicycling appears to increase the incidence of wrong-way travel.

Main page: <a href="http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&amp;stab=01&amp;id=hb0160&amp;tab=subject3&amp;ys=2013RS">http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&amp;stab=01&amp;id=hb0160&amp;tab=subject3&amp;ys=2013RS</a>;

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Baltimore Spokes
https://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=2013013113134157